Age shouldn’t be a barrier when it comes to digital skills

Age shouldn’t be a barrier to updating your digital skills says @SDCollege 

In line with government promises for a skills revolution, South Devon College, says everyone can benefit from learning a new skill, or gaining a new qualification whatever age they are.

Last week saw The Skills and post-16 Education Bill introduced to parliament. The aim of the Bill is to underpin the Governments’ skills and training revolution and help create more routes into skilled employment and well paid secure jobs.

“Having up to date digital skills makes you more employable and allows you to apply for a wider range of jobs,” said Steve Caunter, Assistant Principal at South Devon College, who oversees all programmes run out of its new £17m Hi Tech & Digital Centre.

“Digital skills can mean anything from sending emails, taking part in video calls to more complex areas such as coding and data science. The government’s pledge to provide opportunities for adults to retrain and upskill is vital and should ensure better employment prospects.”

52 year old Ai Cuihong from Torquay has been studying at South Devon College to make herself more employable. Ai was a Mandarin teacher in China before moving to the UK. She felt her digital skills were letting her down and took a Level 1 Basic Digital Skills course, along with Maths A level and GCSE English before doing a Level 3 Supporting in Teaching and Learning course.

“I like to keep up to date,” said Ai. “At my age I am slower with technology than younger people and wanted to update my skills for my future career.”

Ai hopes to become either a teacher or a teaching assistant and says she loves learning and will never give up learning new skills. 18 year old Ben Cude has always been interested in digital media but says his secondary school only offered very basic digital skills.

“Digital media has always been part of my life,” said Ben, who is studying Digital Media: Games and Interactive Media at the South Devon College Hi Tech & Digital Centre.

“South Devon College is the only college offering this course. The facilities are great, the tutors have industry experience and it’s a growing industry.”

Ben, who has almost finished his two year course plans to stay on and study a foundation degree in art and design and then do a games design degree at university. “Eventually I would like to start my own digital business,” he said.