Improve digital skills with free online learning programme

A new programme designed to help people develop their digital skills and improve job prospects is being delivered by Exeter health and wellbeing charity CITY Community Trust, as the economy continues to be hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

The scheme is being delivered through Good Things Foundation and has been funded by Google.org - the philanthropic arm of the tech company.

Participants can choose from a range of free training options, designed to upskill them and improve employment prospects, which they complete in their own time at home.

The scheme is particularly useful for furloughed workers. According to new findings from social change charity Good Things Foundation, many furloughed employees are concerned about their future employment. The figures show that:

Seven in 10 furloughed workers are concerned they won’t have a job in a year

45% of furloughed workers have already started or plan to start job hunting

67% of furloughed workers want to learn new skills to improve their employment prospects, with online and IT skills the most desirable

Good Things Foundation has been funded by Google.org to deliver the Make It Click programme, which forms part of the Government’s Skills Toolkit. The charity is encouraging people to take advantage of the free learning resources on offer to improve their digital know-how in the face of an uncertain future.

Jamie Vittles, chief executive of Exeter CITY Community Trust, said: ‘We understand how difficult things are for lots of people at the moment, and we’re really pleased to continue to build on the employability programmes we offer through this fund from the Good Things Foundation.’

To help more furloughed workers and others gain valuable digital knowhow and confidence, Make It Click offers a wealth of free online learning resources. These include courses, tools and templates on a range of topics, from online job searching to social media and email. A new careers section of the site brings together support to create a CV, prepare for job interviews and present yourself online.

To find out more about the free courses, visit www.makeitclick.com and register ‘City Community Trust’ as the centre you are learning in, or email makeitclick@ecfc.co.uk or visit https://exetercct.org/courses-events/make-it-click/