Course content

It's believed that one in five adults lack the basic digital skills they need for everyday life and work. To fill this gap our new Essential Digital Skills for Work and Life course will give you the basic digital skills required for work. It will also help with study or everyday life in general. 

The course is for adults who have limited digital skills and knowledge. It's for those who lack knowledge of the basics.

You'll build knowledge in all five of the skill areas.

• communicating
• handling information and content
• transacting
• problem solving
• being safe and legal online. 

During the course there will be plenty of hands-on activities where you will engage with real time and simulated tasks. This will help build your confidence as you develop your digital skills.

This course will allow you to:  

Develop digital skills needed for work, life and study

• Make use of accessibility tools eg font size, voice commands to make it easier to use.
• Understand that the internet allows you to access content.
• Understand that you can connect to the internet through wifi and connect your device to a safe and secure wifi network.
• Know how to keep passwords and personal information safe.
• Update and change your password when prompted to do so.

Learn transacting skills needed for work and life

• Know how to set up an account online, using appropriate websites or apps, that allows you to buy goods or services.
• Access and use public services online, which includes filling in forms.
• Learn to use payment systems. This includes credit and debit card, direct bank transfer, and phone accounts, to make payments for goods or services online.
• Access salary and expenses information digitally including password protected payslips.

Work with digital devices and handle information

• Understand and evaluate what information or content may, or may not, be reliable
• Understand and comply with IT policies
• Use the internet to legally access content for entertainment such as Netflix and iPlayer

Create, edit and store digital content

• Understand that the cloud is a way to store information and content in a remote location.
• Organise information and content using files and folders on a device or the cloud.
• Share details across different devices including computers, tablets, and mobile phones.
• Use Microsoft Word, or similar, to create a working document to share with peers.

Be safe and confident online

• Use the internet to find information that helps you solve problems.
• Use online tutorials, FAQs, web chat and advice forums to solve problems and improve your skills.
• Know the risks and threats of going online and the importance of working securely.
• Know that viruses can damage your computer and how you can prevent this
• Know that online activity produces a permanent record. This could be accessed by others and used both now and in the future.
  activate pop-up blockers on your web browser to reduce the threat from malicious sites.

You'll also build the following skills for work:

• Work as part of a team and sharing ideas complete a task.
• Have a positive attitude to plan your own work and complete it effectively within a timeframe.
• Be a good listener and follow instructions.
• Be able to adapt the way you work when things change.
• Be resilient and have the ability to stick with a task and learn from setbacks.
• Literacy and numeracy skills will be supported throughout the course.