WHALE Digital and Enterprise Development (360G-SCVO-a13N2000004CWl9IAG)

We have recently created a new Creative Digital Collaborative Space in our building. We want to deliver a new Digital and Enterprise Support Programme in this new facility to support residents to learn digital skills and develop enterprise opportunities. We want to run two, 2-hour drop-in sessions for 40 weeks in our Digital Collaborative Space. Sessions will be delivered by our Digital Inclusion Lead and pen to anyone who wants to improve their digital skills and increase their confidence using digital technologies. We will also provide additional support to people who are interested in starting their own business but who lack the digital skills or know-how to do so. The sessions will be run in small groups on a drop-in basis. Sessions will be tailored to learning outcomes which meet participants’ individual requirements rather than based on a set curriculum. Previous participants have told us that they prefer this model of learning as it reduces the pressure which they can feel in more formal educational settings. This approach will make the sessions more relevant to individual needs, more applicable to the knowledge and skills of the participants and lead to a more satisfying learning experience. It is not possible to confirm at this stage which topics will be included in the programme as the syllabus will be directed by participants, but from previous digital projects we anticipate topics will range from basic digital skills, setting up an email, how to use equipment, dealing with errors and broken equipment, job seeking, filling out online forms such as benefit applications and updating journals, cloud storage technologies, social media and more. This would be supported by a 2-hour outreach session once a week at Clovenstone Community Centre. Outreach sessions will focus on basic digital skills with the aim of encouraging participants to attend the sessions based in our building where they can access more in-depth support. Delivering outreach sessions in different venues across Wester Hailes which are used and trusted by the local community will reduce barriers to access and help people who are digitally excluded feel comfortable and relaxed. Sessions will use WHALE’s own equipment as we are aware that many of our participants lack access to digital equipment, relying on their smart phones which are not always suitable for more formal work-related tasks. We would also like to hold two expert led sessions where a professional will work with the participants who are most interested in developing their business ideas, for instance helping them to design a logo for marketing or information on creating a website.