Digital skills training – participant’s perspective: Unnati

We caught up with one of our Digital Innovators Skills Programme participants, Unnati. She tells us how she found the programme and what she was able to gain from the experience.

What were you doing before you started the programme?

I had recently graduated and was working part-time in retail.

How did you find out about the training?

I had received an email from my university’s Graduate Careers network with a link to the website and a brief description of the course structure. I looked on the website at the programme information and registered and got a call from Pete who explained a little bit more about what the training entailed.

Once you’d discovered the programme, what actually made you decide to join?

The main thing that made me join the training was the opportunity to gain new skills, as I love being able to constantly learn. The project management element allowed me to build on existing skills I had gained on my placement year and apply them to a different context.

What did you think of the training? How did it help you?

I really enjoyed the training. It helped me gain confidence as I was able to overcome my fear of public speaking and speak at the Birmingham Tech Week Event.

“It helped me build on my existing skills and I liked that there was a continued emphasis on applying the training to real life situations. This really helped me develop my skills in negotiation, something I had no experience in previously.”

Were there any barriers or obstacles you had to overcome?

I had to make sure that I did not rush parts of my speech as I have a tendency to talk fast so I made sure I overcame that before I had my final presentation.

What impact has the training had on your life?

“The training has really improved my confidence which has had a positive impact on my life in general as well as in my abilities.“

What are your plans for the future?

During the course, I learnt about how to use certain functions on Excel to deliver our final project and because of this, I am hoping to build my knowledge in Excel further as I think it’s a really useful platform.

What would you say to someone who was thinking about doing the training but wasn’t sure?

“I would say it’s a great opportunity to build skills and confidence and would recommend it. The first few weeks are a great way to learn new things about yourself and the project is a great way to apply the skills and challenge yourself.“

Towards the end of the programme, Unnati secured a new job as an E Learning and Publications Assistant at the NSPCC. Congratulations Unnati!