The ETF to train teachers for the government’s free ‘essential digital skills’ qualification for adults

The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) has been commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) to develop and manage the delivery of a new CPD programme to help prepare FE and ACL providers to deliver new qualifications based on new ‘essential digital skills’ standards’ unveiled in April 2019 by Apprenticeship and Skills Minister, Anne Milton MP.

Examples of new topics include using different devices, buying securely online and protecting privacy online.

The new digital offer will comprise new ‘essential digital skills’ qualifications available from 2020, and new digital functional skills qualifications, available from 2021. Adults with no or low digital skills will be fully funded to undertake the new digital qualifications free of charge.

The ETF will manage expert partners, chosen through a tendering process, to provide blended training and support to teachers and trainers in England to develop their skills, understanding and confidence to teach adults the new digital offer.

Bite-sized training modules and a toolkit for teachers will be held on the ETF’s Enhance Digital Teaching Platform, the online teaching solution, from early 2020.

Apprenticeships and Skills Minister, Anne Milton MP, said:

“We want everyone to have the digital skills they need for life and work. The Education & Training Foundation’s training for teachers for the new ‘essential digital skills’ qualifications means thousands of adults will get the chance to develop new skills that they can use in their everyday lives and to get on in work. I look forward to seeing the new qualifications in action next year.”

Vikki Liogier, Head of Learning Technologies at the ETF, said:

“As the national workforce development body for the FE sector we are delighted to be working with the Department for Education in tackling the digital divide and digital exclusion. 

“This development is part of the most significant change to the basic digital skills framework since its original publication in 2015, supporting adults in safely benefiting from, participating in and contributing to the digital world.

“This work is complementary to our EdTech strategy to support teachers and trainers to develop their own digital skills so that they are best placed to help their learners navigate the new opportunities afforded by technology.”