Following discussions by the Improvement Service with community councils across Scotland, we have identified some key areas where community councillors would like to improve their skills.
Using the OU’s free learning portal OpenLearn, we have provided links below to courses which will help people improve their skills in these key areas. The courses are free to use and you can do them at any time and at your own pace. You can gain either a digital badge or certificate for completing each course.
Many CCs have fully embraced the digital journey during the pandemic and there are courses here to help you continue that journey such as using Microsoft Teams and succeeding in a digital world. In addition to digital skills there are also courses on a range of other topics that community councillors have suggested including finance, fundraising, community and business skills.
If you have any questions about accessing these courses or other study options with the OU, please contact ouscotland-skills-support@open.ac.uk.
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Digital skills: succeeding in a digital world
Learn more to access more details of Digital skills: succeeding in a digital worldBuild your confidence online with this free course designed to help you thrive in the digital world. Explore key skills such as managing your digital identity, staying safe, finding reliable information, and maintaining digital well-being — all while developing a critical, reflective approach to life online.
Level: 1 Introductory
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Introduction to cyber security: stay safe online
Learn more to access more details of Introduction to cyber security: stay safe onlineProtect your digital life with this free course introducing the essentials of cyber security. Learn how to spot online threats, keep your information safe and understand key topics like malware, network security and identity theft — helping you stay secure at home, at work, and beyond.
Level: 1 Introductory
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Microsoft Teams training
Learn more to access more details of Microsoft Teams trainingMicrosoft Teams video training, from the basics of how posts and messages work, to finding files and setting up live events.
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Google Digital Garage Courses
Learn more to access more details of Google Digital Garage CoursesDiscover a range of free learning content designed to help your business or in your career. You can learn by selecting individual modules, or dive right in and take an entire course end-to-end.
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Everyday computer skills: a beginner’s guide to computers, tablets, mobile phones and accessibility
Learn more to access more details of Everyday computer skills: a beginner’s guide to computers, tablets, mobile phones and accessibilityDigital skills are now indispensable in a society that increasingly depends on computers. This course is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills you need to get started in this digital world. It explores accessible ways to use computers and the internet.
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Digital Skills: Social Media
Learn more to access more details of Digital Skills: Social MediaLearn how to use social media for business, from creating a social media presence to measuring success.
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Business communication: writing a SWOT analysis
Learn more to access more details of Business communication: writing a SWOT analysisThis free course, Business communication: writing a SWOT analysis, is designed to develop your writing skills for business. You will be taken step by step through the process of writing a SWOT analysis, with clear advice on selecting key information from a case study text, making concise notes, choosing an appropriate structure and using ...
Level: 1 Introductory
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Effective communication in the workplace
Learn more to access more details of Effective communication in the workplaceImprove your workplace relationships and boost your professional impact with this free course on effective communication. Discover how to express yourself clearly, understand others better, and adapt your communication skills for a range of situations, from everyday conversations to the digital workplaces of the future.
Level: 1 Introductory
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Difference and challenge in teams
Learn more to access more details of Difference and challenge in teamsThis free course looks at how teams ‘travel’ together on a journey of development. Those journeys are hardly ever smooth. The course encourages you to recognise difference and challenge amongst individuals in the team who are pulling in different directions. It will help you identify where such challenges can be embraced for the benefit of your ...
Level: 1 Introductory
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Managing virtual project teams
Learn more to access more details of Managing virtual project teamsMany projects are now ‘virtual’, i.e. some or all of the team are located remotely and may be working in different time zones. The project manager needs all the traditional soft skills, and more. This free course, Managing virtual project teams, looks at knowledge and techniques which underpin team selection and then consider the additional ...
Level: 3 Advanced
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Making decisions
Learn more to access more details of Making decisionsDo you hate making decisions? Does the ability of others to make snap decisions really frustrate you? This free course will help you understand some of the processes involved in decision making. Attention to the psychology of decision making and the social context in which decisions are made can improve your understanding of others and yourself.
Level: 3 Advanced
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Project management: the start of the project journey
Learn more to access more details of Project management: the start of the project journeyThis free course, Project management: The start of the project journey, introduces projects, what they are, how they come about, responses to problems and planning. It explores the role of key players including the project manager, feasibility studies, decision making and project life cycles.
Level: 3 Advanced
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An introduction to public leadership
Learn more to access more details of An introduction to public leadershipIn this free course, An introduction to public leadership, you will learn more about leadership in the context of public service provision, by public sector organisations, community and voluntary groups, and political bodies.
Level: 1 Introductory
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Collaborative leadership in voluntary organisations
Learn more to access more details of Collaborative leadership in voluntary organisationsThis free course, Collaborative leadership in voluntary organisations, will help you to reflect on and develop collaborative leadership practices that will make a difference. The course is aimed at people who work within voluntary organisations as paid staff or as volunteers or for people who work regularly with voluntary organisations, such as ...
Level: 1 Introductory
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Developing leadership practice in voluntary organisations
Learn more to access more details of Developing leadership practice in voluntary organisationsThis free course, Developing leadership practice in voluntary organisations, provides an opportunity for people who work within voluntary organisations, as paid employees or staff, to develop energetic, practical and thoughtful leadership practice.
Level: 1 Introductory
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Involving volunteers
Learn more to access more details of Involving volunteersThis is a short course on volunteering developed by Volunteer Scotland and the Centre for Voluntary Sector Leadership at The Open University Business School. This course is about the essential things you need to consider to ensure a positive experience for individuals engaging in volunteering.
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Fundamentals of accounting
Learn more to access more details of Fundamentals of accountingLearn about the essential numerical and double-entry skills required for accounting. This free course, Fundamentals of accounting, will explain the fundamental purpose and role of accounting as well as the double-entry rules that are the foundation of all financial records and reports in any modern business.
Level: 1 Introductory
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Introduction to bookkeeping and accounting
Learn more to access more details of Introduction to bookkeeping and accountingLearn about the essential numerical skills required for accounting and bookkeeping. This free course, Introduction to bookkeeping and accounting, explains the fundamental rules of double-entry bookkeeping and how they are used to produce the balance sheet and the profit and loss account.
Level: 1 Introductory
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Building relationships with donors
Learn more to access more details of Building relationships with donorsLegacy fundraising and big-gift seeking are part of the professional fundraiser's role. This free course, Building relationships with donors, will help you to gain the skills necessary to persuade individuals to become donors. How do you change people's ideas about methods of giving, moving them from casual street donations to regular direct ...
Level: 3 Advanced
Community and society
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Legal skills and debates in Scotland
Learn more to access more details of Legal skills and debates in ScotlandThis free course, Legal skills and debates in Scotland, considers how laws are interpreted and applied. It looks at legislation, court judgments, argument, judicial reasoning and rights. It also explores the relationship between society’s values and the laws which it supports and how policy and rights influence development of law.
Level: 1 Introductory
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Scottish courts and the law
Learn more to access more details of Scottish courts and the lawThis free course, Scottish courts and the law, explores the role, function and purpose of the courts in Scotland and their relationship with the law. You consider the way in which cases come to court, the difference between the criminal and civil justice systems, the separation of powers, how individuals may become involved with the court ...
Level: 1 Introductory
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The Scottish Parliament and law making
Learn more to access more details of The Scottish Parliament and law makingThis free course, The Scottish Parliament and law making, explores the law making powers of the Scottish Parliament and examines its place in the UK’s constitution. It considers how, and why, laws are made by both the Scottish and UK Parliaments before exploring devolved matters, reserved matters, legislative competence, secondary legislation, ...
Level: 1 Introductory
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Introducing environmental decision making
Learn more to access more details of Introducing environmental decision makingMany of the decisions we make have implications for our environment, particularly those concerning natural resources and waste. Taking account of environmental factors in decision making can be both complex and challenging. This free course, Introducing environmental decision making, considers decisions in their broader contexts and advocates a ...
Level: 3 Advanced
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Sustainable Scotland
Learn more to access more details of Sustainable ScotlandSustainable Scotland is a free course that will appeal to anyone with an interest in a sustainable future in the context of contemporary Scottish society. It will give you a broad-based introduction to a number of different aspects of sustainability that impact on Scotland and the wider world.
Level: 1 Introductory
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Partnerships and networks in work with young people
Learn more to access more details of Partnerships and networks in work with young peopleThe term 'partnership' is used to describe a wide range of organisational arrangements and ways of working: from informal networking between individuals, to more formal partnership structures. In this free course, Partnerships and networks in work with young people, you will explore a range of meanings for the word 'partnership' and see that it ...
Level: 2 Intermediate
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Collaborative problem solving for community safety
Learn more to access more details of Collaborative problem solving for community safetyThis free course, Collaborative problem solving for community safety, offers a range of techniques for community police officers, other community-based public service professionals and members of community groups working to solve problems collaboratively and creatively. It examines some of the ways which OU specialists in creative problem ...
Level: 1 Introductory
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Free online resources for Ukrainians settling in the UK and Ireland
Read now to access more details of Free online resources for Ukrainians settling in the UK and IrelandFrom free courses in the English language to articles on mental health and wellbeing, here are some free online resources from The Open University.
Level: 1 Introductory
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