Meet Camille Hall, a council customer services officer for 16 years. Camille wasn’t sure how extra training could benefit her, that was until she tried our new – and free – online embedded digital champion training.
“I wasn’t sure what the training would involve, I already digitally assist customers in my role as a customer service officer so I assumed it would be like what I do already.”
These are Camille’s honest thoughts before she embarked on the embedded digital champion programme.
The programme run by Dorset Council is designed for anyone who works and advises members of the public regularly.
It aims to equip front facing staff with even more skills to help them help their customers have more confidence using online services.
You do not have to be a technical whizz to be a digital champion but what you do need is bags of patience and understanding.
The embedded digital champion training not only reinforces those soft skills but also arms you with lots of reference points for further digital help.
But don’t just take our word for it, this is what Camille had to say:
“The training was a lot more insightful and interesting than I previously thought. I learnt some great tools to use and now have good knowledge of the best sites and apps to signpost those customers who need it,” Camille recalled.
She added: 
“I’ve also enjoyed events that Dorset Council has put on for embedded digital champions. A talk from the Dorset Police cyber officer was very interesting and eye-opening and one of the volunteer digital champions also gave us some great advice and tips on how he assists his customers.”
Camille has also been able to put into practice what she learned from her embedded digital champion training.
She recently assisted a customer with opening email attachments.
That lady didn’t have her device with her at the time, so Camille referred her to the Digital Unite website (which she found out about in the embedded digital champion training).
Camille was also able to print off a ‘how to’ guide which the customer took home to try out. Without her embedded digital champion training, Camille would not have known about this resource.
So, would Camille recommend the training to other customer services staff?
“I would absolutely recommend the training!” Camille reflected.
“It would be very useful for our customer services team as we deal with people every day who require further help with digital access.
“These new skills are not only an advantage to us but are also great for our customers too.”
Dorset Council has teamed up with Barclays Digital Wings, which provides the training. The course is completely online and can be done in your own time.
People taking the course not only get to improve their own digital skills, they also get to earn career development points.
If you’d like to be like Camille and become an embedded digital champion, email edc@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk for more information.
Wherever you work in Dorset, if you regularly help people access your services, this course is for you. You can also be like Digital Norma, who is also one of our embedded digital champions, meet her here:
I have worked in communications for 25 years, first as a journalist and then in public and private sector public relations. From Southampton originally, I have lived in beautiful Dorset for the last two decades. My passion for Dorset has also turned into a passion for landscape photography. My other great loves are my family and Southampton Football Club.