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ICL's CyberSkills Workshop opens up a new world
for a 94-year-old
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July 2001
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Mrs Maggie Holcombe was 29 when the first electronic calculator was designed and had been working for 39 years when mainframe computer came onto the market. She was 61 when ICL was founded and had been retired for 8 years when the personal computer was invented.
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Now at the age of 94 Mrs Holcombe has decided to enter the world of information technology by taking part in an ICL CyberSkills Workshop being organised by Orpington College.
Through its CyberSkills Workshop programme, ICL, the IT solutions company, has been introducing people from all walks of life to the concepts and technologies of the Information Society in a context relevant to their lives. Over 100,000 have benefited from the CyberSkills Workshops which are run at more than 100 centres around the world.
The workshop will provide Mrs Holcombe, from Hayes in Kent, along with a group of other "silver surfers" with the skills to use the internet and e-mail.
Mrs Holcombe said "I have never had the opportunity to use a computer before and thought it would be a wonderful chance to see what everyone is talking about. The fact that the workshop tailors itself to the interests of the participants means that it can be relevant to everyone"
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PRESS RELEASE - FROM ORPINGTON COLLEGE - CYBERSKILLS - 94 YEAR OLD COMPLETES CYBERSKILLS WORKSHOP
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July 2001
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Orpington College's Cyber Centre was the venue where Maggie Holcombe, 94 years of age, completed her CyberSkills Workshop in July 2001.
Maggie is now the oldest person in the country to have participated in a CyberSkills Workshop, and she found her introduction to using new technologies exciting and fun.
Nicole Barber, Centre Manager at Orpington, said "Welcoming Maggie to the workshop has been such a delight. Not only does her attendance address the government's agenda for Lifelong Learning but also for Widening Participation."
The Centre is funded by the Cray Valley Partnership using SRB resources and CyberSkills is, without doubt, a quality product enabling new learners to taste technologies in action."
John Horam, MP for Orpington, presented Maggie with a bouquet of flowers and commented on the important role Orpington College plays in the community. The College is seen as a quality provider of education and training for all sectors in the community and CyberSkills is free of course fees again, illustrating the College's commitment to inclusive learning.
John Cheetham, ICL External Relations, presented Maggie with a bottle of champagne.
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Age Concern press release re Maggie Holcombe 94 year old attending CyberSkills Workshop Wednesday 25th July 2001
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July 2001
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Age Concern Bromley has worked with Orpington College to promote Life Long Learning as part of a new Community Development Project being piloted in Hayes and St Mary and St Paul's Cray. The aim of the project is to tackle social isolation and thereby improve the quality of life of older people.
Recently 33 older people have attended five CyberSkills Workshops, which have fuelled their interest in learning more, and now 15 people have enrolled in an 8-week computer course. The sessions are planned around older people's requirements and they are already proving a great success.
Maureen Falloon, Director of Age Concern Bromley said: "Maggie is a champion for all older people wanting to learn new skills and challenges the stereotype that older people do not want to learn about new technology."
It is hoped that following further CyberSkills Workshops, many more older people will take the opportunity of gaining IT skills which will enhance their lives and open up a new world of communication and access to information services.
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CyberSkills to be awarded Impact
Endorsement Mark for achievement in tackling key social issues
ICL’s CyberSkills initiative,
tackling IT exclusion, has won national recognition for the impact of
its community programme on social and environmental issues.
The CyberSkills programme is among only 25 community programmes
to receive the Impact Endorsement Mark, as part of the prestigious
Business in the Community’s Awards
for Excellence.
The Impact Endorsement Mark,
which demonstrates the measurable impact that a company has had on
society through its community programmes or business practices, will be
presented to ICL on Tuesday 19 June at 5pm, at an event hosted by the
Department of Trade and Industry. It
is a standard of excellence set by
Business in the Community, recommended by the British Quality
Foundation, endorsed by the Department of Trade and Industry and based
on the European Business Excellence Model.
The most innovative and
inspirational ‘example of excellence’ in each of the twelve
categories in Business in the Community’s Awards
for Excellence 2001 will be announced on 11 July at a celebratory
gala event in London.
ICL’s CyberSkills programme is
a Finalist in the Focused Action category sponsored by the Department of
Health. ICL is up against six other companies in this category,
including Lloyds TSB for its Portsmouth Area Regeneration programme and
ScottishPower for its PowerPartners initiative.
The Awards
for Excellence are run in association with the Financial Times,
sponsored by the Department of Trade and Industry and recommended by
the British Quality Foundation. They
are recognised as the leading awards in the field of corporate social
responsibility.
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Billingsgate Fish Market is installing an on-site
computer centre, courtesy of a combined initiative from CollegeNet and
Arthur Andersen Virtual Learning Network (VLN), for the use of the staff
employed within the 50 companies operating from the market.
The centre will house six computers with direct links
to Newham College, one of the seven colleges in the CollegeNet
consortium, so that employees can undertake a variety of on-line courses
including the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) – a broad-based
module course covering all aspects of word-processing, spread-sheets,
databases and the internet, and management training from Maxim. The whole learning initiative is flexible – times for
college-based courses have been carefully planned to accommodate the
Billingsgate employees’ 4.00am-9.00am hours.
The advantage, now that critical mass has been achieved, is that
having the computers on-site allows even more flexibility in study
times.
Since mid-January 2001 over 60 people from
Billingsgate have attended a three-hour CyberSkills workshop at Newham,
and several more courses are scheduled over the next three months.
After completing the CyberSkills course, many have signed up for
the ECDL. Most of the
up-take so far has been from the administration and sales staff, but the
interest amongst the porters is growing.
The proactive management at Billingsgate has
realised the long-term potential in up-skilling the workforce in
computer and internet technology. The
move has led to Billingsgate registering its domain name and it is
preparing to have its own web-site.
Diane Gowland of CollegeNet says of the
initiative: “The project is benefiting from ESF/ADAPT funding, so the
cost implication to employers is minimal.
It is an excellent introduction for small companies and their
employees to the potential of on-line, flexible learning.”
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1,200 UK ONLINE CENTRES HELP MAKE
INTERNET ACCESS
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08 March 2001
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Over 1,200 UK online centres giving public access to computer and the Internet were launched today by Education and Employment Secretary David Blunkett.
Mr Blunkett also:
· announced plans to equip and open a further 1050 UK online centres; and
· launched a major DfEE website - www.worktrain.gov.uk - giving instant online access to 800,000 job and training opportunities across Britain.
Speaking at the Drapers City Foyer UK online centre in Bethnal Green,
Mr Blunkett said:
“This Government is committed to bridging the ‘digital divide’ between those with access to new technology and those without. UK online centres and the worktrain website are a crucial part of that drive and add to the range of programmes and services we have already set up.
“A recent DfEE survey found that 68 per cent of professionals have used the Internet compared with 22 percent of the semi-skilled and unskilled workers. Older people and those from ethnic minorities are also less likely to have access to the Internet.
“The Internet opens a whole new world of opportunities and the UK online centres make Internet access and email facilities a reality in communities up and down the country. UK online centres put people first rather than technology and provide the first step into the Internet world, learning and jobs - at low or
no cost.
“The centres aim to attract people who may feel technology is not for them,
such as people with basic skills needs, lone parents, people over 60, those
with disabilities, people from minority ethnic groups and unemployed people.
“The worktrain website, one of the most advanced websites of its kind in the world, will also be available at UK online centres for jobseekers to access information about jobs, careers and learning information. It was developed by the DfEE, the Employment Service, Ufi and the FI Group. It is designed to be easy to use, even for those who haven’t used the Internet before. It shows how joining up Government services using ICT can deliver real value to the citizen.
“This links our agenda of employability, through gaining skills appropriate to filling vacancies, with our key labour market objectives, including full employment. The digital revolution is here to stay and the UK online centres
will ensure that anyone who wants to can gain access to technology.”
In the second phase of UK online centres, 250 successful applicants will get money for equipment from the Capital Modernisation Fund (CMF), and the New Opportunities Fund will cover their running costs. DfEE has also set up a £5 million fund to support small, community-based CMF funded UK online centres.
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5 October 2000
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ICL, the e-Business services company has achieved a double success at Computing magazine's annual awards for excellence, which recognise talent and achievement in the IT and e-Business industry. At the presentation ceremony held last night, at the Grosvenor House hotel, London, ICL won the best public relations campaign award and picked up the comm.unity award with its CyberSkills programme.
The best PR campaign of the year was won by ICL together with Firefly Communications, its public relations agency, for a very successful multi-pronged programme, which announced ICL's strategic focus on e-Business and how it was turning itself into a leading provider of e-Business services. The judging panel felt that the campaign generated substantial national and international press coverage. The award was collected by Neil Pattie, head of PR at ICL and Kieran Moore, director of the ICL account at Firefly.
The comm.unity award, which recognises companies that have tried to bridge the digital divide, was presented to ICL's CyberSkills programme for its success in raising public awareness of the capabilities of new technologies. There are now over 100 CyberSkills centres worldwide, which provide much needed IT skills to those who would not normally have access to new technologies. To date over 100,000 people have benefited from the CyberSkills programme. The centres are a demonstration of ICL's view that IT is for everyone, not just the gifted few. Danny Johnson, business manager, ICL education collected the award on behalf of CyberSkills.
ICL was also nominated in the award for the most innovative e-Business project for its work on the Thomas Cook WAP project, which enables customers to access travel information on their mobile phones.
After winning the best IT training company award last year KnowledgePool was again a finalist for its services, which encompass traditional instructor-based training, consultancy and online training.
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11 September 2000
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£6.5m award of DfEE's Community Access for Lifelong Learning
Initiative
Today the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, announced that ICL the e-business services company, in partnership with the Foyer Federation (the national body responsible for the UK Foyer movement) has been awarded £6.5m by the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) to introduce 49 hi-tech learning centres in existing Foyers which offer accommodation for the homeless. This forms part of the Government's newly launched UKonline initiative.
Homeless young people who find themselves trapped in the cycle of not being able to get a job because they don't have a home, are to be given the opportunity to learn ICT skills that will offer them a route back into learning and employment, thanks to an imaginative scheme being set up in 49 learning centres in 45 locations across England.
Michael Wills, Minister for Learning and Technology, welcomed the learning centres and said: "I am greatly impressed by this imaginative partnership between The Foyer Federation and the private sector which will support some of the most disadvantaged young people."
The Government is investing £252 million of capital funding and £77.5 million from the New Opportunities Fund into community learning, which involves the development of 6,000 learning centres by 2002 in England's inner cities. Today's announcement of the award to ICL and the Foyer Federation is the first phase of the programme.
ICL will provide the Foyer learning centres with leading edge technologies, including Internet and Intranet access, email, digital music creation and applications for people using English as a second language. The project will be managed by ICL who will also provide the technical infrastructure and its managed service. The communications company, NTL will provide the telecommunications infrastructure.
ICL's CyberSkills workshops will also be available in the learning centres to underpin all the ICT activities. CyberSkills workshops provide an understanding of new technologies and help users to determine how evolving technologies could be relevant to their lives.
Daniel Johnson, manager of ICL's education business, says: "We will be implementing an exciting learning content programme coupled with our CyberSkills workshops, to communicate the benefits of IT to groups who would otherwise find themselves on the wrong side of the digital divide."
The Foyer Federation's head of communications, Mark Gibson, says: "This programme enables Foyers and ICL to pool their considerable expertise in community learning. It offers a route back into learning and on into employment and independent living."
It is anticipated that the centres, which will open in early 2001, will benefit over 40,000 users in the first three years.
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ICL's CyberSkills Workshops Offered Free By Further Education Colleges
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27 June 2000
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CollegeNet launches across the nation
CollegeNet a consortium of seven colleges of further education,
today launched a free scheme to help people in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs),
as well as individuals from the broader community, to learn new on-line skills that will give
them a competitive business advantage. CollegeNet will focus initially on the delivery of CyberSkills™ workshops,
designed by ICL, the e-business services company, to introduce people to technologies such as the internet,
e-mail, CD ROM multimedia and video and data conferencing.
ICL's CyberSkills workshops will be run across the UK free of charge by the colleges.
The three-hour workshops are tailored to the needs of the individual and introduce participants to
e-business technologies and concepts. For people wanting to advance their knowledge of IT,
from September 2000, CollegeNet will be providing a range of on-line courses,
with full on-line tutor support designed and developed specifically for the business market.
Diane Gowland, CollegeNet project manager said, "Through the CollegeNet learning centres,
the workshops will provide individuals with an understanding of new technology,
and open up the potential it can offer in terms of new ways of working and new routes to communication.
We are hoping businesses across the country will take up this excellent opportunity."
Danny Johnson, business manager for CyberSkills at ICL said: "Many people are still scared or not
aware of the potential and relevance of these new technologies to their daily lives.
CyberSkills workshops give individuals the opportunity to engage in a lifelong learning process
and develop employable skills, as well as equipping them with the confidence to deal with the impact
of new e-business technologies."
"Although the main focus for CollegeNet is SME's, it will also offer the CyberSkills workshops to students,
staff and other members of the local communities within each region."
The seven further education colleges that make up CollegeNet are: Barnsley, Cornwall, Nottingham, Newham,
Stafford, West Cheshire and Waltham Forest. Between them they are currently working with over 5,000 businesses.
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IT Skills for the 21st century at Lewisham College
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11 February 2000
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A new CyberSkills Centre was launched on 12th January 2000
at Lewisham College in South London. Officially opened by Ufi
(University for Industry Chair), Lord Dearing, the college's CyberSkills
Centre heralds a new chapter in ICT awareness for local people and
small and medium-sized businesses.
The centre is the most recent example of Lewisham College's partnership
approach to learning and training, bringing together ICL, SOLOTEC
(South London Training & Enterprise Council), which has assisted with funding,
and the college, which provides the location and facilitators.
College principal, Ruth Silver CBE, said that the launch of CyberSkills
reinforced Lewisham's track record for excellence and innovation.
We've always been totally committed to providing the best possible computing and IT training for our local communities. It's part of our contribution to the continuing economic regeneration of this area. For example, there's a tremendous amount of building and renovation work going on in this part of London at present and Lewisham College is one of the few educational institutions still offering training in construction crafts. This means that we have good links with construction companies and we will be encouraging them to take advantage of the CyberSkills programme.
College principal, Ruth Silver CBE
The Launch event included a live video-conference to the Synergy Centre
in Belfast, another of ICL's CyberSkills agencies, which was recently awarded
the Business in the Community Award for excellence by the Prime Minister,
Tony Blair.
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CyberSkills and the Eye logo are registered trademarks
of International Computers Limited in the UK and other countries.
© KnowledgePool 2000.
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