Wester Hailes Digital Skills Development

WHALE Arts' "Wester Hailes Digital Skills Development" project would see our Digital and Communities Lead run two-hour drop-in sessions three times a week focusing on teaching basic digital skills to those who feel they need it. The sessions will use the Digital Sentinel, Wester Hailes' local news website, to show how any skills learned can be used in a practical real life way to improve economic prospects. The topics covered in these sessions would be raised by participants, allowing them to learn at their own pace and focus on topics they have an interest in.

As topics covered are raised by participants, we cannot say for sure what topics will be covered. Past experience though has suggested it could include:

Word processing skills to write an article, photography to promote an event, internet use to look up local events, activities or job offers. Completing online job searching application: creating accounts with popular job search sites, writing CVs, creating an email address, how to send CVs using smartphones Completing online benefit applications, help entering the necessary data, creating accounts, completing work Journals. Assistance with new technology and devices, help setting up new smart phones, explaining the difference between wifi and mobile internet.

The regularity of the sessions will allow as many people as possible to fit them into their schedule, allow participants to build relationships with staff, support them to feel comfortable and encourage them to give the time required to practice and develop the skills to a level where they feel able to proceed alone. This is something that previous participants have told us they prefer to other courses where they feel bombarded with information and forget some of the things they learned soon after the course.

The drop-in nature of the sessions allows people to stay for as long as they are comfortable and removes the pressure caused by more formal classroom conditions. We will provide Desktops and iPads for participants to use during the drop ins but whenever able will encourage participants to bring their own devices so they can practice with the technology they will likely have access to at home. Moreover, to ensure people can continue to use the skills they have learned at home the sessions will not only show regularly used software (such as the Microsoft suite of Office tools) but will also inform participants of free or low cost alternative software available.