ΝΕΑ

17/11/2015

ECDL is helping Poland get ahead in the digital economy

The development of the information society, the growing knowledge resources and the need to use them makes it imperative for people to familiarise themselves with ICT. The lack of digital skills prevents those people of getting the 21st century knowledge they need to be successful in their careers and to fully participate in the modern society.

Therefore, the implementation of projects for boosting the digital skills allows participants to raise the level of their IT knowledge and their computer skills. One successful example is the ECDL project in the Podlaskie province in Poland – one of the least economically developed regions in the country. This project, which started in 2012 and finished in August 2013, was aimed at 500 people between the ages of 18 and 64, mostly with a secondary education, who studied, worked or were unemployed. Participation in the training and certification program was free of charge for all participants. The project was implemented by ‘Centrum Promocji Innowacji i Rozwoju’ and ‘Ponadregionalne Konsorcjum Szkoleniowo-Egzaminacyjne’, based in Grajewo.

Participation in the project’s training and ECDL 7-module certification resulted in improved ICT skills, an increase in employment opportunities and the proper functioning of participants in the digital society. The main goal of the project was to counteract digital exclusion among residents in Podlaskie province by enabling people to have free access to training and certification on the European level.

As one of the participants testifies: “I am an ICT skills trainer. Participation in the project allowed me to become an ECDL tester which means I can share my knowledge and earn some extra money – which I can use for my holidays”.

Another participant explained his motivation to take part in the ECDL training this way: “As a senior teacher, I had not had anything to do with a computer. In many cases, I had to ask various people for help and I was perceived as stupid. Now my fear has disappeared and I no longer feel computer illiterate”