Building better
digital lives

We’re helping jobseekers of all ages and backgrounds get the skills and confidence they need to land the job they want.

We’ve been running online sessions to open the experience to even more jobseekers. We run live webinars with expert partners, including LinkedIn Learning, Apprentice Nation and Jobcentre Plus. Through them, we’ve helped thousands of people pick up tips on how to write a great CV and come across well at interview, and how to successfully navigate application and selection processes.

Over half of the people completing our Work Ready training programme have gone on to further education, apprenticeships or jobs.

We’re there for families, helping boost parents’ tech confidence and knowledge, and keeping the kids safe, happy and learning online.

Footballing legend Rio Ferdinand was there, too. Take a look at his Let’s Talk About Supporting Your Kids Online video – hundreds of thousands of parents already have.

We’re founding members of Internet Matters, one of the UK’s leading child online safety organisations. Families can access expert advice on our Skills for Tomorrow portal, including guidance on how to raise sensitive subjects like sexting.

Working with the National Crime Agency, we’ve developed classroom and home lessons on being cyber-smart. The lessons help students learn about online ownership, password security, cyber laws and how to protect themselves from phishing attacks.

As we discovered during the pandemic, digital technology can be a practical and emotional lifeline. But many are missing out. Around 3.6m people living in the UK are almost completely offline and around 11.7m lack the basic tech skills we increasingly need to navigate everyday life. 

When the lockdown cleared the streets in 2020, we joined forces with ITV to help people gain digital confidence fast. For three weeks in April and May, we took over full ad breaks during This Morning and the ITV Evening News to share Top Tips on Tech. We enlisted well-known television and sport personalities to present simple how-to advice from their homes to viewers: how to use WhatsApp to stay in touch with friends and family; where to find support with home-schooling; how to keep the kids safe online; and more.

The 12 bite-sized lessons had a big impact on viewers: more than 5.7 million people learnt something new.

Our research found that by the beginning of 2021, jobseekers had applied unsuccessfully for 14 roles on average during the pandemic year. Four in five of the 2,000 we surveyed said the job search had affected their mental wellbeing. And just 22% were confident their CV and covering letter would stand out from others. 

Through our early-2021 Stand Out Skills campaign, we’ve provided daily support for jobseekers, helping them develop the confidence to stand out from the crowd. The campaign, which reached more than 468,000 people, included expert tips, videos, vlogs and webinars on how to shine at every stage of the job search – from polishing CVs and LinkedIn profiles to networking, applications and interviews. 

The UK’s 5.9 million small businesses are at the heart of the UK economy.

Through a series of initiatives designed to equip small business owners and their teams with the skills they need to succeed in the digital world, we’re determined to help them thrive.

With over 200 free webinars, our Skills for Tomorrow initiative has something to offer all small businesses, from the budding entrepreneur wanting a helping hand to the established company looking for fresh ideas. We’ve created new learning content on topics like how to protect against cyberattacks, how to pivot your business online and build an e-commerce website, and ideas for creating a social media strategy.

BT colleagues, business owners and partners, including Small Business Britain, Google Digital Garage and Cisco, share their knowledge and experience through our webinar series. 

And well-known business owners and industry experts share their top tips for success in our popular Let’s Talk About video series.

By the end of March 2026, we aim to reach 1 million small business owners and their employees with help to improve their digital skills.

One of the ways we’re doing it is with our Small Business Support Scheme. This scheme helps small businesses boost their connectivity, cash flow and confidence. We’ve equipped over 278,000 people in small businesses with free practical digital skills training and advice through online webinars and other resources. Our help is hitting home, with over 90% of entrepreneurs who attend our webinars saying they will change how they run their business.

We’re offering further tailored support through free one-to-one mentoring for small business owners with Digital Boost – a non-profit platform that matches mentors with businesses based on the skills and experience they can offer. BT colleagues, including senior executives, are volunteering to share their expertise on issues ranging from cyber security and social media to marketing and business strategy.

And with our global charity partners, we’re helping to educate and empower young people through tech, reaching some of the world’s most marginalised groups. 

We’ve provided support for UNICEF’s global digital education platform, including contributions from our colleagues’ fundraising. We’re also working with UNICEF to bring robotics to life in South African primary schools, and to support youth-led community projects and digital skills training in Brazil. 

Working with NGO partners in India, through local communities and schools, we help educate young people online using messaging groups, digital content, virtual and self-learning modules. And although millions of people in rural and semi-urban India are without internet access, we’ve helped them learn offline through community radio, television, and mentoring and support via mobile.