Are our teachers, trainers and assessors able to keep up with their students?

A recent digital literacy skills analysis carried out by the Career Colleges Trust across 93 FE practitioners, identified that teachers under the age of 35 were the most confident and capable users of technology in their teaching and learning.   Confidence and capability declined with age, with the least confident in the over 51 category.  Key skills gaps included using social media in education, as well as in the teachers’ personal and professional development.

This comes as no surprise when you consider a recent OECD report on Adult Skills which reviewed work-related skills of 16 to 65 year olds in 33 countries. The UK results indicated that 75% of adults in the UK have digital skills at Level 1 and below, yet, it is  widely recognised that the level of digital skills required in employment now and in the future is rising. This explains the  with the inclusion of Digital Literacy Skills in new apprenticeship standards and the proposed technical and vocational pathways recommended in the Sainsbury Review of vocational education.

The Career Colleges Trust has recently won the ETF contract to develop four short online courses aimed at developing teachers skills in using social media, video learning, meeting and web technology and assessment for learning. These courses complement their existing products and CPD programmes for the FE and Skills Sector. In a bid to encourage FE Colleges, independent training providers and ACL providers to take up the digital bitesize courses, the Career Colleges Trust is offering any organisation a FREE organisational digital skills self-assessment when they buy 20 places.

This offer is part of their Developing Digital Pedagogy CPD programmed aimed at  FE colleges, ACL and independent training providers. Organisations wishing to access the offer of FREE digital skills self-assessment should contact the Career Colleges Trust before booking places on the ETF website.