Second Get online day nets 12,000 January 21, 2009
Posted by Rich Spragg in Digital Divide, Digital Inclusion, Education, Events, GMDDA, Internet, News, Skills, Technology, Training, UK Online Centres.Tags: Get Online Day
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Around 12,000 people made the second national Get online day their excuse to get onto the internet and try something new online. Get online day, which is run by UK online centres, took place at the end of October as part of Family Learning Festival and targeted the one in three adults in the country who still don’t use computers and the internet.
There were more than 500 events running at UK online centres up and down England, offering techno-phobe parents, grandparents, and carers – and even aunts and uncles – the chance to find out how getting online could help them and the rest of the family in everyday life. Whether it was a very first taste of the internet, a first email or a first online shopping trip, families of all shapes and sizes took up the Get online day challenge.
UK online centres have just completed a survey which questioned both participating centres and visitors who came through the doors on the day. Nearly everyone who went along to an event – 96% – enjoyed the day, with a full 99% determined to keep on using the internet in the future. At UK online centres, 84% of event-holders said the Get online day campaign had helped them attract new customers, and 97% said they’d be signing up for a Get online day mark III.
Get online day 2008 was backed by a whole host of sponsors – Campaign for Learning, Becta, the Department for Innovation Universities and Skills, Directgov, Ofcom and TalkTalk. All wanted to see more people take advantage of all the benefits the internet can provide.
Helen Milner, Managing Director of UK online centres, explains: “The fact that a third of the population still don’t, won’t or can’t use computers and the internet might seem incredible to some, but with technology moving so fast it’s actually easy for anyone to get left behind. This year’s campaign was all about trying something new online, and I’m delighted that so many people challenged themselves and their families by doing just that.”
One Get online day visitor now enjoying his new computer skills is 85 year-old Robert Booth, who went along to an event at Benchill Community Centre in Greater Manchester. He was given a computer by his son, but decided he needed a bit of help getting to grips with it all. Get online day came along at just the right time.
He says: “I knew that I needed to get the best instructions on how to use a computer properly. Get online day seemed like the perfect introduction! I went along and it was all very welcoming. I met Steve, the tutor, who was very supportive and incredibly patient, and to my surprise I actually found it all very easy.”
Robert was so impressed, he decided to attend regular courses to learn more about how the internet could help him keep in touch with his son, three grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
“I was beginning to think I was falling behind with modern technology,” he admits. “Even my four-year-old great-granddaughter Sophie knew more than I did! Now I’ve worked out how to email, and I’ve also got a Skype unit which is just amazing – you can see the people you’re talking to on your computer screen, wherever they are in the world. It’s fantastic that I can talk to my family about computers and the internet and understand what they’re talking about instead of just looking at them blankly. But primarily, it’s keeping my mind lively. You’re never too old to learn, and I’d encourage everybody to get involved.”
Helen concludes: “While visitors like Robert were busy proving there’s a first time for everything, this was actually our second Get online day. The campaign included incredible support from BBC presenters Jeremy Vine, Johnny Ball and Maggie Philbin, who helped spread the Get online day message, and were backed by the hard work of UK online centres going out into their communities and driving footfall to local events. Marketing the internet to the digitally disengaged isn’t an easy task, but helping families make the most of technology is certainly a worthwhile one. Getting online really can help people connect with each other, with their communities, with new opportunities and key – and that’s what Get online day was all about.”
[Original news story: http://www.ukonlinecentres.com/corporate/content/view/212/130/lang,en/]
For more information please contact Abi Stevens at astevens@ufi.com
The Diploma in I.T. – ‘bringing learning to life…’ August 19, 2008
Posted by Rich Spragg in Business, Education, GMDDA, Knowledge Transfer, Mentoring, Merseyside, Merseyside ICT, News, Technology, Training, e-Skills, schools.Tags: Diploma in I.T., I.T. Diploma, Liverpool Compact, Maria Hart
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A new, cutting edge qualification in I.T. has just been launched by the Government for 14-19 year olds that has maximum value as it has been designed specifically by employers, is linked to business needs and so equips students with the attributes businesses are looking for.
The Diploma in I.T. will be taught in some Liverpool schools from September 2008 and has been driven by Microsoft, BT, Vodafone and Toshiba.
It is being championed locally by the digital sector agency Merseyside ICT and local company Rapid Technologies.
What is it?
The Diploma is an industry & skills focussed qualification and an alternative to traditional qualifications such as GCSEs & A’ Levels. Students will ‘learn by doing’ in the I.T. sector, through employer input and in the classroom. They will also gain universal skills that all employers seek, such as how to think creatively, problem-solve, communicate, work independently and work as part of a team. Students will also have an excellent grasp of English & Maths while applying these subjects to real business scenarios.
How can you get involved?
Business support is crucial to give students business insight, skills and experience. You can help!
Be it by giving a Business Talk about your field of expertise in the I.T. world or the projects your company has worked on, giving students a real business problem to research, offering Work Experience or becoming a ‘buddy’ to an I.T. Teacher.
Even if you can only offer one activity once a year it will be appreciated!
How will you benefit?
You will be able to recruit well prepared, knowledgeable school leavers that can make an immediate, positive contribution at work, lessen the need for basic training and allow you to focus on specialist training.
Working with schools on projects is great staff development for your existing staff and they will find it very rewarding and enjoyable.
If you think you could work with a Liverpool School please call Maria Hart at Liverpool Compact Education/Business Partnership on 0151 728 9454
Digital Inclusion Minister sees Merseyside communities getting connected June 24, 2008
Posted by Rich Spragg in AIMES, Community Development, DC10+, DC10plus, Digital Inclusion, Digital Inclusion & Enterprise Programme, Education, GMDDA, Liverpool, Merseyside, News, North West England, St Helens, Training.Tags: Community Grid, Huw Irranca-Davies MP, OciusB2, South Liverpool Personnel, St Cuthbert's
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Digital Inclusion Minister Huw Irranca-Davies visited Liverpool and St. Helens last week to see how the Merseyside region is leading the way in making IT facilities more accessible to local communities.
Mr Irranca-Davies visited the Parents and Children Together (PACT) project, run by EverybodyOnline and held at South Liverpool Personnel, which runs a series of taster sessions to help local parents access the internet, learn new skills and find out how technology could improve their lives.
Following this he went onto St. Cuthbert’s Catholic Community College for Business and Enterprise in St. Helens to hear about the Community Grid concept, which provides the local community with easy-to-use, low-cost, low-energy home access to the internet and other computing resources.
Commenting on the projects he had seen Mr Irranca-Davies said: “The two projects I have seen today are great examples of how we can make the latest technologies accessible to people who, without projects such as these, would not have access to the internet and other computer resources.
“By teaching parents basic information about the internet they can make sure their children are safe online as well as finding out how they can use the internet for day-to-day chores such as online shopping and online money management. I hope other areas can learn from this innovative project.
“All too often we hear about the expense of the equipment and technology needed to connect to the internet being a barrier for many people. Thanks to the Community Grid project over 600 homes in St. Helens and Liverpool will have access to software applications and the internet.
“By providing people with all the connectivity, hardware, software, licensing and maintenance overheads Community Grid is removing these barriers and giving people the access they need.
“The PACT project and the Community Grid should be congratulated for their innovative projects which are helping people in the North West of England become more digitally included.”
The Community Grid digital inclusion project is led by AIMES, (a spin out of the University of Liverpool) and its technology partner, e-communications specialist OciusB2, more information here. It is part of a wider initiative, the Digital Inclusion & Enterprise Programme (DIEP), which aims to roll the service out to over 5,000 households in Merseyside.
MERIT Event: The ITIL® framework – “Change alone is unchanging” December 11, 2007
Posted by Rich Spragg in Business, Events, Knowledge Transfer, Liverpool, Local Authorities, MERIT, News, Training.Tags: ITIL
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Register for Free Registration 11:00 – 11:30
Presentation 11:30 – 12:30
Lunch & Networking 12:30 – 2:00
ICDC Liverpool Digital, 2nd Floor, Babbage House entrance, Edge Lane, Liverpool, L7 9NW
The Information Revolution is transforming the nature of business. The ITIL® framework has become the most widely accepted approach to managing IT service quality and costs in a context of ever changing business requirements and increasing expectations.
Adopted and adapted by organisations of all sizes and sectors around the world, ITIL has become the de facto standard for IT Service Management.
At this FREE event Mark Flynn, founder of ITIL Consultancy organisation, Felix Maldo Ltd, will explain the nature of the ITIL material and qualifications – ITIL origins and credentials, scope, key concepts and the benefits, costs and risks of adopting an ITIL approach.
Following on from this event MERIT will be running the ITIL® V3 Foundation certificate training course. For further information visit http://www.merit.org.uk/training
For the ITIL experienced in the audience, this will be a useful introduction ITIL V3 which was launched earlier this year.
ITIL ® is a Registered Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce in the United Kingdom and other countries.
European Commission proposes actions to foster 21st Century e-Skills September 11, 2007
Posted by Rich Spragg in Business, Digital Inclusion, European Commission, GMDDA, News, Skills, Training, e-Skills.add a comment
Recent reports and surveys indicate that Europe may face severe e-skills shortages and mismatches in the coming years. At the same time, e-skills are becoming central to boost innovation, productivity and employability and to respond to global challenges. To this end, the European Commission proposes today a long-term e-skills agenda and a set of action lines at EU level following extensive expert group and stakeholder consultations. These actions will complement and enrich significant efforts already under way in Europe.
Vice-President Günter Verheugen, responsible for Enterprise and Industry Policy, said: “The availability of e-skills is a key condition for successful innovation and for the competitiveness of European enterprises. We cannot afford to delay and we will only succeed if all partners join their forces. In this context, I warmly welcome the initiative of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry to create an e-Skills Industry Leadership Board”.
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