Impact

The basic NPCL involved three two-hour courses (PC Work Basics, PC Text and Internet and E-mail), during which participants gradually learnt to manage PCs, Internet connections, the basics of Internet searches, and work with electronic mail, with the assistance of experienced trainers. Due to feedback from participants an additional course was announced and prepared – “the Citizen, the Civil Servant and the Public Administration Portal”. The objective was to support the use of e-Government services in the CR and to acquaint the general public with the possibilities for obtaining information on the public administration via the Internet, including possibilities for communicating electronically with individual public administration and local council bodies. NPCL courses were mainly used by older people who did not have the chance to get to know information technology and had very limited opportunities to learn the basics of PC work at their jobs. According to Czech Statistical Office research, pensioners (the over 65 age group) have the greatest interest in using electronic communications with the public administration. ICT also fulfils (or has the potential to fulfil) a significant role in the lives of older people as it is often the means of contact with their children and grand/great grand children or other people. This helps the older generation overcome the feelings of loneliness and worthlessness which push them towards the edge of society. Computer literacy and the ability to use information and communication technology efficiently therefore leads to increased quality of public life. A noticeable number of course participants were people registered for the courses by their employers. This mainly involved older employees from less developed regions. The NPCL courses were also used by unemployed people who wanted to improve their qualifications and subsequently their chances of finding work. Due to financial support from the MICR of CZK 417 (€ 14.6) per course, the NPCL really was available to the general public, both financially, with participants only paying a symbolic fee of CZK 100 (€ 3.5) and also in terms of location, where courses were held in places where commercial course would not be held due to low numbers of local people. The “NPCL Handicap” programme was announced in 2005 and 2006 to improve computer literacy for handicapped people. In contrast to the classic NPCL, here individual projects submitted by the non-profit sector were supported. The main idea of NPCL Handicap was to use information and communication technology knowledge to help handicapped people overcome the barriers which they come across in their everyday lives. The supported projects were aimed at individual disadvantaged groups (the handicapped, visually impaired, etc.) whose participation in the project enabled them to improve their chances on the labour market, including possibilities of working from home. One project, for example, supported wheelchair bound students, who, as part of the programme finished their training by taking the internationally recognised ECDL (European Computer Driving Licence) test. Innovation: The project benefits mainly come from a new perspective on the use of public administration, business and non-profit sector partnerships, where courses meant for the general public are based on uniform textbooks, (syllabus) but are performed by various professional trainers who are very experienced in IT training. We also believe that the involvement of schools and public libraries which are very good at providing access to courses in different locations is, in a way, a unique idea. The actual concept of computer literacy itself is also very interesting, whereby the basic training is carried out with the actual presence of the student in courses and advanced training for increased knowledge is carried out by e-learning.

Track record of sharing

The NPCL has helped more than 100 000 participants overcome their fear of computers and learn the basics of working with operating systems, text editors, the Internet and email. Thanks to the NPCL courses older people can now communicate with their families electronically and many of them now do feel less inferior and excluded to the margin of society. The programme has therefore played an important role socially. As many employees were enrolled in courses by their employers, it has achieved computer literacy and partial re-qualification of many employees in the over 40s target group, who can now work more efficiently due to their new skills. Participants of NPCL Handicap have both considerably increased their options on the labour market and received important motivation for further education and self-fulfillment in ICT. The Programme has also fulfilled a social function for these participants, as by taking the internationally recognised ECDL tests many of them have managed to shake off feelings of inferiority. From contact with the schools and public libraries used as training centres we know that libraries have managed to attract new people through the courses, and that schools used the NPCL to try out life-long learning programmes. In many cases the participation of parents and grandparents has improved the image of the given schools and its activities in their local community.

Lessons learnt

Lesson 1 - To provide controls on funds drawn (subsidies for individual courses) introduce central electronic record keeping which individual trainers can use to keep records of participants. This will prevent attempts of drawing multiple subsidies for a single participant and also people attending courses repeatedly. Lesson 2 - Prepare advanced e-learning study courses as a continuation after the basic courses as the subsidised training encourages increased interest in many participants in further improving their computer skills. Lesson 3 - As part of computer literacy support provide country-wide training centres, with partnerships with schools and public libraries being very effective in this regard. Schools welcome the chance to test life-long learning courses and make informal contact with their pupils’ parents/grandparents, and public libraries can attract new people through hosting computer training courses.