‘Let’s get digital!’ Cumbria’s Adult Learning service is helping Cumbrian’s to get online with FREE digital skills courses
This is Get Online Week and Cumbria County Council’s Adult Learning service wants to help every adult in Cumbria to improve their digital confidence with free courses starting from this Autumn.
With over 13 million people in the UK lacking the digital skills they need for work (Lloyds Consumer Digital Index, 2020) and increasing amounts of services, shopping and socialising moving online, Cumbria’s Adult Learning service wants to ensure no-one is left behind.
A lack of digital skills and access can negatively impact a person’s life, leading to poorer health outcomes, increased loneliness and social isolation, and reduced access to jobs and education.
Cumbria County Council’s Adult Learning service offers a range of courses covering IT & Digital Skills - and most are free. This includes introductory courses for complete beginners, through to courses covering specific skills around tools such as Zoom, Excel and Microsoft Office - and importantly - online safety. There are also courses for learners looking for qualifications to achieve their goals.
Deborah Earl, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Community Services said:
“Using our devices with confidence is not just something we need for work - digital skills are now an essential for everyday life. If the last two years have taught us anything, it is how vital digital skills are for everyone in our community. Getting online with confidence keeps us connected with our friends and family. Those skills can be used to open up so many opportunities: staying connected to our communities, accessing services, saving money, improving health & wellbeing and employment.
“In Cumbria, we’ve already helped over 270 people improve their digital skills since August this year. Digital inclusion is about making sure we don’t leave anyone behind. If you - or someone you know - could benefit from improving their online confidence, please look at the free courses Adult Learning has on offer.”
There are currently 70 courses on digital skills available to enrol all across Cumbria, with a mix of online and face-to-face courses.
More information on the Digital Skills courses on offer can be found at: adultlearning.cumbria.gov.uk
