Building Digital Confidence in Teacher Training: A Practical Mapping to the Diploma in Teaching

By Louisa Stamatelopoulos

How do we ensure digital capability is embedded in the professional development of teachers — not as an add-on, but as a core part of their journey? This question continues to shape the work we do and has led to the creation of a digital skills mapping aligned with the Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills).

The need for digitally confident educators isn’t new, but the pace of change has accelerated. Whether it’s using assistive technology to support learners with SEND, engaging students through interactive tools, or navigating AI in education, digital literacy is now a professional necessity. And yet, we’re still not consistently embedding this into how we train our teachers.

If digital skills are only introduced as CPD later down the line, we miss a valuable opportunity to shape digital practice from the very beginning.

Where the idea began

In my role at Jisc I work closely with further education colleges on digital capability, I’ve spent a lot of time supporting senior leaders who are striving to build digital confidence across their teams — and navigating the challenges that come with it.

The launch of the new Diploma in Teaching last year got me thinking: how can we better support new teachers to build the digital confidence their learners now expect?

The framework behind the mapping

The resource we’ve developed bridges three influential frameworks:

• The Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills) qualification framework, which sets out the expectations for professional practice.
• The Digital Teaching Professional Framework from the Education and Training Foundation, which breaks down digital competencies across different levels;
• The Jisc Building Digital Capability Framework, which provides a structured model for digital confidence across multiple roles in education.

By aligning these, the mapping offers a practical, flexible tool that QTLA managers, mentors, and teacher educators can use to embed digital skills into training programmes, mentoring sessions, or curriculum planning.

As we know, every college and training provider is different, so we’ve designed this framework to be adaptable. It can be used as a complete guide or as a starting point for specific focus areas — for example, using digital tools for inclusive practice or encouraging reflective digital development.

Created through collaboration

Creating this resource was a collaborative effort in many ways. We listened to QTLA managers, teachers, and digital leads who generously shared their challenges and insights. A special thanks to Adam Leeson from SMB Group for acting as a critical friend — his input, as someone already delivering part of this qualification, was invaluable. Many were already doing brilliant things in pockets — the goal of this document is to give structure to that good practice and make it easier to replicate, scale, and adapt.

Looking ahead

Ultimately, we hope this resource supports a shift in mindset — where digital capability is seen not as a bolt-on, but as part of what it means to be an effective, inclusive, and adaptable educator. If we build that into the foundation of teacher training, we set up our educators — and their learners — for greater success.

Call to action:

Digital capability isn’t a bolt-on — it’s core to effective teaching today. That’s why we’ve created a new mapping resource aligning the Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills) with the Jisc discovery tool and ETF digital frameworks. Whether you’re a QTLA manager, mentor, or teacher educator, this practical tool will help you embed digital skills into training from the start — shaping confident, inclusive educators for the future.

Start building digital confidence where it matters most — at the beginning.

Explore the QTLA mapping document

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