Building digital skills and confidence for the future

At Break, we’re passionate about creating opportunities that help care-experienced young people build confidence, develop new skills, and explore pathways for their future. That’s why we were delighted to once again partner with the University of East Anglia (UEA) to deliver a six-week Digital Skills Programme for some of the young people we support.

The programme was designed to introduce young people to a range of digital and marketing topics, equipping them with practical skills that are increasingly essential in today’s world. From website analysis and digital marketing to cyber security, personal safety online and the growing role of artificial intelligence, participants explored how technology shapes both our daily lives and modern business.

For the first time, the course took place on UEA’s campus, giving young people the opportunity to experience university life first-hand and learn in a new environment. Alongside developing digital knowledge, the programme encouraged participants to think creatively, work collaboratively, and build confidence in sharing their ideas.

The course was delivered by experts from UEA’s Norwich Business School, with learning designed to be practical and engaging, helping participants apply their new skills in meaningful ways.

Dr Lucill Curtis, SSF Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Marketing at Norwich Business School, UEA, said:

“It was an absolute pleasure to teach the young people from Break again this year. The course culminated in a presentation with feedback which really helped to embed new ideas and practical solutions to common marketing scenarios for the young people.

“We very much look forward to continuing our mutually beneficial relationship with Break, as we start planning for the next academic year.”

The course provided an opportunity to explore further education and gain valuable skills that can support future applications and career aspirations, with participants receiving certificates and references to help demonstrate these.

Louise Gooding, Co-Production and Aspiration Project Worker at Break, said:

“It was wonderful to continue offering the Digital Skills Programme with the support of James and Lucill at UEA. Moving the programme to the UEA campus for the first time provided our care leavers with a valuable opportunity to experience a new environment and explore university life.

“One of the most rewarding aspects was seeing participants grow in confidence each week. Their final presentations demonstrated not only the digital skills they had developed, but also their ability to think critically, evaluate digital marketing approaches, and present their ideas with confidence.”

The programme reflects Break’s ongoing commitment to helping care-experienced young people develop the skills, confidence and aspirations they need to thrive. By working together with partners such as UEA, we create meaningful opportunities that open doors and spark new interests.

We’d like to thank everyone at UEA who helped deliver the programme and congratulate all of the young people who took part. We look forward to seeing how they continue to build on their new skills and to further strengthening our partnership in the years ahead.