Essential Digital Skills Qualifications

essential digital skills

Progress Update: Our Essential Digital Skills qualifications are currently undergoing technical evaluation by Ofqual. We have developed Essential Digital Skills qualifications at both Entry Level 3 and Level 1. They will be available for delivery in the autumn subject to Ofqual approval.

Did you know...?

From September 2020, the Government is providing entitlement funding for adults with low digital skills who are taking Ofqual approved Essential Digital Skills qualifications.

Why Do We Need Qualifications in Essential Digital Skills?

In an age of vast digital transformation, those who lack basic digital skills are highly vulnerable to digital exclusion. In the UK, 11.3 million people (21%) lack the full basic range of digital skills and 4.3 million (8%) people have no digital skills at all, giving rise to inequalities in access to opportunities, knowledge, services and goods.

Essential Digital Skills qualifications can help alleviate this by equipping the most vulnerable with the right tools to 'safely benefit from, participate in and contribute to the digital world of today and the future’ (Department for Education, 2019).

National Standards for Essential Digital Skills

The 'National Standards for Essential Digital Skills' define the core digital abilities needed for work and life across the skill levels:

Entry 3 - designed for adults with no or little prior experience of using digital devices.
Level 1 - designed for adults with some experience of using digital devices and the internet but lacking secure basic digital skills.

The government's new Essential Digital Skills entitlement will ensure adults aged 19+ with no or low digital skills can benefit from Essential Digital Skills qualifications free of charge from 2020.

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5 Categories of Essential Digital Skills for Life and Work

The National Standards have outlined five skill areas that will inform the development of subject content for Essential Digital Skills qualifications. They are as follows:

Using devices and handling information - the understanding of hardware, software and operating systems including how to organise and store information and solve technical problems.
Creating and editing - the use of a suitable application to enter and edit varied information for a range of purposes and audiences.
Communicating - identifying and utilising suitable forms of online communication for a range of contexts and audiences.
Transacting - completing and submitting online forms and making secure online payments for products and services.
Being safe and responsible online - managing and proctecting your privacy and data online and also being mindful of physical and psychological repercussions of extensive online activity.

Our Offer

In recent years, OCN London has led the way in addressing digital exclusion with the launch of our Digital Skills and related qualifications, and welcomes the Government’s new Digital Skills Framework initiative.

We have employed the same expertise in developing the new Essential Digital Skills qualifications, based on the national standards. They are designed:

For adults aged 19+ years with low digital skills.
To support basic digital skills for daily life, work and studying.
To support digital inclusion in life.
To support social interactions.

For more information on our Essential Digital Skills qualifications, please contact us.

Check Out Our Full Range of Digital Skills Qualifications

Our digital skills offer combines a suite of innovative digital skills qualifications with materials to support creativity and best practice in the delivery and assessment of your essential digital skills curriculum.

All our current digital skills qualifications are mapped to the Department for Education’s new Essential Digital Skills Framework.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW OUR SUITE OF DIGITAL SKILLS QUALIFICATIONS

Contact Us

We would be delighted to discuss our qualifications in further detail with you.

Email us: enquiries@ocnlondon.org.uk

Call us: 020 7278 5511