Computers, tablets and smart phones have provided us with an entirely new medium for reading and writing.

Digital Literacy has led to a revolution in the way we can access information – conveniently, quickly and in bulk – via the Internet, helping to support economic growth and competitiveness for businesses of all sizes.

Email has all but replaced letter writing, and texting replaced short phone calls.

Businesses and individuals use Information and Communications Technology for a variety of purposes and most rely on ICT systems to conduct their core business.

Individuals, therefore, need basic skills in IT use to be able to secure and retain employment, particularly as word processing is now the standard for writing.

The Welsh Government has recognised this need and is supporting those employees in Wales with an IT rating of level 2 or below to complete funded training and gain a relevant Essential Skill certificate at either a Level 1 or 2 in IT via providers such as ourselves at Acorn.

Around one in five Welsh employers are aware of gaps in the skills of their employees (23 per cent), but barriers still exist that are blocking employees not taking advantage of any critical up-skilling opportunities – including financial costs (80 per cent cited this as an issue), lack of suitable training (30 per cent) and not knowing what is available (28 per cent).

IT training is key for any business to ensure employees are able to use systems efficiently and effectively. In our experience at Acorn many employees still only have basic IT skills and the costs to business of the time taken to complete a task can then be huge.

By offering bespoke workshops, or one-to-one training tailored to the client’s needs, the cost benefit to businesses – and the individuals concerned – can be maximised.