DigiAcademy attended Bett Global 2026 in London, represented by its founder and CEO, Dr. Esther Murphy (Trinity College Dublin). The visit also included participation in the Learnovate Centre, Trinity College Dublin, and Enterprise Ireland Networking Brunch, where discussions focused on innovation, lifelong learning, and inclusion as key drivers shaping the future of education and work.
At the Learnovate and Enterprise Ireland event, Dr. Murphy joined sector leaders for a panel discussion titled “Skills, Governance and the New Professional Landscape,” chaired by Rose Goggin, with contributions from Peter Gillis, John Doran, and Kathleen Hake, PhD. The session drew strong engagement and highlighted critical issues, including the widening gap between academic learning and workplace-ready skills, the shared responsibility for continuous professional development, and the continued importance of human skills alongside digital and AI competencies.
These themes closely align with DigiAcademy’s mission to support people with intellectual disabilities to build digital, communication, and independent living skills, enabling meaningful participation in employment and society. The DigiAcademy initiative is co-designed with and led by people with lived experience of intellectual disability and delivered through a train-the-trainer model that embeds community voices at every level. The programme directly addresses digital exclusion and social inclusion, supporting learners to access technology, employment opportunities, and lifelong learning pathways.
