UK population's poor IT skills offered boost

The campaign is targeting those people with little or no IT skills and is intended to reassure them how easy it can be to not just get online but also rack up their own IT qualifications to get jobs. 

 

We seem as a country in need of the help. The organisation, which claims to be the UK’s leading online learning provider, says 64% of people who responded to a poll say they are not fully confident in their ability to use IT efficiently while 94% of employers claim their staff need to boost IT skills to perform properly. 

 

Meanwhile, a candidate's ability to use email, word processing, spreadsheets and presentations is now a consideration for 92% of employers looking to take on new staff, it adds. Some 60% told learndirect they would increase a salary offer in a bid to attract someone possessing the ability to use applications such as email, word processing, presentations and the Net. 

 

“IT skills are crucial in today’s world,” comments learndirect's Director of Products and Marketing, Kirstie Donnelly. “People who can use computers competently are more likely to have a job or get promoted; they also save money by using the Web by shopping online or using price comparison websites. 

 

“This government rightly wants as many people as possible to access the benefits of the Web and using computers and that’s why we have launched this new campaign to explain the benefits of IT skills and qualifications to those who could be getting left behind. We want to ensure all adults get the skills they need to make the most of the Web and improve their chances of getting a job if out of work.” 

 

Nearly six out of ten people contacted said they would like to improve their ability to use a computer, but 38 % believe they are too busy and 29% are “embarrassed or worried about seeking help”. 

 

learndirect is pushing awareness of its own IT qualifications (ITQ, the National Vocational Qualification for IT users and ECDL Extra, the European Computer Driving Licence) via such means as a dedicated area for potential learners to test their IT skills plus what's been billed as a wide-ranging media campaign in targets such as The Sun, Chat, What’s On TV, Now, Pick Me Up and on several local BBC radio stations. There will also be a social networking element.  

 

More than 277,000 learners have achieved their first maths or English qualifications through learndirect and since August 2009 more than 9,000 people have signed up to take a learndirect IT qualification.