Preston College: Essential Digital Skills for Adult Learners

Success Story

Preston College has delivered Essential Digital Skills Qualifications for four years, helping a diverse group of adult learners to enhance their digital skills they need for work and daily life. Learners took Gateway Qualifications Entry Level 3 and Level 1 in Essential Digital Skills, and one learner, Karen Bleakley, progressed from Entry Level 3 to Level 1.

If you teach adults who already have some IT skills but need to bring them up to date for work and every day life, get in touch.

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At a glance

Centre

Preston College, an FE college delivering adult IT and community learning

Qualification

Entry Level 3 in Essential Digital Skills and Level 1 in Essential Digital Skills

The challenge

Adults with some IT skills that have not kept pace with the software they need now

The solution

Deliver both levels, so learners can begin at Entry Level 3 and progress to Level 1 in Essential Digital Skills

The results

Students such as Karen Bleakley progressed Entry Level 3 to Level 1 and used spreadsheets to manage her local tennis club’s subscriptions and payments

These qualifications provided me with the skills and knowledge I so badly needed. I would highly recommend the courses to anyone, no matter how good or bad their IT skills are.

Karen Bleakley, Learner, Preston College

The challenge: updating IT skills that have fallen behind

Adults often reach a point where the digital skills they have no longer match the software they need to use, at work and at home. Karen Bleakley, a retired teacher, found herself needing to update her IT skills to keep up with an ever-evolving digital landscape.

Sarah Southworth needed to refresh her knowledge of Word, Excel and PowerPoint, which were important to her role as a Teaching Assistant. Both came to Preston College to close the gap.

The solution: Preston College uses Entry Level 3 and Level 1 Essential Digital Skills

Preston College delivers both levels of our Entry Level 3 and Level 1 of Essential Digital Skills Qualifications, so learners can begin at one level and progress to the next.

Karen and Sarah began at different levels.

Karen enrolled on our Entry Level 3 in Essential Digital Skills, where she discovered new keyboard functions and more efficient ways to use word processing packages, learned how to protect herself against online scams, and improved her web searching.

Sarah enrolled on our Level 1 in Essential Digital Skills to update her knowledge of Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

At Entry Level 3 the focus is on skills for life, with an introduction to skills for work. At Level 1 the focus is more on skills for work, with a secondary focus on skills for life.

Sarah praised her tutor, Paul Hand, for his extensive knowledge and his ability to break sessions down into easy-to-follow instructions.

The teaching was geared to individual learning and prior knowledge, which I found extremely useful as a much better teaching than the 'one size fits all' approach.

Karen Bleakley, Learner, Preston College

The results: from Entry Level 3 to Level 1

Karen Bleakley did not stop at Entry Level 3. She continued to our Level 1 in Essential Digital Skills, where she improved her knowledge and application of spreadsheets, and she put that skill to use straight away, managing subscriptions and payments for her local tennis club. The qualification gave her something she could carry directly into her own life.

Sarah Southworth used Level 1 Essential Digital Skills to sharpen the digital skills she needed in a role she already held. Where Karen’s story is about progressing between levels, Sarah’s about applying one level with more confidence in her day-to-day work.

This course has built my confidence in my digital skills and has improved the knowledge I already had; I can now complete my tasks more efficiently.

Sarah Southworth, Learner, Preston College

What four years of delivering EDSQ has meant for Preston College

For the past four years, Preston College has been delivering EDSQ, supporting a diverse group of learners to enhance their digital skills.

Paul Hand, Curriculum Lead for ESOL Teens 14 to 19 and Adult IT / Community Learning, reports that the qualifications have enabled students to search for information and share it with tutors by email. Learners have developed CVs and cover letters, improving their employability prospects, and have created Word documents and PowerPoint presentations that they carry into their other courses at the college and into home life, including helping with homework.

As a tutor, it's incredibly rewarding to see such a varied group from different communities and varied backgrounds embrace this qualification and transform their digital lives. This progress brings immense pride to both me and my team, and as a college, it transforms lives and builds a better future for all. Helping others transform their digital lives and build a brighter future is such a meaningful contribution for everyone involved.

Paul Hand, Curriculum Lead for ESOL Teens 14 to 19 and Adult IT / Community Learning, Preston College

What this could mean for your learners

Karen Bleakley is a retired teacher; Sarah Southworth works as a Teaching Assistant. Both came to Preston College to update their IT skills they already had some of, and both put what they learned straight to use. The qualification met each of them where they were.

The same is possible for very different learners, in very different settings. If you are looking at digital skills provision for adults, we’re here whenever you’d like to talk.