Lockdown lessons see students acquire digital skills

Tuesday 21 July 2020

Students from schools across the island have graduated from a Digital Jersey Academy course, delivered online while schools were closed during the pandemic.

The Fundamentals of Digital Leadership Course with EY saw students join sessions over a six-week period to learn about problem-solving using technology, digital design, online media production, and a session on pitching ideas.

The online tutorials were followed up by group sessions during which students linked up online to share their learning and experiences. 

Pictured: Year 12 and 13 students from Beaulieu, De La Salle, Hautlieu, Highlands, JCG and Vic College took part.

“We pride ourselves on taking every opportunity to demonstrate to students how the agility of the digital sector can respond fast to unexpected and changing circumstances," Rory Steel, Head of the Digital Jersey Academy, said.

"Coronavirus and lockdown has done precisely that. We worked with EY to create this online course to give students in Jersey an even more enriched learning experience during a difficult time, which in turn provided them with a real-world example of how tech helps.”

Year 12 and 13 students from Beaulieu, De La Salle, Hautlieu, Highlands, JCG and Vic College worked in groups throughout the course, with a prize-giving staged to award participants and winners with their certificates to recognise their achievements.

EY’s Head of Digital, Leo Boessenkool, added: “Supporting Digital Jersey with this course meant we were able to provide a unique opportunity for the students to enhance their employability by learning the essential digital skills required in Jersey’s economy and beyond.

"The ideas the students enthusiastically pitched demonstrated their ability to understand and apply digital concepts, which has provided me with increased confidence in the brilliant talent of our island’s future workforce.”

Daniel Rowles, from the Digital Leadership Programme, said: “We were delighted to see so many students take time out of their lockdown to participate and learn over the 6 weeks.

"The work they submitted was of a really high standard and it was great to be able to get them into the Digital Jersey Academy to meet face to face for their graduation. We are really grateful to EY for supporting the programme.”