AUSTRALIA | For older people, managing banking, shopping and government services online requires more than knowing how to use a device. As scams become more sophisticated, digital independence also depends on recognising when to question what appears on a screen or sounds like a familiar voice.
The Australian Government’s Be Connected programme has reached three million learners, a milestone that coincides with International Day of Older Persons on 1 October. It reached two million learners in May 2024, with a further one million engaging since then.
Be Connected supports Australians aged over 50 through free digital learning and face-to-face assistance. Its resources cover getting online, banking and shopping, accessing government services, and using social media to maintain contact with family and community.
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said the value of the programme extended beyond its reach. The aim was to help older Australians develop the confidence and skills to participate safely and independently online.
“Technology is changing rapidly, bringing enormous opportunities to connect, learn and access services, as well as new challenges to navigate,” said Inman Grant.
She highlighted AI voice cloning, face swapping and sophisticated social engineering as challenges requiring stronger critical reasoning skills and digital resilience. Keeping skills current was becoming part of everyday life, whether someone was taking their first steps online or learning to use new technology.
The programme’s delivery model also recognises that access to information and confidence using it are different things. Some learners can work through online resources independently, while others benefit from having someone alongside them to explain an unfamiliar task.
Good Things Australia delivers Be Connected in partnership with eSafety through a national network of 4,000 community partners. Chief executive Jess Wilson said those organisations provided a friendly, trusted space for older Australians to learn.
“Be Connected is not just about helping over 50s use technology, but supporting them to feel more confident, more independent, more socially connected and safer online,” said Wilson.
eSafety develops and manages the Be Connected website, which has more than 380 learning resources. These include self-paced courses, videos, articles, games, podcasts and webinars, with supporting resources available in up to 10 languages.
In 2025–26, more than 360,000 people completed learning resources on the website. eSafety also delivered 31 webinars to more than 3,000 learners.
Community organisations provided face-to-face support to more than 46,000 people during the same year, while 1,690 Digital Mentors were upskilled to help others. These figures show the scale of learning activity and support, although they do not establish how much participants’ skills or confidence improved.
Maintaining that local support requires funding as well as learning materials. More than A$4 million in small grants was distributed to network partners in 2025–26 to strengthen digital training and support, including free activities during Get Online Week.
The Australian Government has invested A$42 million to extend Be Connected until June 2028. The Department of Social Services has overall responsibility for the programme and funds Good Things Australia to manage the network and provide community grants.
For retirement village and aged care providers, the programme offers a practical example of combining digital resources with personal assistance. As technology and scams continue to change, the ongoing challenge is to help older people retain control over everyday tasks while building the judgement to recognise when something needs checking.
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