Digital Skills Training for Individuals Looking to Upskill

A range of free opportunities to learn new digital skills for individuals who may be unemployed, looking to change career or thinking about upskilling.

Interested in AI?

Good Things Foundation – AI Gateway

Designed to help de-mystify AI and ensure everyone has the opportunity to understand this technology, how it’s impacting online experiences and how it can be helpful to daily life.

Click here to get started.

Google

As a starting point for the basics on AI try this – linked to the Grow Google resources is this online course called the Learn the basics AI. This self-paced course created by Minna Learning and the University of Helsinki encourages a broad group to learn what AI is, what can and can’t be done with AI and how to start creating AI methods.

There are more options to choose from on their Learn AI and Machine Learning Guide including:

New AI training to unlock job opportunities – read their blog here or go directly to the course options here
Make Sense of AI – This guide offers simple, bite-sized explainers to help you understand what AI is and how it’s changing the world around us.
Explore AI and learn from Google’s experts – Just learning to code or a seasoned ML practitioner, you’ll find resources to develop your skills and advance your projects here.

In May/June 2024, and then available on demand/pre-recorded, Google with be running – 4-weeks of live, hands-on classes led by our experts who will teach you how to build chat apps, agents and bots using Gemini. Sign up here.

Microsoft Co-Pilot

The Microsoft Learn programme – Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 executive challenge – Microsoft states that this training programme allows you to, “discover how Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 elevates workplace productivity and innovation.” It is tailored to provide insights on crafting contextual prompts for Copilot and includes engaging use case exercises that showcase seamless integration into daily workflows”.

It gives a 30min introduction to Copilot (can be done as a standalone module) and how it fits with Microsoft 365. A second 30min module covers how to craft effective prompts. A final 1 hour executive productivity module covering topics such as creating a slide presentation or a speech using Copilot, enhancing content creation and collaboration skills and summarizing chat and channel threads using Copilot in Teams.

Or you could just look at a 30-40min sessions on Exploring the possibilities with Copilot for Microsoft 365 or want to take your skills further and optimise and extend Copilot for Microsoft 365 and look at best practice, effective prompts and plugins.

If you want to learn more about Microsoft Azure and AI, you could start with this Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals self-directed programme – click here or search the learn.microsoft.com website for the vast array of options available.

Local Support to Learn Digital Skills

Lancashire’s Skills Bootcamps

Skills Bootcamps are intensive and flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector specific skills and fast track to an interview with a local employer.

Designed with employers, participants will gain the in-demand skills to move into or progress in their chosen sector. Participants will be offered a GUARANTEED job interview for real job upon completion.

Bootcamps are presently available in cyber security, data analytics, digital marketing, electech and software development. More will be available later in the year.

For more information on all the available Skills Bootcamps, click here.

Lancashire Adult Learning have a wide range of online flexible or live courses and in-person courses for Lancashire residents that can introduce you to a range of topics to develop your digital skills – click here to explore their offer or call 0333 0031717.

There are videos to watch and help sheets you can read covering things such as: Signing Up and Using , Zoom Download, BorrowBox, Apps icons – reference sheet, WhatsApp instructions and staying safe online.

Blackburn with Darwen Adult Learning

For Blackburn with Darwen residents, they have a wide range of IT an Digital courses. For more information click here. Or call: 01254 507720. Or Email: adultlearning@blackburn.gov.uk.

Blackpool Learning Rooms – Adult Skills

For Blackpool residents, please check out Blackpool Learning Rooms – ICT Provision

Want to learn more general digital skills? (Online Options)

Broadband Savvy

A "Become Broadband Savvy" banner with an illustration of people using devices. If you want to learn more about Broadband – learn the jargon, how to fix common household problems and read buyer’s guides – the Broadband Savvy website would be a good starting point.

Broadband Social Tariffs – Faster Broadband

If you are claiming any benefits, the Faster Broadband website helps you navigate the best and cheapest option for you.

Google’s Applied Digital Skills

The Applied Digital Skills content consists of 250+ hours of video led content to use to learn a wide range of digital skills. Originally designed to be used by teachers with students or by students independently, if you focus on the Post 16 content this resource can be used by those not in school or college to upskill.

Content includes: Use Google to get a new job, manage a project with digital tools, use digital tools for everyday tasks, organise files on your drive. Sign up for free here!

The Open University

The Open University has a variety of free courses available. You can find more information here.

Learn My Way

Learn My Way from The Good Things Foundation has a section on Employment and Work. They have a variety of courses available to develop your basic digital skills including courses on Google, Outlook, Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn. The go back to basics such as “How to create a Word document” or “What is Office 365?”

Lloyds Bank Academy

The Lloyds Academy is packed with free digital skills learning for any level. There is a wide range of courses available to choose from such as these trending programmes –

The iDEA Award

The iDEA Award (The Inspiring Digital Enterprise Award) is described as an international programme that helps you develop digital, enterprise and employability skills for free. You complete a series of online challenges and collect badges when successful. Each badge has points and 250 points gets you your Bronze Award, an industry-recognised award. Read more about it here.

If you want to speak to someone about doing the IDEA Award, why not drop in to your local Lancashire Library. All the staff can help you and you can go online in any library.

Want to learn specialist digital skills for jobs in the industry? (Online Options)

AWS – Amazon Web Services

AWS—Amazon Web Services offer some free training on a variety of topics from analytics and big data to machine learning and application integration. There are also links to other training you can purchase, so please ensure you filter for the free digital training.

Skills for All from Cisco

A graphic for "Cisco" saying it is "your window to a world of opportunity" with a picture of a man smiling. Free online courses for tech jobs – take courses and gain digital badges that can demonstrate your skills to potential employers. Click here for further info.

Google Grow My Career

Grow with Google has a full library of online courses covering a wide range of topics with both interactive live webinars and in-depth courses that can take you form ‘beginner to job-ready professional’ – or Google Career Certificates. Topics covered range from AI, Cloud Computing, Cyber Security and Coding to Data and Digital Marketing.

IBM SkillsBuild

Explore free courses in AI, cyber security, data and technology. Build practical skills, earn digital badges and discover pathways into future careers in the digital sector.

Institute of Coding

Offering a wide range of industry-inspired courses co-designed by a network of employers and education. Courses are there if you want to find out more about digital, learn new skills, or prepare for your career by studying for a degree. Find more information here. – but please ensure you filter to free courses!

Microsoft UK Digital Skills Hub

Microsoft have developed a training offer across 10 Digital Career areas.

These 10 jobs were identified as having the greatest number of job openings*, have had steady growth over the past four years, pay a liveable wage, and require skills that can be learned online.

*Number of job openings posted globally on LinkedIn in 2020

Job roles include: software developer, sales representative, project manager, IT administrator, customer service specialist, digital marketer, IT support/helpdesk, data analyst, financial analyst, graphic designer.

Have a look at the offer here.

Microsoft Learn

With Microsoft Learn you can learn skills required to advance your career and gain Microsoft Certification. You can filter course by beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. Courses cover:

.Net e.g. .NET core
Azure e.g. Azure Active Directory
Dynamics 365 e.g. AI for customer service
Power Platform e.g. Power BI
SQL Server
Visual Studio e.g. App centre
Windows
Microsoft 365 e.g. Cloud app security
Office 365 e.g. Sharepoint framework

My World of Work

This Scottish site has a great search function where you can search courses by Microsoft Learn, IBM, Cisco, Salesforce and AWS all in one place. You can filter by AI, Data Science, Cyber Security and Software Development.

Sparta Education

Explorer free online training in AI, data, cloud and technology. Learn at your own pace, join live sessions and develop skills that can support future careers. The platform is designed for people a different stages of learning tech skills whether a beginner or more experienced.

Getting Stuck with the Jargon?

You could always visit the O2 jargon buster to get definitions of common terms used.