Skilled up – Kāinga Ora customers go digital

Kāinga Ora has partnered with Te Wānanga ō Aotearoa to deliver the free digital skills programme Kanorau Digital, trialling classes in Aranui and Hoon Hay in Christchurch.

The course will give people the skills and confidence to live more independently and stay connected to friends and whānau online. The idea sprang from COVID-19 lockdowns, which highlighted how important a connection with the online world is for wellbeing.

Designed by education professionals, the programme aims to enable Kāinga Ora customers to better access key health, social and education services online, connect with whānau living out of their region and overseas, and give them skills for a modern workforce. Classes are tailored for the needs of attendees, but may include learning to do online banking, use apps, email, social networking and MyKāingaOra.

Digital Skills Coach Johnson helps Pam get skilled up.

Lynne went to the first class with her husband, and she says she is "rapt" with the course.

"It’s so easy when you know how. I can now keep in contact with people who send emails, rather than lose the emails or they go into space! I’m going to look at doing my banking online now too. The tutors were lovely, and so skilled up. They talked to us right at our level, in simple terms. It was well worth giving up the time for."

For Pam, having the learning tailored to her needs was great.

"They took the time to listen to what I was asking, and explain things I wanted to know. I’m not a spring chicken, but not really clever with these things. I came away thinking I’d learnt a bit."

The pilot approach gives an understanding of the level of interest in the course, the best ways to get people along and the types of things people want to learn.

This will help Kāinga Ora and Te Wānanga ō Aotearoa shape and deliver the course to a wider range of people, with the hope of rolling it out across New Zealand.