Making the most of digital – the UK is rich with learning opportunities

This blog was written by Tot Foster who is currently working as a Research Associate on the Project EU3 Digital. The Centre for Voluntary Sector Leadership is an academic partner in this European initiative which brings academics, practitioners and tech experts together for digital advancement in the third sector. 

As part of CVSL’s role in EU3 Digital, we are looking to define the competencies that will support digital development in the sector and ultimately develop educational resources.   

So far, we’ve been examining the academic and practice literature on digital skills, what digital maturation might mean and involve for third sector organisations, and identifying the digital education already available. Unsurprisingly we’ve found a need for digital support as diverse as the European sector itself. There are organisations struggling to catch up with using basic software for administrative functions and barely engaging with social media, through to innovative and collaborative projects using the latest tech to deliver new services. We’ll post more about our findings in due course but wanted to share something positive for now.  

When we got deep into examining the provision already available to support organisations to make the most of digital in the UK the sheer number and range of opportunities revealed itself. In this country there is something for everyone – whether you want to make better use of spreadsheets to get more from your data, recruit digital trustees, or develop a digital tool for vocational learning there is someone out there who can help.     

So many of us have had to change our digital habits since the COVID-19 pandemic, not just to talk to each other through our screens, but to collaborate, share, and deliver in new ways. Digital is fast-moving and never more so than now. You may have found some of the necessary adaptations tough to roll out or confusing, but now you may be planning to hold onto them even when they are no longer necessary. This is our collective experience of the last year. So we thought we’d share with you some of the range of resources we have found that can support you through digital adoption, adaptation and change.

Download the document here for our list of everything we’ve found – and please let us know if there are opportunities we’ve missed.  

10th June 2021