East Enders master computer skills

Citation

(2006), "East Enders master computer skills", Education + Training, Vol. 48 No. 7. https://doi.org/10.1108/et.2006.00448gab.009

East Enders master computer skills

A total of 60 people from the East End of London, with few or no information-technology skills, were trained to pass a nationally recognized qualification in a programme run by Leyton Sixth Form College. They passed the Computer Literacy and Information Technology (CLAIT) examination following the programme.

The college recruited the students from small or medium-size retail and manufacturing businesses in Waltham Forest, in traditionally low-pay, low-skill jobs. It had secured European Social Fund backing to run the basic IT course, which introduces people to word processing, spreadsheets, presentation graphics, internet and e-mail. Training was delivered to small groups, by tutors, in the evening, with full-time students acting as helpers.

The college director, Joga Kabra, said: “Some learners had been extremely nervous, especially at the prospect of having to take an examination. By the end of the first session, however, all said that they felt more relaxed and confident and were amazed by how much they had learned after only a few hours. The practical nature of the course has meant that learners have been able very quickly to put their new skills to use. We have begun to address the traditional barriers to training and IT skill gap that can exist in an economically deprived community.”

The programme, named Twenty-First Century Skills @ Leyton SFC, was widely praised by employers and the employees who took part. Some have been encouraged to take up further lifelong learning.