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Covid-19 Resilience: Digital Tools & Skills Update 2

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In this second Covid-19, Digital Skills update we’re sharing new stories of how individuals, communities, educators and businesses are supporting each other, a packed line-up of webinars to help businesses adapting to the current situation and free courses for people looking to learn new digital skills. And for those of you that have Minecraft addicts, there’s a link through to a whole host of resources from Minecraft Education along with their new 2020 Minecraft Creative Challenge and Sparx in Exeter share information on their free access to their virtual maths classroom.

What’s in this newsletter?

  • Positive News Stories
  • Funding Opportunity for Vocational Learning Providers
  • Webinars and Resources for Business
  • Resources for Schools and Home Educators
  • Resources for Communities
  • Digital Skills Courses

Plus don’t forget over on the Growth Hub website you can find the comprehensive roundup of Covid-19 business support.

If you have a story of resilience and connectivity through digital tools and resources we’d love to hear it. In the meantime keep caring and connected,

Charlotte, Claire and Julie

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Good News Stories

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South Devon College and Fab Lab Devon 3D Print Personal Protective Equipment for Local NHS

South Devon College is working collaboratively with Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust to urgently produce protective equipment for local NHS staff in Torbay Hospital. Following the successful safety testing of the first prototype, the team will be producing approximately 100 face shield headbands using the state-of-the-art 3D printers in the College’s new Hi-Tech & Digital Centre. You can read  more  here

FabLab Devon, which is part of independent charity Libraries Unlimited, is also using their supply of 3D Printers to produce essential protective equipment for local NHS staff. This is a volunteer-led project is being led by Dr Rupa Chilvers of Exeter based company Tangerine Bee and there is a call for people with 3D printing experience to get involved. Find out  more.

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La La Choir goes Online!

With Covid-19 rapidly changing the world around us, it’s fantastic to hear stories of how people are finding creative ways to keep their businesses and community groups alive with the use of technology.

Sam Abrahams spoke to the Digital Skills Partnership about how she has been supporting the 340 members of her community-style La La Choir with transitioning to virtual choir sessions using Zoom and Facebook Live over the last few weeks.

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Pro Digital opens up 10 new places on the Data Science online course

As a response to the recent challenges presented to businesses and their employees in the light of the COVID-19 developments, the  Heart of the South West Digital Skills Partnership  and the  Learning People  are delighted to be offering an additional 10 free places on our 12-week Pro Digital Data Pathway online learning course.

The course offers  110 hours  of online  learning content covering:  Digital Transformation,  Data Science,  Python,  Machine Learning,  Business Readiness  and is suitable for people who use data within their role or people looking to change career paths.

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Funding Opportunities

VocTech Now

VocTech Now has grants available of up to £25,000  for  vocational learning providers who need to use technology to deliver fast results for learners online and need support to get their idea up and running.

Grants available of up to £25K for projects that will last no longer than three months.

Deadline for applications  6th April 5pm.[button text=”Find out more” link=”https://heartofswlep.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=930465bbe71ff84b5ced8ebe7&id=02fd7a62c1&e=95556469d5″]

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Upcoming webinars

Essential Communications and Marketing for the ‘New Normal’, led by Astley Media
When:  03/04/20 8:30 – 9:15
What:  Part of the  Technology for Success Essential Guidance for SMEs webinar series
Register here

UpSkill Digital: Working from Home with Microsoft Teams
When:  
08/04/20 11:00 – 11:45
What:  UpSkill Digital is a  Microsoft Partner  offering a free live session that will outline the different ways you can empower your team and organisation with tools and tips in creating a productive remote working environment using  Microsoft Teams.
Register here  

BT Skills for Tomorrow: Collaborative Tools to Support Remote Working
When:  
09/04/20  09:30 – 10:35
What:  Exploring how to harness the power of digital tools to help boost team productivity while working remotely.
Register here  

Teamwork and Collaboration, led by Minerva Lifelong Learning
When:
 09/04/20 8:30 – 9:15
What:  Part of the  Technology for Success Essential Guidance for SMEs webinar series
Register here

BT Skills for Tomorrow: Connecting with your Customers Online
When:  09/04/20 10:45 – 12:00
What:  Exploring the power of digital tools to enhance your online presence and help connect with your customers.
Register here

BT Skills for Tomorrow: Alternative Business Models Using Digital
When:  14/04/20 11:00 – 12:00
What:  With the world changing around us and many small businesses facing existential concerns, there is a growing need for business model innovation: switching your business model fast to use digital tools and channels to continue in business, and even grow.
Register here

Technology and IT, led by Timewade
When:  17/04/20 8:30 – 9:15
What:  Part of the  Technology for Success Essential Guidance for SMEs webinar series
Register here

Microsoft South West Schools Training Event
When:
 22/04/20 16:30 – 18:45
What:  Delivered by Microsoft and Hele’s School in Plymouth, the event will cover lots of free resources to help schools embrace IT as well as enable them and their students to access remote learning.
Register here

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Resources for Businesses

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Digital Taunton – ‘Virus Special’ Expert Panel

Watch Digital Taunton’s recent COVID-19 Business Advice webinar on YouTube delivered by a panel of professionals from Foot Anstey, Claims Consortium Group, the Insolvency Company and more.

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Bitpod: An Introduction to Webinars

Helps demystify the concepts, provide guidance on the technology and offer some hints and tips on how to create a professional presentation that makes the most out of webinars.

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Tribe Tech

Series of Tech Podcasts delivered by Tech South West with recent podcasts covering:  Business help during COVID-19 lockdown
and  Business After Coronavirus

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Resources for schools and Colleges

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Exeter based company Sparx’s Maths Virtual Classroom

Sparx is offering all secondary schools around the world free access to Sparx Maths Virtual Classroom for the duration of their closure. This is a version of the product built specifically to allow teachers and learners to undertake effective lessons while they are closed.

Teachers can quickly and simply build online maths lessons – from a bank of 2,000 learning objectives covering the Key Stage 3 and GCSE curricula – that can then be delivered through a streaming channel of their choice.

Students complete their classwork online which is marked automatically and support videos are provided for every question. Teachers can monitor the progress of every student in real-time including whether students have joined the lesson and who might be struggling.

More information (including an overview video) and registration information can be found at  learning.sparx.co.uk/virtualclassroom.

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2020 Minecraft Education Challenge

A virtual build challenge that invites students around the world to learn about issues related to sustainability and inclusion, then design solutions with Minecraft: Education Edition.

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Tech We Can

Free online lesson plans now available for parents and carers teaching at home.

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Cyber School

Free to attend for Primary and Secondary school students. Classes are held twice daily and last 1 hour. Students attend via Zoom. There are before and after classes for students to complete cyber assignments.

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Barefoot Computing

Easy cross-curriculum lessons and resources for teaching via video link.

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Code Academy

Course in Web Development, Mobile Development and Data Science. Free Code Academy Pro unlimited access passes for 10,000 college students across the world.

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iDEA

Offering mini-courses in digital, enterprise and employability skills. As mini subjects are completed you move through your Bronze, Silver and Gold awards.

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Exeter couple behind CodeCreates has pulled together a host of resources aimed at Primary and Secondary pupils that you can use with your family to support coding and creativity

https://www.codecreates.co.uk/stem-activities

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Resources for Community

BT Skills for Tomorrow  
Offering free short video tutorials aimed at daily life, parents, businesses and teachers.

In the ‘Daily Life’ section, you can find short tutorials on using email, online shopping, making the most of the internet and keeping your money safe.

In the ‘Parent’ section you can find courses on learning at home and setting controls.

The ‘Managing Money’ section links to the Good Things Foundation courses which include topics on how to apply for Universal Credit.

iDEA
Offering mini-courses in digital, enterprise and employability skills. As mini subjects are completed you move through your Bronze, Silver and Gold awards.

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Free courses to develop Digital and Technical Skills

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Open Learn

Free learning platform, delivered by The Open University with almost 1,000 free courses including:

Succeeding in a Digital World
Resilience in small businesses
Take your teaching online
Introduction to Cybersecurity

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12-week Pro Digital Data Pathway

10 free course spaces available offering 110 hours of online learning content covering: Digital Transformation, Data Science, Python, Machine Learning and Business Readiness.

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BT Skills for Tomorrow
Free short video tutorials aimed at business. In the ‘Expanding your Skillset’ section you can find short tutorials on Data Science, Data Visualization, Basics of Code and Machine Learning.

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Future of Tech
Library of resources from CompTIA that include videos and interactive tutorials in Big Data, Cyber Security, Digital Health, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence.

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Cisco Networking Academy
Online courses in the Internet of Things, Linux, Cyber Security, Entrepreneurship.

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Google Digital Garage
Online mini-courses in Digital Marketing, Data, Time Management, Productivity and more.

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Institute of Coding
Offering a wide range of industry-inspired courses co-designed by a network of employers and educations.

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Code Academy

Advanced courses Data Science, Web Development and Mobile Development. Free Pro Academy offers unlimited access passes for 10,000 college students across the world.

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Future Learn
Includes disease outbreak prevention courses.

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Learn My Way
Offers courses on Google, Outlook, Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and productivity tools.

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Lynda – LinkedIn Learning
Linkedin Learning with over 4000+ courses.

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Have you got information that would be good to share?   Send it through to  us!

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      David Ralph

      Chief Executive

      David Ralph started as Chief Executive of Heart of South West LEP at the beginning of June 2018. Previously, he had spent 5 years as CEO of the Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire (D2N2) LEP from 2013 where he oversaw the development of the D2N2 Strategic Economic Plan and sector strategies, 3 Growth Deals with HM Government to deliver a £1billion capital investment programme, securing and implementing £200m ESIF programme, the Derby and Nottingham Enterprise Zone, the D2N2 Skills Deal and Time for Innovation programme, community fund and led the executive team to develop the HS2 East Midlands hub. He was also closely involved in the proposed North Midlands Devolution Deal and one of the key architects in establishing the Midlands Engine, chairing the officer steering group. Whilst in this role David was a NED of the Nottingham Enterprise Zone, and Marketing NG, the Outer Estates Foundation and a Governor of Nottingham College and on the advisory Board of Nottingham Business School.

      Before the East Midlands, David was CEO of the Have Gateway Partnership working closely with local stakeholders including the ports of Felixstowe, Harwich and Ipswich and BT Adadastral Park across Suffolk and Essex and prior to that was Chief Exec of the Barton Hill New Deal for Communities programme in Bristol and the Nelm Development Trust in Norwich.

      David is a keen sailor, walker and trail runner.