FutureLearn digital skills courses made available in new Government Skills Toolkit

Free @FutureLearn digital skills courses available via government Skills Toolkit 

FutureLearn.com, the leading social learning platform, has been selected as a provider for the Department for Education’s new online learning platform, launched by Education Secretary Gavin Williamson today to help boost the nation’s skills while people are staying at home. 

Available on the gov.uk website, The Skills Toolkit hosts a number of free, high-quality courses in digital and numeracy skills, including FutureLearn’s ‘Digital Skills: Social Media’ course built in partnership with Accenture; and its ‘Create a Professional Online Presence’, ‘How to Create Great Online Content’, ‘Presenting Your Work with Impact‘ and ‘Thriving in the Digital Workplace’ courses built in partnership with the University of Leeds and the Institute of Coding, a consortium of more than 30 universities and over 100 industry and outreach partners, supported by the UK government via the Office for Students, that works to increase the volume of learners taking digital skills courses.

The Accenture and Institute of Coding courses were launched in order to help individuals gain the key digital skills they need to boost their careers and thrive in today’s workplace. The courses are online and flexible, allowing individuals to work through them at their own pace. 

Simon Nelson, CEO of FutureLearn, said:

“At FutureLearn our mission has always been to transform access to education and we are proud to be working with the Department for Education to deliver on that shared vision. We hope that the free digital skills courses included within the Skills Toolkit, which were built in partnership with Accenture, the Institute of Coding, and the University of Leeds, will bring practical and accessible support to people across the country, and ensure that individuals and businesses are able to access the skills and training opportunities they need to keep thriving and moving forward, not just during this challenging period, but beyond it.”

More information on The Skills Toolkit can be found here.

The Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, said:

“I hope it will empower and inspire people to improve their skills, build their confidence, support their mental health and discover new talents, so they can take the steps they need to progress their careers and help support our economic recovery.” 

Professor Neil Morris Dean of Digital Education at the University of Leeds said:

“We have long recognised the need to support individuals to develop digital skills to meet the societal and economic global challenges facing us, and this suite of online courses provide opportunities to gain new knowledge and transferable skills. We are proud to have worked with Futurelearn and the Institute of Coding to develop these online courses, which are interactive, social and inclusively-designed.”

Rachid Hourizi Director of the Institute of Coding said:

“We are delighted to be part of the government’s Skills Toolkit. The Institute of Coding exists to make digital skills education available to a larger and more diverse group of people. To do this, we work with our partners to produce a variety of courses, including some that are short, online and free. Developed with input from industry, the Institute of Coding courses in The Skills Toolkit enable you to access learning when it suits you, gain the skills employers are looking for, and learn useful information for your life and career during this challenging period.”

Shaheen Sayed, Senior Managing Director and Health & Public Service Lead at Accenture, commented: