Promoting digital skills in older learners

Digital Unite, which enables older learners to gain new digital skills, has a network of tutors throughout the UK, skilled in delivering online training to a range of older people and businesses.

Every year since 2002 Digital Unite has celebrated Silver Surfers' Day with a series of events for older people. Over one hundred thousand older people have so far acquired digital skills. This is truly inspiring and a testament to the dedicated and creative people who organise the events.

There is a whole range of digital courses and learning materials on offer including searching the internet, digital photography, blog writing, social media and online computer gaming.

This year's Silver Surfer's Day on 21st May was the most successful so far, with a 50% increase in events being run all over the country in the same week. These included "Computers for the Terrified" held at Newlyn in Cornwall and Silver City Surfers in Aberdeen. In all there were 32,000 participants

The ambassadors were Sir Terry Wogan and Dame Vera Lynn, who organised a great deal of media coverage on various BBC regional stations, on the Jeremy Vine Show, BBC 1 Breakfast Sofa and on Working Lunch.

The initiative gives a fantastic opportunity for the generations to come together, with the young handing on IT skills to older people. Thus, various primary and secondary schools took part this year. For example, pupils aged seven years onwards were the "tutors" at Simpson Primary School in Bathgate, West Lothan. Everyone had a lot of fun and one adult organiser who wanted to get involved this year had this to say:

“Primary 7′s are very talented at ICT and passing it on. It was an opportunity for them to show off their knowledge in different subjects which all have an aspect of using the internet. The whole school is looking forward to having a fun filled day of teaching and learning”.

Other keen organisations include more housing associations such as Chevin Housing Group which had the brainwave of running an internet taster session for older people. Three computers were set up so that residents could try out new internet skills with members of staff ready to give a helping hand. The session, according to Joe Howey, ICT Assistant at Chevin, was very well subscribed, with lots of people interested and ready to take the plunge. It was a resounding success and helped people grow in confidence to undertake new online tasks such as shopping and e-banking.

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