Building digital skills and career opportunities

Building digital skills and exploring new career opportunities

At 60, Mahmoud is exploring a new career direction after spending several months unemployed. With support from Age UK Islington, he is developing his digital skills, improving his ability to search for work and exploring the possibility of becoming self-employed.

Finding a new direction

Mahmoud has been volunteering with Citizens Advice for some time and was already familiar with Age UK Islington through his volunteering experience.

After several months out of work, he contacted Age UK Islington for help with his job search and to explore free or affordable training opportunities that could support a potential career change.

He was particularly interested in digital marketing, including content creation, website development and building applications. With rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI), Mahmoud recognised that there was a great deal to learn and wanted to develop the skills needed to pursue opportunities in this field.

Overcoming barriers to learning

Mahmoud was keen to develop his skills but was finding it difficult to access the learning opportunities he needed.

Participating in online courses and managing a job search presented practical challenges, particularly when courses required learners to take part in discussions, complete activities and respond to questions online.

Age UK Islington worked with Mahmoud to understand his circumstances and identify ways to help him move forward with his employment and learning goals.

With this support, Mahmoud has been able to make progress with his online learning and take more active steps towards finding work.

Developing skills and confidence

Mahmoud has since found a range of helpful learning opportunities, including an online course introducing AI and digital marketing.

He has started developing practical skills in content creation using tools such as Canva and Base44, which can be used to create websites and applications.

He is also finding it easier to manage his job search, contact recruitment agencies and respond to emails about potential opportunities.

For Mahmoud, the benefits extend beyond learning new skills.

"It's good to be busy. Being out of work starts to affect your mental wellbeing. It's made a massive difference. I'm now much better able to search for jobs and contact agencies. I feel more connected and have hope for the future."

A new chapter

With his confidence growing and new skills taking shape, Mahmoud is beginning to see possibilities for his future that go beyond a traditional job search.

He's particularly excited about the prospect of putting his digital skills to use by creating websites and applications for others. He's also considering whether self-employment could offer him a new career path and is interested in exploring support from LIFT Futures to help him take his ideas further.

"I'd love to make money on a self-employed basis building apps or websites for people," he says.

For now, Mahmoud is enjoying the opportunity to learn, discover what he can do and work towards something new. After months out of work, having a sense of purpose and the confidence to explore different possibilities has made a real difference.

And while he doesn't yet know exactly where his new skills will take him, he's looking to the future with renewed hope.

Need help to build your digital skills?

See our Getting started in IT webpage for details of local options to access computers, find local courses and get one-to-one help.