Telecentre.org Academy: preparing one Million knowledge workers by 2015

Basheerhamad Shadrach, PhDExecutive Director

telecentre.org Foundationbshadrach@telecentre.org

Telecentre.org Academy: preparing one Million knowledge workers by 2015

Telecentre.org is a support network of telecentre organisations involved in empowering the marginalised and remote communities around the world

Supported by the Canadian International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Microsoft and the Philippine Commission on Information and Communication Technology (CICT)

Partnered by intel, the International Telecommunications Union, Unesco, and a number of national governments and NGOs

Telecentre.org Academy: preparing one Million knowledge workers by 2015

A telecentre is a public place where people can access computers, the Internet, and other digital technologies that enable them to gather information, create, learn, and communicate with others while they develop essential digital skills. While each telecentre is different, their common focus is on the use of digital technologies to support community, economic, educational, and social development—reducing isolation, bridging the digital divide, promoting health issues, creating economic opportunities, and reaching out to youth for example.

Telecentres exist in almost every country, although they sometimes go by a different name: public internet access center (PIAP), village knowledge center, infocenter, community technology center (CTC), community multimedia center (CMC), Community eCentres (CeC), multipurpose community telecentre (MCT), Common/Citizen Service Centre (CSC), school-based telecentre, etc

Wikipedia, accessed 9 June 2010

Telecentre.org Academy: preparing one Million knowledge workers by 2015

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1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

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Fixed Mobile Internet Subscribers Internet Users Cellular internet

•3 billion+ more mobile than internet subscribers

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Cellular Internet

• Very small number of mobile broadband subscribers

Digital divergence in play over the last decade or so; hence, telecentresand shared public access centres are still popular among poor nations

Activate Regional Caribbean Network, Dominican Republic / Afriklinks, Mali / Asociación Argentina de Teletrabajo, Argentina /Asociación de Telecentros Activos de Chile (ATACH), Chile / Asociación de Telecentros de Información y Negocios (ATN), Brazil / Bangladesh Telecentre Network, Bangladesh / Burundi Community Telecentre Network (BCTN), Burundi / Central Information Technology Club Entity (CITCE), Egypt / Centre Songhai, Benin / Centro de Informática da Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (CIUEM), Mozambique / Centro Peruano de Estudios Sociales (CEPES), Peru / Colnodo, Colombia / Commission on Information and Communication Technology, Philippines / Communautaires, Sénégal / Community Information Communication Support Centre (CAICC), Mozambique / Community Telecentres Network of Congo, Azur Development, Congo / Compartel, Colombia / CSDMS, India / D.Net, Bangladesh / Department of Information Technology, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, India / Development Alternatives Telecentres Network, India / Drishtee Foundation & Drishtee Network, India / Forum for Information Technology (FIT), Nepal / Fundación Bradesco, Brazil / Fundación Esplai, Spain / Fundación Taiguey, Dominican Republic / Grameen Gyaan Abhiyan (formerly Mission 2007), India / Grameen Phone, Bangladesh / ICT Trust Fund, Egypt / Information & Communications Technology Agency (Nenasala Network), Sri Lanka / Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Ltd, India / Kenya Network of Telecentres (KenTel), Kenya / Mali Federation of Telecentres (FETEMA), Mali / Ministerio de Educación, Global e-Schools and Communities Initiative (GeSCI), Bolivia / Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Egypt / National Computer Centre (NCC), Philippines / Nepal Rural Information Technology Development Society (NRIDS), Nepal / Nepal Telecentre Network (Mission Swaabhimaan), Nepal / NESsT, Chile / Philippine Community eCenter Network (PhilCeCNet), Philippines / Programa de Telecomunicaciones Sociales del Ministerio de Comunicaciones (Compartel), Colombia / Red Conecta, Spain / Red TIC, Bolivia / Red Uruguaya de Infocentros Comunitatrios (RUTELCO), Uruguay / Réseau des Télécentres Communautaires du Congo, Congo Brazaville / Réseau Initiative Jeunes et Société de l'Information (IJSI) du Niger, Niger / Réseautage des Télécentres du Burkina Faso, Burkina Faso / Rwanda Telecentre Network (RTN), Rwanda / Sarvodaya/Fusion, Sri Lanka / Southern Africa Telecentre/ICT Network (SATNET), Zambia / Sri Lanka Telecentre Family Network, Sri Lanka / Sudan Telecentre Network, Sudan / Tanzania Telecentre Network (TTN), Tanzania / TechSoup, United States / Telecentre Association of South Africa (TASA), South Africa / Telecentres Europe / TeleCommunities Canada, Canada / The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Co-Operation (CTA), Netherlands / UgaBYTES Initiative, Uganda / United Nations Development Program - Egypt (UNDP-Egypt), Egypt / Universidad Autónoma de Occidente (UAO), Colombia / UTEM Virtual, Chile

Telecentre.org Academy: preparing one Million knowledge workers by 2015

Multi-stakeholder networks in 40 nations – in Latin America, North Africa and the Middle East, Southern and Eastern Africa, Francophone Africa, Asia-Pacific, Eurasia and Europe

Over 200 organisations form part of above networks – from among the private sector, academia, public sector and the NGOs

Over 200,000 telecentres under one umbrella Ability to effect change among 1billion people around

the world by 2015 Preparing one Million knowledge workers

Telecentre.org Academy: preparing one Million knowledge workers by 2015

Global poverty trend, 2005

Telecentre.org Academy: preparing one Million knowledge workers by 2015

Global Employment trend, 2007

Source: International Labour Organisation

Telecentre.org Academy: preparing one Million knowledge workers by 2015

Global poverty trend, 2009

People living less than USD 2 a day: where are they? – WDI 2010

Telecentre.org Academy: preparing one Million knowledge workers by 2015

ILO  conclusions  on  “skills  for  improved  productivity,  employment  growth  and  development”  consultation

help countries use skills development to maximize opportunities and mitigate the negative impact of global drivers of change such as technology, trade and climate change;

integrate skills development into national and sectoral development strategies;

build seamless pathways of education that connect basic education, vocational training, labour market entry and lifelong learning;

extend access to education and training for those who are disadvantaged in society.

Telecentre.org Academy: preparing one Million knowledge workers by 2015

Telecentre.org Academy: preparing one Million knowledge workers by 2015

Source: World Economic Forum 2009

Telecentre.org Academy: preparing one Million knowledge workers by 2015

Grassroots level infomediaries and knowledge workers are increasingly seen as change agents

Their ability to alleviate poverty are attuned to bring about behavioural change among poor and vulnerable communities

They can make the necessary change in social sectors by bringing the best of knowledge, skills, and opportunities to the marginalised

They can connect demand with its source of supply

Telecentre.org Academy to address the needs of the one Million change agents by 2015

Telecentre.org Academy: preparing one Million knowledge workers by 2015

Telecentre.org Academy: the building blocks Curriculum, learning methodology, systems Tutors and mentors Online learning management systems Placement and on-the-job training Certification and consortium of universities Standards in curriculum implementation Organising Secretariat

Telecentre.org Academy: preparing one Million knowledge workers by 2015

Telecentre.org Academy ecosystem

Telecentre.org Academy: preparing one Million knowledge workers by 2015

The curriculum 12 modules comprising of soft-skills, managerial and

entrepreneurship skills, technical skills and ICT troubleshooting skills

Advance modules on country specific services and training skills

Placement at telecentres for field study Project assignments for demonstrating analytical skills Tutor/mentor support from peers Program at certificate, diploma, professional diploma

and degree level

Telecentre.org Academy: preparing one Million knowledge workers by 2015

The Learning methodology Blended approach to learning Use of ICTs for online and/or computer based learning Print material and accompanying resources offered Contact classes every month in the vicinity of the

learner Learning  Management  System  for  tracking  students’  

learning behaviour, assessment, peer-learning, group learning and communication

Final examination in compliance with university regulations

Telecentre.org Academy: preparing one Million knowledge workers by 2015

14 Universities around the world that partner with the telecentre.org Academy

Telecentre.org Academy: preparing one Million knowledge workers by 2015

The organisation A global secretariat for setting and application of

standards, certification and partnerships National network of telecentres for offering placement,

mentorship and promotional support National governments to sponsor candidates Open and distance learning universities to implement

courses in local languages Curriculum specialists to localise courses Telecentre.org Foundation to operationalise the

academy around the world in a partnership mode

Telecentre.org Academy: preparing one Million knowledge workers by 2015

Our outreach in the developing world