Forest of Dean District Council has recently granted Cinderford-based construction school, AccXel, £20,000 of the council’s Shared-Prosperity funding for them to deliver free digital skills training courses for residents.

Cabinet member for the economy, Councillor Johnathan Lane, said:“In the modern world we’re all living in, having strong digital skills has become a fundamental requirement if people want to access professional and personal opportunities.

“Helping residents unlock these opportunities is a key part of why we’re funding AccXel to deliver these training sessions and I’d highly recommend that anyone who is interested in completing this training to get in touch with the team there.”

Natalie King, Managing Director and Principal at AccXel, said:“We are thrilled that AccXel has been chosen to deliver the Digital Skills programme for the Forest of Dean.  AccXel is situated in Cinderford, and we are very passionate about educating people in our area to build their confidence and grow their skills".

The funding comes from UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) funding which is part of the UK’s levelling up agenda. The UKSPF aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK by investing in communities and places, supporting local business, and people and skills.

The training consists of a five-day course with each day focusing on a different aspect of digital skills with a Level 1 Qualification in Digital Skills achievable following completion. The full five-day breakdown can be seen below:

  • Day 1: Introduction, enrolment, and the fundamentals of internet security and staying safe online.
  • Day 2: Setting up and using devices, handling information including creating and saving folders and documents, and the basics on internet navigation.
  • Day 3: Creating and editing documents.
  • Day 4: Digital communication including corresponding via email, scheduling and taking part in virtual meetings and recording data from meetings.
  • Day 5: Making secure online transactions. This session will be followed by the NOCN (National Open College Network) assessments to achieve the L1 qualification if this is applicable to the learner.