A report in HR magazine argues that employees would feel more comfortable with using technology in the workplace if it had been incorporated into their training or education. Research by Lifelong Learning UK reveals that one in five employees feel their job prospects would improve as a result of understanding more about technology. In addition, a fifth of those polled would feel more confident applying for a job if they were more adept at using technology.

Bryony Taylor, Lifelong Learning UK’s expert in technology enhanced learning, said: “This new research is supported by figures that show over the past 20 years the proportion of people using IT in their job has nearly doubled to 77%.”

As a result of this study, Lifelong Learning UK has developed three technology application guides and a ‘staffroom poster’ that highlights the sources of information and support available to teachers, helping them use new technologies and social media.

Comment: Full marks to Lifelong Learning UK for its entrepreneurial attitude to this situation but there’s a paradox here. If you need a hard copy guide or a printed poster to tell you how to make the technology work for you, you’re never going to be happy with using that technology.

Watch what the digital natives do: they never read a manual; they just get ‘stuck in’ to technology and experiment until they get somewhere. Digital immigrants take note: don’t read about it – just do it.