
Free tech support in Washington, D.C. is improving the digital inclusion of lower-income households
The Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) of Washington, D.C. has launched “All Hands on Tech,” a publicly funded programme in which local volunteers and the city’s own technicians help residents fix their ICT devices for free. Two pilot events were…

‘Smart homes’ to help older persons acquire digital skills in the UK
A number of ‘smart homes’ enabling older people to improve their digital skills through peer-to-peer training will be established in West Essex, UK. Led by Uttlesford Council for Voluntary Service, the scheme identifies older people who will become ‘digital boomers’,…
Report suggests tips for promoting effective use of technology in US schools
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) released a guide to help United States administrations distribute funds from Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants. The report presents a series of recommendations and example use cases. One of the three…

Digital literacy is one of the top skills required by Canadian employers
CivicAction, LinkedIn Canada and Knockri released a report called “Now Hiring: The Skills Companies Want that Young Canadians Need,” which identifies six foundational skills widely required for new employees: communication, growth mindset, collaboration, empathy, creativity, and digital literacy. The report…

South African organizations are called upon to offer internship opportunities to young ICT students
The Cape Innovation and Technology Initiative’s (CiTi) Tech Career Accelerator called for local organizations from Cape Town to offer graduate internship opportunities that enable students to improve their ICT skills. CiTi has trained 1,889 young South Africans for the tech…

Public and private organizations from South Africa collaborate to teach kids how to code
The Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct and the Joburg Center for Software Engineering (JCSE) partnered with Accenture to provide an hour-long coding workshop for 65 youth from Johannesburg. During the event, the organizations also announced a partnership going forward to launch…

ICT training labs will increase the employability of women in Pakistan
The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications of Pakistan is establishing 150 labs at Women Empowerment Centers across the country with the aim of increasing women’s employability. The labs, which will cost more than USD 4 million, are being created…

ICT professionals volunteer to inspire children in schools in Bangalore, India
In December 2018, 250 techies from Bangalore, India returned to school as part of the celebration of the Skill Build Community Day in Government Higher Primary School at Nagawara. Around 450 students and teachers benefitted from this initiative and learned…

New digital literacy programme to empower women from Northeast India
The National Commission for Women, Facebook, and the Cyber Peace Foundation jointly launched a digital literacy programme for women in Northeast India in December 2018. The digital literacy and online safety programme for the women of the Northeast is specialized…
The government of the Netherlands releases new plans for digital inclusion
The government of Netherlands released two plans to promote digital accessibility: the “Dutch Digitization Strategy” and the “Digital Government Agenda: NL DIGIbetter.” The plans pursue four main objectives: making digital services easier for everyone, helping people deal with digitization, explaining…