Cohort 1 is Here! Our EMCCA-Funded Unlocking Digital Skills Programme Has Officially Launched

Yesterday, 27 June 2026, marked a milestone moment for Softclue Academy and for everyone who believes that opportunity should never be limited by access to digital skills. Cohort 1 of our EMCCA-funded "Unlocking Digital Skills" programme officially launched — and the room was full of energy, ambition, and a quiet determination that we will not soon forget.

Candidates arrived early. Some had travelled across the East Midlands to be there. Some were stepping back into structured learning for the first time in years. All of them brought the same thing through the door: a readiness to grow.

A Programme Built to Change Career Trajectories

The Employability and Mentoring Career Coaching Academy (EMCCA) exists to remove the practical barriers that keep capable people out of the modern workforce. Through EMCCA, participants receive fully funded digital training, one-to-one career coaching, mentoring from industry practitioners, and dedicated employability support — at no cost to them.

It is more than a course. It is a wrap-around programme designed to take someone from "I'm not sure where I fit" to "I know what I'm aiming for, and I have the skills to get there."

What Cohort 1 Will Learn

The Unlocking Digital Skills programme gives learners structured, employer-relevant training across the digital toolkit modern workplaces actually use, including:

• Microsoft Office essentials — Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams
• Data confidence with Excel, Power BI fundamentals and SQL basics
• AI literacy — what the tools really do, where they help, and how to use them responsibly at work
• Employability foundations — CVs, interviews, professional communication and workplace behaviours
• Practical digital citizenship — staying safe, productive and credible online

Every module is paired with assessments, a verifiable certificate on completion, and progress tracking so learners — and their coaches — can see exactly how far they've come.

Delivered on a Platform Built for the Job

The entire learner experience runs on our dedicated programme platform at digitalskills.softclue.uk. Learners log in, pick up where they left off, complete quizzes and exams, join their cohort community, and download their certificates — all in one place, on any device.

For Cohort 1, this means learning fits around real life: shifts, school runs, caring responsibilities, job interviews. The platform meets them where they are.

A Word from the Softclue Team

We are genuinely excited about this group. There is something special about a first cohort — they set the tone, they set the standard, and they prove what the programme can do. Watching the candidates introduce themselves yesterday, hearing why they had signed up, and seeing them get started on their first modules was a reminder of why we built this in the first place.

To Cohort 1: we're with you for the whole journey. Bring the questions, bring the effort, and we'll bring the support.

Interested in Joining a Future Cohort?

If you, someone you support, or a community group you work with would benefit from the Unlocking Digital Skills programme, future cohorts are already being planned. Visit digitalskills.softclue.uk to learn more about eligibility, what's included, and how to register your interest.

To our funders at EMCCA, our delivery partners, and the wider community that has championed this work — thank you. Cohort 1 is here because you said yes to a vision of fairer access to digital opportunity. We are proud to be building this with you, and we cannot wait to celebrate every learner who walks across the finish line.

Here's to Cohort 1. Here's to the next chapter.

Ready to take the next step? Explore the programme and register your interest for an upcoming cohort at digitalskills.softclue.uk.