Bounce Back Digital is a free programme of webinars and short courses for small businesses to help trading during Covid-19. With more businesses moving online, businesses can learn about; collaboration tools and channels to reach customers, learn how to set up their own e-commerce website, how to use Worldpay, Stripe & other payment gateways, digital photography & how to use video, plus how to keep their business secure online.
Running across June and July 2020 the Heart of the South West LEP Digital Skills Partnership is proud to introduce experts from across the region who will host informative webinar 'subject matter introductions' and run over 20 free follow-on courses aimed at helping small businesses mitigate the impact of Covid-19.
The program launches on the 1st of June, with the first webinar being held on the 8th of June with the remaining sessions running across June and July. Webinars are restricted to the 1st 100 registrations and courses are being deliberately kept small, to online classes of 15, to enable maximum engagement, interactivity and build learning peer to peer support. The courses are short, ranging from one-hour to nine hours in total. The objective is that through the knowledge transferred the business is able to immediately set up and start using the new tool. The full programme of webinars and courses can be found here: https://heartofswlep.co.uk/about-the-lep/how-we-are-organised/digital-skills-partnership/bounce-back-digital/
The webinars and courses are being delivered by experts drawn from across the South West and include digital trainers from Cosmic, LimeCloud,TechSparkUK, BlueScreen IT,WSX Enterprise and Natwest’s FreeAgent colleagues.
This is a free programme funded by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Digital Skills Innovation Fund delivered by the Heart of the South West LEP Digital SKills Partnership for the Heart of the South West LEP Growth Hub.
Audience
Aimed at businesses who have either yet to adapt to digital practices to operate during Covid-19 restrictions or businesses who are in the process of adapting and could benefit from upskilling and learning new tool(s)
There is no limit to the number of sessions a business can book however businesses that book and subsequently do not attend will have future bookings being cancelled.
Eligibility
Eligibility criteria is:-
- The Business is located in Devon, Plymouth, Torbay and Somerset
- The Business has less than 250 employees
About the Heart of the South West Digital Skills Partnership
The Heart of the South West Digital Skills Partnership was launched in June 2018, bringing together the public, private and third sector to tackle the digital skills divide in Somerset, Devon, Plymouth and Torbay. Forming part of a pilot of, six Local Digital Skills Partnerships (LDSP), announced by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
The partnership coordinates and delivers a digital strategy that raises digital skills for our community, working to eradicate social and geographical imbalances to ensure everyone has access to digital services. The partnership also focuses on workplace mobility; ensuring the right digital training is available for young people, those outside of the workforce, work returners, employees looking to retrain and supports a workplace where the regions highly skilled digital employees can continue to learn. We work closely with the regions education providers to ensure young people are aware of the diverse range of careers and are supported to enter into digital jobs, and that teaching staff are supported to teach digital subjects that keep pace with new technologies.
The partnership work in tandem with the National Digital Skills Partnership Board to ensure that the Government’s UK Digital Strategy is responsive to local needs and in return the local area can make the most of national opportunities, sector analysis to inform delivery, cross-government department collaboration and funding opportunities to overcome digital challenges.