Digital participation

Setting up an email account, sending an online application, or buying train tickets with the SBB App: Digital skills are becoming increasingly important in all areas of life. However, using digital technologies is a challenge for many people.

For this reason, various Regional Caritas Organisations offer support to improve digital skills. When questions or problems arise concerning their digital devices such as smartphones, tablets or laptops, people seeking advice have various options of getting help.

Meeting points

At so-called ’digi sessions’, which take place at set times, volunteers answer questions about digital issues. People seeking advice are enabled to solve problems themselves and to build their confidence in their digital skills. There are meeting points in the cantons of Lucerne, Jura, Zurich, Bern, Solothurn, Fribourg and Neuchatel.

Mentoring

Volunteers meet regularly with people seeking advice for one-to-one mentoring sessions and provide tuition based on a structured programme. The volunteers are trained beforehand and supported during the mentoring. The topics covered include, for example, the basic functions of computers, working with Word or sending emails. In addition, there are specific learning units on job-seeking or the use of mobile phones. The mentoring offer is available in the Canton of Vaud.

Courses

Caritas employees run courses to impart digital skills to participants. This includes teaching of basic digital functions such as the use of computers, smartphones, the Internet or writing emails. Practical skills such as using e-banking or dealing with data security are also designed to boost people’s self-confidence in handling the digital sphere. The courses serve as a supplement to the digi sessions so that the basic knowledge acquired can be further deepened. Courses exist in the cantons of Zurich and Lucerne.

These projects are supported by Sunrise.

Offers of support and advice

The following Regional Caritas Organisations offer meeting points 

• Caritas Bern
• Caritas Fribourg
• Caritas Jura
• Caritas Lucerne
• Caritas Neuchatel
• Caritas Solothurn
• Caritas Vaud
• Caritas Zurich

More information about the support offers

• Digital participation

More information for interested volunteers

• Volunteering

Contact

Header image: Questions about digital matters answered quickly © Thomas Plein