For George Shaba, joining Lambeth College’s NHS Essential Digital Skills course has been a practical and confidence-building step in his working life.

George, who works for South London and Maudsley NHS Trust as a Patient Flow Co-ordinator, came to the college through the SWAP programme, which supports employees and jobseekers to build the skills they need for work. In this case, the course was designed to help NHS staff improve their IT skills through the Entry Level NHS Essential Digital Skills College Certificate.

George’s role is a busy and important one. Based at Maudsley Hospital in Denmark Hill, he works in a 24-hour office supporting bed management and patient movement. His daily work involves helping to track patient admissions, manage information, and support teams who need accurate updates on patient demand and bed availability.

As more workplace systems move online, George found the course especially useful because it focused on the digital tools he uses in his job, including databases, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Teams, and PowerPoint.

“I was sent by the NHS to improve my digital skills because a lot of my work involves databases, Excel, Teams, and PowerPoint presentations,” George explained. “I found the course really good and very beneficial. I’ve learned a lot.”

The course ran over four months, with George attending Lambeth College every Monday. Despite travelling in from Kent, he said the college was easy to access, and he even used some of his journey time to work on his project presentation.

One of the most useful parts of the course was learning how to organise and present information more clearly. George explained that his workplace uses Teams and Excel to track patient admissions and bed demand across different boroughs. Improving his confidence with these tools has helped him understand how to format information properly and use digital systems more effectively.

“Coming here really helped me improve those Excel skills,” he said. “It was really helpful.”

George also praised his tutor, Fatima, for her support throughout the course.

“She’s very good,” he said. “She really knows the technology and IT side of things. We learned a lot from her.”

For George, the course was not only about learning software. It was also about gaining confidence, accessing support, and discovering how digital skills can make everyday work smoother. He said students were able to access materials online, contact their tutor by email, and receive quick responses when they needed help.

He also made use of the college library, where staff helped him reset his password when he needed support.

“They were quite helpful,” George said. “They helped reset everything for me.”

George finished the course with a project presentation and hopes to receive his certificate. He is already thinking about further training, including a possible digital skills course with a focus on AI.

“I don’t mind coming back here,” he said. “I really liked the environment.”

Through programmes like SWAP, Lambeth College continues to support learners and employees by helping them gain the practical skills needed in modern workplaces. For George, the experience has been a positive step forward, helping him strengthen the digital skills he uses every day in his NHS role.