Housing tenants invited to take advantage of free online learning

Published: 11 March 2021

More training is being laid on for people who feel they are being left behind with all things ‘digital’.

The latest courses – which are free of charge – are being run for Exeter City Council housing tenants, although there may be spaces available for others.

Exeter City Council has joined forces with digital skills experts Cosmic to offer up a series of free Essential Digital courses.

The project is being delivered thanks to generous funding from the Howmet Aerospace Foundation and support from the Positive People project.

The latest courses follow a series of introductory webinars which were made available to anyone living in Exeter.

The aim of the all the sessions is to help people in Exeter feel more confident about making the most of the online and digital world. For people of all ages and abilities, the internet and online resources are full of helpful, fun and informative opportunities.

The latest courses teach people about the internet, online safety and scams, social media basics, as well as an introduction to the Cloud. 

These events will be hosted online, on the Zoom video platform. People will not need an account to join, just a device and an internet connection. A smartphone, tablet or laptop will do.

Cllr Amal Ghusain, Lead Councillor for Communities and Culture, said: “So many opportunities that exist today are available online and in a digital format. More and more services are becoming digital.

“We understand, for many people who have not been brought up in a digital era, that getting to grips with the digital world can be daunting and that’s why we have set up this programme of online learning.”

The Council is conscious of the fact that not everyone will be aware of these sessions and is therefore reaching out to friends and family of those who might be considered suitable for the programme.

The latest sessions are:

• Monday 22 March, 12:30 to 2:30pm - The Everyday Internet -  Looking at the difference between the World Wide Web & the internet, how to access webpages, searching for things, cookies explained, things you can do on the internet, and why use online shopping.
• Monday 29 March, 12:30 to 2:30pm - Online Safety & Communication - Discussing people’s concerns and talking about the benefits of being online, keeping your device up-to-date and things to look for to know your personal data is secure when shopping online, safe passwords, public Wi-Fi usage, phishing emails, social media safety tips, what is communicating online and the different ways to do it (email, video/voice calls, instant messaging).
• Tuesday 6 April, 12:30 to 2:30pm - Basics of Social Media - What is social media and why is it so popular, how to access it. This session will introduce some of the most popular platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), explain some terminology (hashtags, tweets, posts etc.), go through being aware of your online reputation, using social media safely, some social media scams, fake news, social media settings.
• Monday 12 April, 12:30 to 2:30pm - What is the Cloud? - The Cloud explained in an easy to understand way! How does it work, how to access it, cloud computing, cloud storage, some cloud storage providers compared, the benefits & drawbacks.

To register for these events, email ppdevon@cosmic.org.uk or call 07745 951584. Non-Council tenants can register an interest and if there are spaces for these or future sessions may be able to get a place.

These workshops will be delivered by Cosmic’s Positive People project.

For those who don’t have access to a laptop or tablet, the Council plans to run free sessions in a number of community centres in the city later in the year, the dates for which will be publicised nearer the time.