Obtaining basic IT skills can help to change people's lives, according to the government's digital inclusion champion Martha Lane Fox.
She told the Mirror that learning the skills required to use the internet can help people in a number of ways.
Among them are the ability to save money by shopping online and to enjoy communicating with others via social networking sites such as Facebook.
Internet skills can also help with some of the most important things in life, Ms Lane Fox said, such as finding a new job or undertaking a training course.
"The internet has the power to empower people and to enhance their lives," she said.
Ms Lane Fox is a good example of what can be achieved by people who have a good working knowledge of the internet, as she made her fortune and reputation by co-founding the online travel company Lastminute.com.
Not everyone is as ambitious as Ms Lane Fox, but the Mirror gave several examples of other success stories achieved by people who took the time to develop IT skills.
Among them is Ashley Cripps, who took a beginner's IT course after being made redundant from his position as a butcher.
He learned basic PC building and maintenance skills, and having developed an interest in computing, went on to obtain an NVQ qualification.
Mr Cripps then gained his first IT job and now hopes to make a career in the sector.
"The skills I learnt have helped my life and helped me with a new career," he said.
Taking adult learning courses is a recognised way for people to improve their prospects of finding a new job, as Sue Wheeler recently found out.
Ms Wheeler, 51, was given a job as an administrator by social housing company Connaught after taking a basic computing course and then an NVQ level one in business administration.
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