We explain Oxford's Competency Centres, why they have been set up, how they work, and what they offer people at Oxford.
What is a Competency Centre?
A dedicated team you can consult for expert advice on a key area of digital technology. Spread across the University, each Competency Centre shares expertise in digital solutions through training, consultancy, events and software support.
Why have these been set up?
The Competency Centres are a key component of the Digital Transformation programme, and we want to enable colleagues to grow their confidence and competence in technologies as the University embraces this transformation. We want to make colleagues’ work lives easier, saving them time, breaking down their workload and ensuring the University’s work remains relevant in the constantly shifting face of tech. With these skills, we can also increase the University’s compliance and security, advocating for best practices across different digital areas.
What centres are there currently and are there plans for more?
There are four Competency Centres, each enabling access to and upskilling in different digital technologies.
The Centres’ teams are growing fast and with that, so will our offerings and resources. Keep an eye on developments in the future!
Who can access these centres?
All University of Oxford people. It doesn’t matter where in the institution you are, whatever department or college you work in, we are available and would love to hear from you.
Our Cloud Computing for Research centre is aimed at researchers from across the divisions and all other centres are aimed at all colleagues, no matter your position – academic, research or professional services.
What support can I receive?
We work on a basis of three different types of support, so no matter your query, you can come away with new skills:
Show me - one of the centre’s experts will show you what is possible with software or infrastructure to which the University already has access.
Help me – you can contact our team of specialists to get help finding solutions to specific technical questions, up to and including bespoke software development.
Skill me – we have a plethora of free trainings run by both internal and external trainers available. For example, training for beginners on Power Automate, Certification in Information Security Management Principles, and cloud computing workshops. These are run in-person and for details on dates, please visit the relevant centre’s webpage.
How do I get in touch with one of the centres?
All centres have their own teams monitoring their email inboxes, and there are also different forms you can fill in, to express your interest in working with us or learning more about our offerings. All contact details are available on the Competency Centre website and also on SharePoint. Look out for us at various University events across the year too!
