Westminster City Council has announced the launch of the Digital Academy, which will see a range of technology partners including Microsoft, O2 and Google working with Council to help fight exclusion. digital.
Academy is the first step in Westminster’s A smart city and gives anyone who lives or works in the city the opportunity to improve their digital skills.
Bringing together diverse learning opportunities, the program will build citizens’ digital skills and foster a culture of learning, innovation and empowerment across Westminster.
As part of Westminster’s efforts to become a smarter city, the Academy includes a range of programs to reach the most digitally excluded, starting with the elderly and young. of the city, as well as local businesses.
For young people, Westminster will be recruiting nine candidates from a variety of backgrounds as part of the Tech Lions Talent Program; they will have the opportunity to work on the Council in a technology role and spend time at top technology companies to complete their careers brilliantly. In addition, the City’s Smart Schools competition will see project partner Microsoft host an activity day at local schools with inspirational prizes on offer, including a day of experience. Microsoft office experience, to encourage young people to explore careers in technology and gain confidence in their digital skills.
The academy will focus on addressing the issue of digital exclusion among older members of the community. Westminster has begun recruiting local Digital Ambassadors to participate in their training-coach program, which will help them continue to help other residents with technical tasks. number.
With a focus on local businesses, the council has partnered with Ontix to provide connectivity in local markets and Rebel Business School to teach local market traders how to create an online presence. online to drive engagement and profitability of their business. These projects will be brought together in an online hub that will work in tandem with the community hubs to assist those looking to improve their digital skills for personal or business growth.
Throughout the following months, each of these programs will host interactive events and contests to inspire communities to become more confident online.
Councilor Paul Swaddle, Cabinet Member for Finance and Smart Cities at Westminster City Council said: “Today’s launch of the Digital Academy gives our community the opportunity to come into the world. together, inspire each other, and learn the digital skills they need to seize every opportunity the city has to offer. It’s a huge step towards ensuring that no one feels excluded from the digital world we live in. This is just the beginning of a long-term initiative to make Westminster the world’s leading Smart City and we hope that we can bring everyone of this on the journey to learn together and create a more empowered community in the process. ”
Commenting on the initiative, Director of Digital and Innovation, Aruj Haider said: “We are delighted to launch the Smart Cities program with the launch of the Digital Academy. Being a real smart city is about putting the needs of Westminster’s people, businesses and communities first. Our Digital Academy does just that – it provides real, practical support, opens up opportunities previously inaccessible and gives citizens the skills they need to grow in our connected city. ”
