Over the past few weeks, Cosmic trainers have begun delivering a fresh and unique programme of digital workshops to people across Devon, as part of the Positive People project.
These workshops have been meticulously designed by our Positive People team, to provide participants with an introduction to all things digital. Through these workshops, participants gain access to up-to-date information, advice and support through informative and interactive delivery.
The workshops are currently being run in Plymouth and Exeter with plans to expand to Torbay and North Devon. The series of workshops include a Digital Survival session for those who are new to technology or haven’t used it for a while. This workshop gives advice on browsing the internet safely, protecting devices from viruses and identifying spam emails.
Silvia, who is one of our Digital Trainers at Cosmic, says “This workshop is really beneficial to people who are worried about their online safety, or who just want to know where to get started with getting connected. I think people are becoming more aware of the risks and problems that can occur online so this workshop equips them with the knowledge they need to stay safe and feel more confident with using technology”.
Other workshops that are being run in this series include Social Media Basics, Online Reputation, Digital Photography and Digital Design. Each one provides a practical element that allows participants to have a go for themselves during the session, while being supported and guided by the trainers. This method of training allows participants to take away knowledge and experience that they can continue to use at home.
Panayia, a participant of the workshops in Plymouth shared her feedback after attending the Online Reputation workshop. She said, “The whole session was very useful for me and helped me to secure my PC.”
Nalini, who was also at the workshop, said “Silvia was very informative and made the learning interesting. There were also opportunities to ask questions”.
The opportunity to ask questions and discuss the topic at hand is one of the great strengths of these workshops, as much of the learning comes from addressing participants’ concerns and helping them to feel more confident about using technology. The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed, which makes it easy for these conversations to take place with the trainer and between the group.
With digital inclusion being a key part of the Positive People project, these workshops are a fantastic gateway to achieving the project aims and helping people to get confident and get connected.
If you would like to find out more about the Positive People project or talk to someone about how you or someone you know could get onto our programme, please visit our website at www.positive-people.org.uk and go the ‘Contact Us’ section.