University of Leeds develops free digital course for Government's new skills website

The course is part of a new Government initiative offering free digital and numeracy courses in lockdown, via www.gov.uk/theskillstoolkit.

It is hoped that people may use the coronavirus lockdown to improve their job prospects and also their confidence levels.

Courses cover a range of levels, from everyday maths and tools for using email and social media more effectively at work to more advanced training.

Learning how to create online content, which was developed by the University of Leeds and the Institute of Coding, understanding the Fundamentals of Digital Marketing from Google Digital Garage, and learning how to code for data analysis from the Open University, are among the subjects available.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, who is launching the website, said: “I want businesses to encourage their furloughed employees to use The Skills Toolkit to improve their knowledge, build their confidence and support their mental health, so they have skills they need to succeed after the coronavirus outbreak.”

All courses are online and flexible, so people can work through them at their own pace, according to the Education Department.

Matthew Fell, of the CBI, said online learning is a “great way” for people to upgrade their skills particularly during a lockdown.

Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “The impact of Covid-19 has shown how important digital skills are, both for work and other aspects of our lives.

“Technology is going to play a hugely important role in our economic recovery and this new platform will help ensure everyone is able to improve their digital skills and take advantage of the opportunities ahead.”

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