Your Digital Pathway
A new, free digital skills course developed by TechUP in partnership with Santander and the University of Bath-based Institute of Coding
Course overview
The course has been developed to support you in taking your first step on the pathway to building your digital skills. The course is delivered fully online, at an introductory level and can be completed at your own pace – when it suits you best. In total, we offer eight hours of digital learning.
This introduction to digital skills can help you:
- Return to, or start education,
- Return to work, or pivot your career, or
- Set up a business online
We’re offering 50,000 FREE places on this course for UK residents aged 18+. Applications close on 29 June 2022, so apply today to secure your spot!
What will I learn?
Module One (All participants) – This first module will introduce the course and help you prepare to take the first step on the pathway to building your digital skills.
It will:
- Help you choose the equipment and software that you need to access the internet and complete basic digital tasks.
- Introduce core internet search techniques that will help you find what you need online.
- Provide additional information on technology and the internet.
At the end of this module, you will be able to get online and use the internet safely and effectively to connect with people, find information, and further your educational, work and business goals.
Module Two (All participants) – This section will provide you with an understanding of social media and how to use it to showcase your skills and capabilities, build your professional network and interact with others.
It will:
- Provide an introduction to social media and how to use different social platforms for different purposes.
- Give guidance about how to stay safe and protect personal information whilst using social media.
- Provide recommendations and lessons on how to start using social media for professional development.
- Share the tools and technologies that you need to stay safe online, from encryption, selecting secure passwords, to anti-virus software.
At the end of this section, you will be able to create or build your social media presence and use this to connect with others whilst staying safe and protecting your information, privacy and contacts.
Modules Three and Four – When you register for the course, you will be asked to pick a learning pathway:
Return to Work Pathway – this pathway will provide an introduction to some of the digital skills you will need to find the right job and support you to build the future career you want.
Learning objectives:
- Discover tools, technology, and strategies to help individuals find a job that’s right for you.
- Develop resources, social profiles and materials to showcase your skills.
- Learn to use social media and online searches to find opportunities and connect with potential employers and recruiters.
- Gain tips on how to prepare for a successful interview.
- Create a productive virtual office that will support working from home and set up work/life boundaries.
- Learn how to get organised and build digital skills for work.
By the end of this pathway you will have the tools to help you find the right job online, showcase your skills, nail your interview, and set up a virtual office that makes a return to work easier to organise.
Starting a business online – This pathway will provide an introduction to some of the key digital skills needed to start a business online and provide you with a step-by-step action plan for setting up your business.
Learning objectives:
- Discover tools, technology, and strategies to use to research, develop and launch the business.
- Develop a business plan.
- Learn how to use social media to achieve business objectives.
- Understand different online applications including cloud-based platforms, and how to use applications to build the business.
- Develop the business brand and create a brand toolkit.
- Build a basic website to showcase the business and connect with customers/clients
By the end of this pathway learners will have the tools to help them build and launch their business online and understand how to use websites, social media and cloud-based platforms to help them run and develop the business.
Returning to education – This pathway will provide advice and information on the range of educational and training opportunities available and support individuals to get started with their learning.
Learning objectives:
- Discover tools, technology, and strategies to help determine learning style and find the right course, training or certification programme
- Learn to use social media and online searches to find information about courses and connect with others
- Create the best possible LinkedIn profile
- Learn how to build an online presence to showcase educational skills and achievements
By the end of this pathway learners will have the tools to help them find the right course or programme to support their learning or career goals. They’ll also be able to build their network and boost their employability by highlighting skills and educational accomplishments to current or future employers.
If you want to start building your digital skills in these areas, sign up today!
Prize Draw
Everyone who completes the course will receive a certificate of achievement and will also be entered into a prize draw for the chance to win one of 88 Santander grants worth up to £2,500 (Ts&Cs apply), available to use on the tailored Santander Aspire webstore to purchase a range of items including laptops, tablets and Chromebooks.
*Entering the prize draw (T&Cs*):
To qualify for a chance to win, participants must:
- Complete the full Your Digital Pathway by 10 July 2022
- Share their certificate of achievement on either Facebook, Twitter or Linked with the hashtag #NeverStopLearning **
**The 88 individuals who are selected will be required to send a screenshot of their social media post with their certificate of achievement and #NeverStopLearning hashtag to Santander.universities@santander.co.uk by 22 July 2022.
