The City of Cape Town recently launched an e-Literacy pilot project at the Langa public library. The project aims to help beginners or those who have lacked confidence to get to grips with basic computer literacy.
The ‘IBM DNA’ pilot programme will introduce participants to the field of information technology and assess their suitability to pursue a career in the IT field. Participants will receive an online badge that will serve as a certificate from IBM, to be used for employment purposes for each part of the course that they complete successfully.
The number of attendees will be limited to 10 per class, which will allow for more personalised interaction and individual attention. Part of this pilot exercise is to train up additional trainers so that the Langa public library always has someone on site to encourage as many users as possible to attempt the course.
‘This course is meant for persons who do not have office application skills, or who want to refresh their current skills. The digital technology industry is currently facing a skills shortage and we need to help upskill as many residents as possible. I encourage as many individuals as possible to take the course, they could be pleasantly surprised at their aptitude for computer skills,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Corporate Services, Councillor Raelene Arendse.
The e-Literacy pilot project is centered around the use of the LibreOffice package which has been loaded on all of the SmartCape computers located in the City’s 104 public libraries.
Upon completion of the course it is expected that participants will be more comfortable using the software package offered at the SmartCape terminals.
The pilot programme will take place over a four-week period with participants meeting for two hours on a specific day of the week.
Currently, course registrations are aimed at unemployed individuals but in future it will be offered to school learners as well.
‘If there is interest in the pilot programme and it proves to be a success, it will be rolled out to other libraries as there is a great need to upskill residents across communities. One of the priorities in the City’s Organisational Development and Transformation Plan is to support skills development initiatives in high-growth sectors to create the skills base needed for a growing economy. This will in turn afford individuals the opportunity to secure employment and participate in the economy. Technology is advancing quite literally on a daily basis and we need to do our bit to ensure that residents are armed with the skills needed to keep pace with the digital world,’ said Councillor Arendse.