Help older people learn basic IT skills

It has been a very busy start to 2014 at Age Action’s Getting Started programme.  We provided one to one basic IT training to over 600 older people across Ireland between January and March with the assistance of hundreds of wonderful volunteer tutors. We have huge demand for training from older people and our waiting list for classes keeps growing as many people got a computer for Christmas but struggled to get started especially with Windows 8.

The Getting Started programme received an award in March from the Irish Institute of Training and Development The award is recognition of the excellent learner-centred training provided by our volunteer tutors and the work of our project officers who train these volunteers. 

We are deeply honoured to win the award. It could not have been won without the great work the Getting Started team and the hundreds of dedicated volunteer tutors across Ireland. Of course, the ultimate winners are the older people who are learning new IT skills. Their lives are being transformed by being able for the first time to do things online that many people take for granted.

In the first part of the year we have expanded our schools programme and now have 10 schools running the programme with transition year students tutoring one to one to older people from their local communities. We continue to add corporate partners to the programme who are providing volunteer opportunities to their employees as volunteer tutors. 

Thanks to all our supporters and we are looking forward to a busy 2nd quarter of the year and well done to all our volunteers for winning the award without their help we could not run the programme.