€1.4M in contract opportunities for digital skills trainers under BenefIT training schemeMinister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte, today announced he is making a further allocation of grants available for digital skills training under the BenefIT scheme.
The BenefIT 4 scheme will support the National Digital Strategy (NDS), which will be published shortly, building on the very positive outcomes of the previous BenefIT schemes.
Speaking as he opened AIB’s new advanced digital banking store, called The LAB (Learning About Banking) in Dundrum Town Centre, Dublin, Minister Rabbitte said:-
“In order to help citizens get the skills they need to avail of internet services, I am today announcing a call for proposals from community organisations to help us deliver a scheme for digital skills training, called BenefIT 4. Under the scheme, my Department will spend €1.4 million over the next 12 months to support the digitally excluded to get on-line. We have already providing training for almost 90,000 people under previous benefit schemes but the work is by no means finished. My announcement today will intensify progress in this area.”
The scheme is open to community, voluntary and not-for-profit organisations who can provide the relevant digital skills training. Details of the scheme, including who is eligible to apply, and how applications will be evaluated are set out in the guidelines, which along with an application form can be obtained at www.eInclusion.ie (details live by 3pm).
ENDS
Notes to editors
At least one in five adults in Ireland has never used the internet. The BenefIT schemes aim to reduce this by offering, through community and voluntary organisations, practical training in the digital skills. The BenefIT schemes have been delivering very positive impacts for thousands of people.
· This scheme builds on the previous three BenefIT schemes. BenefIT 3 is now coming to a close nationwide. By March 2013 it provided training to over 34,500 people at approximately 700 locations, involving over 200 organisations. Of the participants who were trained 64% were aged over 55, 2,707 were unemployed, 1,845 had a disability. The trainees were extremely satisfied with the training – 99.4% said they would recommend the course. 76% rated the trainer as “excellent”, 22% rated trainer as “very good”. The scheme made a positive impact with 8 out of 10 trainees saying they were now more likely to use a computer. Over 30% - 10,405 people - said that as a result of doing the course they were likely to buy a computer, laptop, tablet or similar device soon.
The training focuses on the digital skills people need - like how to use eMail, how to do an internet search, how to use services like skype, conduct simple on-line transactions like book a ticket, pay a bill, reserve a book, as well as optional training relating to digital photographs, banking on-line, safety and security online, use social networking, use of Apps, or using the internet to assist with your own areas of interest.
The training will be available in every county (in the republic). It is being provided through community, voluntary and not for profit organisations in a wide variety of venues. It will involve professional and volunteer trainers – all focusing on the goal of helping people acquire the basic internet skills to get online and do more online
Newspaper adverts announcing the scheme will also be placed in the national press tomorrow