Seric Systems provided digital skills training to residents at Townhead Community Centre in Glasgow. They organized one-on-one training sessions over 6 days to help people with tasks like using computers, the internet, email and job applications. Volunteers from Seric and other organizations like IBM and universities helped provide the training. The feedback was positive, with many residents returning for a second session, and plans were made to expand the program to other areas.

1. a. Seric Systems Ltd, Studio 2004, Abbey Mill Business Centre, Mile End Building, 12 Seedhill Road, Paisley, PA1 1JS.
t. 0141 561 1161 e. info@seric.co.uk w. seric.co.uk tw. @sericsystems
SERIC: COMMUNITY
BRIEF
As part of Seric’as charitable works
and Digital Participation policy we
look for the opportunity to use our
technical skills to help increase the
digital skills of the nation and also
to support charities.
Townhead Community centre was
identified as an area where although
computer courses where available,
many people were not getting the
best out of it due to the ratio of
1 lecturer to 20 students. Seric
identified the opportunity to
mobilise our volunteer network to
provide one on one learning to
supplement the computer courses.
SOLUTION
With the support of Glasgow Housing
Association and Glasgow Kelvin
College a program of events were
planned and delivered at the
Townhead Community Centre to
increase digital participation and
digital skills in the area. At this new
community centre, Glasgow Kelvin
College has a suite of computers
available to the public and provided
courses, however it was identified
that many people need extra one on
one tuition that they were not
receiving in a classroom environment
and there was also a large
percentage of the community that
were not engaging with the program.
GETTING INVOLVED
Seric organised 6 days of one on one,
one hour sessions to provide basic
digital training to those that booked a
slot and the community centre
advertise the scheme to the local
community. Training was based on
each personal request and included
- Signing up to use the computers at
the centre
- Attaching personal devices to the WiFi
- applying for jobs online (upload CVs)
- Taking a picture on a phone and
emailing it
- Using Google maps to plan a holiday
In addition to these one on one
sessions a technical drop in clinic
was available where tasks like virus
removal were undertaken on
personal computers.
Using our extensive network of
contacts, we were able to provide
volunteers from
- Seric Systems
- IBM
- British Computer Society
- Glasgow Caledonia University Students
- GlasgowCaledoniaUniversityLecturers
- Glasgow Kelvin College
Volunteers did not need in depth
computing skills, simply to be able to
use a computer themselves and had
Serics own technical consultants
available to help out with anything
outside their comfort zone.
OUTCOME
The feedback from those requesting
a one-to-one sessions was very
positive, with many coming back for a
second session and we are planning
on replicating similar sessions
throughout the country.
Volunteers were rewarded with
glowing references on LinkedIn or by
email and we are in discussions with
SQA about providing a nationally
recognised award for a Digital
Inclusion volunteer.
An online collaboration space has
been provided to the volunteers to
keep them informed on future
events and to foster best practise,
and innovation.
Volunteers did not need in
depth computing skills,
simply to be able to use a
computer themselves and
had Serics own technical
consultants available to
help out with anything
outside their comfort zone.
DIGITAL
PARTICIPATION
Townhead Community Centre Glasgow
PREDICTIVE
ANALYTICS
STORAGE AND
INTEGRATED
SYSTEMS
DATA
MANAGMENT
SOCIAL
BUSINESS AND
COLLABORATION
IT
SECURITY