The Digital Skills Gap: How Digital Drawing is Empowering Adult Learners
“OVER NINE IN TEN (92%) BUSINESSES SAY THAT HAVING A BASIC LEVEL OF DIGITAL SKILLS IS IMPORTANT FOR EMPLOYEES AT THEIR ORGANISATION, AND FOUR IN FIVE (82%) JOB VACANCIES ASK FOR DIGITAL SKILLS.”
- [Source: Report by WorldSkills UK, with the Learning & Work Institute and Enginuity12, 2021]
The digital skills gap is widest in the North East and it is the most vulnerable people in our region who do not have regular access to digital skills or the necessary devices. Amongst all the talk from politicians of levelling up and closing attainment gaps, there is positive work happening right now. Digital Voice are pleased to be playing our part, thanks to funding from the North of Tyne Combined Authority, and their share of national funding specifically targeted at adult education. The funding aims to widen opportunities, create new training and job openings, close gaps and provide a skills pipeline for future industries.
Digital Voice has been tasked with focussing on those adults who are furthest away from the job market with a structured programme which gently builds confidence and digital skills, at the same time as being enjoyable and improving people’s wellbeing.
Our popular Digital Drawing course serves as a fun and informal way for adults to get to know the technology at the same time as providing a creative outlet, with some beautiful results like these from North Tyneside Art Studios:
“WE LIKE TO CALL THIS DIGITAL SKILLS BY STEALTH; BY MAKING IT CREATIVE, FUN AND INFORMAL, OUR PARTICIPANTS ARE LEARNING BASIC DIGITAL SKILLS WITHOUT THE PRESSURE ASSOCIATED WITH A MORE FORMAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. THEN WE OFFER FURTHER COURSES WHICH CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THOSE ESSENTIAL DIGITAL SKILLS WHICH GIVE PEOPLE THE CONFIDENCE AND EXPERIENCE TO FIND WORK.”
- Julie Nicholson, Managing Director
This approach is proving very successful, with many people wanting further training and to continue using the apps beyond the length of the course:
“THE COURSE WAS WELL TAUGHT AND BOTH THE FACILITATORS DELIVERED THE SESSIONS IN A FORMAT EASY TO UNDERSTAND. I’M GOING TO GET AN IPAD TO CONTINUE THIS!! I’D LOVE TO USE IT FOR MY CREATIVE WRITING RELATED ILLUSTRATIONS. FEEL MORE CONFIDENT AND CAN MOVE ON NOW FOR SOME FURTHER TRAINING.”
Digital Voice can then build on that enthusiasm by offering further training which develops employability skills. One such example is our course on Digital Content Creation which teaches participants how to create content for Canva or Tiktok.
When it comes to employability skills, being able to create content is very transferable to all sorts of industries as everyone has to market something. It’s also really helpful for those people who want to start their own small businesses.
“This longer term aPPROACH TO SUPPORT AND TRAINING IS VITAL IF WE’RE TO CLOSE THE SKILLS GAP; ONE SHORT COURSE WON’T SOLVE IT, PEOPLE NEED ACCESS TO DEVICES AND CONTINUED TRAINING. I REALLY WELCOME THE CONTINUED INVESTMENT FROM THE COMBINED AUTHORITY WHICH IS ALREADY PRODUCING MEANINGFUL RESULTS FOR OUR LEARNERS.”
- Julie Nicholson
To find out more about our courses for adult learners: inTouch