Digital Knowledge & Skills
What is it and who is it for?
This digital knowledge and skills course is a chance for people who have little or no I.T. skills, yet are worried about their lack of knowledge in such a digital society as the UK, to get together over a 6 or 12 week period to learn basic knowledge and skills. Working in a friendly environment and working with their own device or one that has been provided to them as part of the course, they will learn over the course of subsequent mornings, everything from computer basics, all the way through to how to protect their families and loved ones from fraud and more advanced e-safety.
Why is this an issue?
Modern Britain is highly technological and digitally driven society, yet nearly one in four adults living in the UK do not have basic online skills, according to the Go-On UK Basic Digital Skills Report from 2015. Our experience of working with communities such as the South Asian community living in the UK, points to the fact that digital illiteracy is even worse still.
Many women we engage with in community settings have expressed concerns about their online competencies now they are living in the UK. They worry about their ability to simply keep up with their children and grand-children, where digital competency is the norm, specifically how they can help keep their loved-ones safe in a digital world. But it also includes their ability to integrate into the UK society, where their lack of digital skills creates barriers to inclusion from things that most digitally comfortable people take for granted. Online banking and shopping. Email and social media. Booking doctors appointments. The list is potentially endless.
Who should fund this?
We are constantly looking to work with funders who want to increase digital inclusion, but equally those who want to increase inclusion more broadly for those more marginalised communities, where digital skills would simply help them with a better life and greater integration into UK society.