In today’s society, it goes without saying that children in the current education system will need to have an excellent grasp of technology to stand a chance in the competitive job market. There is no getting away from the role that technology plays in our lives. Even someone who is in a role that primarily involves manual labour and hands-on work will be expected to be able to use a computer. Here are some ideas:

• Introduce children to the most popular computer programmes in the classroom. If they have a working knowledge of programmes for writing and sending emails, they will have a distinct advantage as it’s a skill that employers will expect. Set them questions and problem-solving tasks which allow them to explore different programmes and their functionality.
• Set up after-school clubs. Learning doesn’t always have to happen in the classroom. Give children who are curious the opportunity to pursue their interests outside of lessons. The clubs could teach them all sorts of new life skills – anything from coding to effective search engine use could be covered.
• Let children use computers and tablets in a regulated way in lessons. This can be very difficult to police but it is worth doing if you have access to the technology. They will get used to different devices and will be able to use them competently.
• Ask children to prepare imaginary CVs. This will teach them about how to format a real CV in future. Show them how to use computer programmes to lay it out properly as well as focussing on the content.