Introduction to Digital Skills
At City Lit we offer a range of courses that will help you to:
- improve your digital skills on your computers, smartphones or tablet devices
- inrease your confidence, whether you are working from home or in an office
- and help you to communicate more effectively with family and friends online
These introduction courses will provide you with a firm foundation across a range of digital skills including an overview of using a computer, being online, using your smartphone and remaining secure and safe.
After completing these courses, you can move to our accredited courses or more specialised Office programs.
All our courses are run by experienced and creative tutors who will ensure you learn at the right level and pace with all the support you need. We are here to help you become an active digital citizen.
These courses are FREE to most learners if you earn less than £21, 157.50 a year or are on JSA or ESA (WRAG). Essential Digital Skills for Work has no fee. They are either in the City Lit building or live online interactive classes. For online courses, you will need a computer with a microphone, a camera and the internet. For more information about our live online courses, please see our guide to online learning.
- Getting started in digital skills: becoming confident on your computer and online (complete beginner)Course start date: Fri 9 May 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Are you completely new to computers and the Internet? This course will help you get started on using a computer and the internet. You will learn all the basics and the key terms you need to starting becoming confident on a computer and online. You will learn about different files and how to create and save them. You will learn how to write and send simple letters and emails. You will develop your internet skills so you can find information and complete online forms. Finally, you do all of this while learning how to remain safe online and to keep your files secure.
This course is FREE if you are employed and on a low wage or you are claiming benefits. For more information Click here
Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £50.00 - Learning to use your smartphone (Android)Course start date: Thu 12 Mar 2026 (and 4 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Does your smartphone confuse you? Are you unsure how to make the most of its many features? Understanding and navigating your way round a smartphone is now as important as being able to use a regular computer. This short course will help you understand your Android smartphone, troubleshoot problems and use some of the most popular apps. By the end of the course you will be confident you can use or find out how to use the key features of your phone.
This course is FREE if you are employed and on a low wage or you are claiming benefits. For more information Click here
Full fee £49.00 Senior fee £39.00 Concession £25.00 - Becoming confident with online communication: Zoom (beginner)Course start date: Mon 22 Sep 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Are you new to Zoom? Have you started to use it but are unsure about some of its functions? Do you need to use Zoom at work, in your studies or to communicate with friends and relatives? Zoom is now as essential to communication as texts, emails, smartphones and PCs. This course will take you from the basics of being on Zoom as a participant and a host, including how to join meetings and set them up. You will learn what to do in both circumstances, what appropriate etiquette is, how to use chat and other features such as breakout rooms, how to share your screen, take control of someone else's screen and how to make sure you don't do something on Zoom that you shouldn't. By the end of this course, you will be able to comfortably host a meeting with friends or work colleagues, communicate, privately share and collaborate on projects or ideas.
This course is FREE if you are employed and on a low wage or you are claiming benefits. For more information Click here
Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £15.00 - Becoming confident with digital skills: file management and Windows 11 (beginner)Course start date: Thu 25 Sep 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Are you able to find the files you need on your PC or on your work's shared drive? Do you know how to search for
missing files? Have you got a system to organise your work or home files? Files are the essential components of
computer use and it is vital to manage them well, especially as cloud use becomes more common. On this course you will learn how to navigate Windows 10, essential to good file management, as well as discover more about files, become confident with the terminology and develop strategies for saving, organising, navigating and searching files of all types. You will also learn how to back up your files so you never lose them!
This course is FREE if you are employed and on a low wage or you are claiming benefits. For more information Click here
Full fee £119.00 Senior fee £95.00 Concession £60.00 - Becoming a confident online citizen: from bills, banking, and shopping to government services, job applications and streaming (foundation)Course start date: Thu 6 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Our day-to-day activities from banking to shopping to paying bills are increasingly online. This course will make sure you can do this confidently and safely. You will learn how to access and use different services such as banks, utilities, local authorities, the NHS, the benefits system and online retailers such as Amazon. You will work on how to compare different products, prices, and other options, as well as how to aware of possible scams. You will learn how to upload documents and images. And you will investigate some of the most useful sites for job seeking, finding reliable information and accessing streaming safely. You will do all of this while also remaining safe and secure online.
This course is FREE if you are employed and on a low wage or you are claiming benefits. For more information Click here
Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £35.00 - Becoming confident on Teams: online chat, calls, meetings and file management (foundation)Course start date: Fri 7 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
The pandemic led to millions of people discovering the need for interactive online communication. As a result, Teams has become an essential collaborative tool, particularly in the workplace. This course will enable you to become confident in using the key functions of the program and understand when and how you should use. You will focus on how to make calls, chat and book meetings, use the camera and mute yourself . And you will also focus on how to use and organise files so you can be fully collaborative.
This course is FREE if you are employed and on a low wage or you are claiming benefits. For more information Click here
Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £35.00 - Getting started in digital skills: learning about your smartphone (complete beginner)Course start date: Tue 18 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Does your smartphone confuse you? Do you want to learn more about it so you use more of its features? This course will help you and also provide you with a solid background to develop the rest of your digital skills. You will learn how a smartphone works, how to change some of the settings, use some of the most popular apps and troubleshoot some common problems. And you will learn how to do all this safely. By the end of the course you will be confident you can use or find out how to use the key features of your phone.
This course is FREE if you are employed and on a low wage or you are claiming benefits. For more information Click here
Full fee £49.00 Senior fee £39.00 Concession £25.00 - Getting started in digital skills: becoming confident on Facebook and Instagram (complete beginners)Course start date: Fri 28 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Have you heard of Instagram but never used it? Have you tried it but are still unsure about its features? Is TikTok something you access but never really use? Then this is the course for you. It will start you on your journey towards digital communication in a supportive environment and help you learn the different ways you can connect to friends, family and the wider world and join the one billion users worldwide. And you will learn to do so safely and securely.
This course is FREE if you are employed and on a low wage or you are claiming benefits. For more information Click here
Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £35.00 - Becoming a confident online citizen: developing your problem-solving and research skills for inside and outside work (foundation)Course start date: Wed 7 Jan 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Finding, researching and evaluating information online is an essential skill inside and outside of work - whether you are using your computer, smartphone, CHATGPT or digital assistances. On this course you will learn research and problem-solving skills on different devices. You will work on completing everyday life and work tasks so you discover how to search online effectively, find information and images on different databases, use filters, and search within a specific website or social media platform. You will work on refining your searches on search engines, on CHATGPT and other digital assistants, both verbally and in writing. You will focus on how to evaluate the evidence you find as well as the security of the data you are finding. Finally, you will work on finding information and files on your hard drive and across your devices via the cloud. By the end of the course you will have learned not only key digital skills but also transferable skills such as problem-solving, research and analytical skills.
This course is FREE if you are employed and on a low wage or you are claiming benefits. For more information Click here
Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £50.00 - Becoming confident on ChatGPT: successful online searching and making the most of AI-powered chatCourse start date: Thu 22 Jan 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
This course is FREE if you are employed and on a low wage or you are claiming benefits. For more information Click here
Full fee £69.00 - Becoming a confident online citizen: staying safe and protecting your data on your PC and smartphone (foundation)Course start date: Tue 7 Apr 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Hacking, ransomware attacks and data theft have become common criminal activities, as much a threat to personal security as more traditional anti-social behaviours. Securing and protecting our digital lives has becomes as essential as locking the doors of our homes. On this course, you will learn the importance of staying safe online and how to do so. You will focus on how to choose appropriate online names and email addresses, use secondary email accounts to increase security, and create and manage passwords across devices and accounts. You will focus on how to your digital activity leaves traces, how your history of activities online is accessible and what you can do about this. You will learn about different types of digital authentication, your right to be forgotten under data protection law, deleting social media accounts and posts. accepting or rejecting cookies and unsubscribing from mailing lists. By the end of the course, you will be a much more confident and secure digital citizen.
This course is FREE if you are employed and on a low wage or you are claiming benefits. For more information Click here
Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £50.00
Can't see a course you want?
Add this category to your waiting list to set up alerts and we will update you when new courses are released online.
Add me to waiting list