Fully-funded qualifications for adults with low digital skills
Information about the qualifications available under the statutory digital entitlement.
Applies to England
Our essential digital skills reforms provide learners with access to fully-funded, high-quality provision to equip them with the digital skills they need for life and work.
The statutory digital entitlement was introduced on 1 August 2020. It provides fully-funded study for adults with low digital skills on our new essential digital skills qualification offer.
Who is eligible
You’re eligible for full funding under the entitlement if you:
- are aged 19 and over
- are assessed as not having essential digital skills
- fulfil the residency requirements set out in the funding rules for the ESFA funded adult education budget (In most cases, you will need to be resident in England on the day learning starts)
Education and training providers must carry out an initial assessment to determine your current skill level. This ensures that only adults who do not have essential digital skills will have learning fully funded under the entitlement. It also means individuals are enrolled on courses at the appropriate level.
You can find the full eligibility criteria in the funding rules for the ESFA funded adult education budget.
The essential digital skills qualification offer
The qualifications available under the digital entitlement are:
Essential Digital Skills qualifications (EDSQs)
- EDSQs are designed to meet the diverse needs of adults with no or low digital skills
- EDSQs can have different objectives, reflecting different learning needs, motivations and starting points – the specific content of EDSQs will vary depending on their purpose
Digital Functional Skills qualifications (FSQs)
- Digital FSQs replaced FSQs in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) from August 2023
- Digital FSQs have standardised content and assessment, providing a benchmark of digital skills for employers
These new qualifications are available at entry level and level 1. They are assessed against the national standards for essential digital skills.
The standards set out the full range of essential digital skills that adults need to:
- fully participate in life
- do most jobs
- engage in further study
The standards were first published in April 2019 and reviewed in January 2022. This review confirmed that there have been no fundamental changes to what are considered essential digital skills since the standards were published so no changes were made.
Foundation level provision
If formal qualifications are not suitable for a learner, non-regulated foundation level provision is funded through the Adult Education Budget.
Foundation level courses support individuals to build confidence in essential digital skills before enrolling onto an entry level qualification. Skills covered as part of a foundation level course include:
- turning on a device
- using the available controls on a device
- making use of accessibility tools to make devices easier to use
- interacting with the home screen on a device
- connecting to the internet safely and securely, and opening a browser
- opening and accessing an application on a device
Find a qualification in essential digital skills
EDSQs and FSQs are funded through the ESFA, Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA) or Greater London Authority (GLA) funded providers.
Use the list of qualifications approved for funding to find out which qualifications are already available. Search the list for ‘essential digital skills’ or ‘digital functional skills’.
You can find out more about essential digital skills and other government-funded training opportunities that can help you gain skills for life.
The National Careers Service can provide advice on digital skills providers in your local area. You can contact them by phone on 0800 100 900 or through their website.
Other ICT and digital skills qualifications
We have removed funding approval from the following qualifications in the ESFA funded qualification offers for adults, including all:
- entry level and level 1 ICT user and related qualifications that are not EDSQs – from 1 August 2021
- level 2 ICT User and related qualifications which do not offer entry into a specific level 2 job role – from 1 August 2022
- level 2 ICT FSQs – from 1 August 2022
- entry level and level 1 ICT FSQs – from 1 August 2023
If you have already started on one or more of these qualifications before the funding approval end date(s), we will continue to fund it until you complete your qualification(s) or until the certification end date, whichever happens earlier.
You can find more information about funding approval for qualifications at Qualifications and public funding.
Further information
You can find:
- further information from Ofqual on the development of EDSQs
- the subject content for digital FSQs at Digital Functional Skills qualifications: subject content
- the response to the Improving adult basic digital skills consultation
- information about removal of funding approval from entry level to level 2 ICT qualifications at Qualifications and public funding
Last updated 14 March 2024 + show all updates
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Updated the sections 'Who is eligible' and 'The essential digital skills qualification offer'. Updated information on which qualifications have had funding approval removed.
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First published.