Making IT Personal: Joining the DOTs is an ambitious new scheme that is designed to tackle digital exclusion by harnessing the knowledge and experience of people who enjoy using technology and like helping friends and family.
The DOT model is all about help and encouragement wherever and whenever it’s needed. A DOT is a Digital Outreach Trainer, an informal mentor for those grappling with technology for the first time—not an expert, simply someone who is able to pass useful knowledge on and volunteers to do so.
The pilot project, operating across South Yorkshire and funded by the European Social Fund, provides recognition and the chance to learn for those who get involved. Participants get coaching in mentoring, and can access learning resources and courses, including OCN level 2 or 3 accreditation as a Digital Mentor. DOTS gain formal approval by keeping an online record of the occasions they help someone else—whether at work, among neighbours and friends, or at the shops—and the criteria for approval meet OCN requirements so it is easy to step onto a qualification.
The scheme offers wider learning opportunities, including literacy, numeracy and employability skills, with DOTs as mentors.
DOTs pass on what they know and create new DOTs, becoming part of a self-perpetuating network of technology users and mentors, narrowing the digital divide, person by person
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DOTs head for Athens
Posted on 16 January 2012 10:57
The 2nd DOT study visit will be to Athens from January 16-20th 2012. The purpose of the visit is to look at Employability Support Programmes in the host country, see whether they can be transferred to the UK and what lessons we can learn. Over the three days we plan to look at: the overall [...]
