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Digital CLD Awards 2022
We are delighted to be one of the first CLD organisations in Scotland to be recognised under a new digital award scheme for community learning and development organisations. Congratulations to the other six organisations across youth work, adult learning, and community development programmes in Scotland have been taking part in the pilot of the
Digital CLD Awards.
The Digital CLD Awards seeks to recognise the ways that CLD services and organisations promote effective use of digital technologies to enhance learning and engagement opportunities in youth work, adult learning, and community development programmes. It is delivered through a collaboration between education bodies and industry partners.
The pilot was
funded by Scottish Government’s Community Learning and Development policy team and is focused on strengthening organisations’ skills across key areas, helping them to build their own, and their learners’, digital skills, digital literacies and strong digital wellbeing.
To achieve Digital CLD Award status, Glasgow ESOL Forum had to demonstrate its clear vision and strong leadership in transforming its engagement and learning opportunities through effective use of digital technologies. Evidence of digital approaches that raise the quality of learning, improve community involvement, and promote better inclusion were also assessed.
Jamie Hepburn, Minister for Higher Education and Further Education, Youth Employment and Training said: “I offer my congratulations to all organisations who have achieved the Digital CLD Award. This is an important digital achievement for them and will make a real difference in helping to build the digitally literate, inclusive, and talented young people, adults and communities of the future.”
Gerry Fox, Digital ESOL Coordinator at Glasgow ESOL Forum said ‘It has been a challenging 18 months for our staff team, volunteer and sessional tutors, but especially our learners. We had to adapt very quickly at the start of the first lockdown to move from community based ESOL classes to fully online. As an organisation, we had to overcome many barriers, including language barriers, to digital inclusion to keep a high-quality offer for our learners and to support them as best we could. The Digital CLD Award recognises our growing digital culture where digital practices by our staff and engagements with learners are building digital confidence and skills to that will help us all flourish in the future. The whole process has enabled us to see where and how far we have come, and where we can continue to build on our progress in using digital technologies to support our learners to allow them to flourish.
Alan Armstrong from Digital CLD Awards Scotland said: “I am delighted that Glasgow ESOL Forum has enjoyed and benefited from its involvement in piloting the Digital CLD Awards. Digital technologies are playing an increasingly significant role in all our lives and work. This Award recognises and highlights the digital improvements that Glasgow ESOL forum is making to the ways staff, learners and stakeholders can engage, learn and develop further, together. Congratulations to all involved.'
