Telefónica, through the Telefónica Foundation, has developed the Escuela TIC Familia program, aimed at training parents on ICT, entrepreneurial and employment skills in order to help productivity as well as assist parents and caretakers in being effective stewards of their children’s digital experiences and interactions. We are also about to deploy a cohort aimed exclusively at mothers and female caretakers. This responds to Telefónica’s commitment to help people and communities adapt and acquire the skills they need not just for short-term employability, but also for the jobs of the future. In many areas of Colombia, the digital divide persists not only due to the lack or poor quality of connectivity, but also due to the lack of skills in adult populations who are too young to be out of the job market, and too old to be considered “digital natives”. This is especially true when looking at ICT use not only for recreational or quotidian uses, but specifically at the use of ICTs for productive means, be it anything from a simple webpage for a commercial establishment or more complex uses, such as IoT for agricultural production. Telefónica is also sure that digital tools don’t have to separate generations within a family, and can instead bring it closer together. But one of the most important factors in technology bringing families together is that caretakers and children can share their experiences in the digital world. This is also key to ensuring that caretakers are informed stewards of their children’s digital experience, that they have the tools to help their children navigate the digital world safely and prudently. For adults, knowing how to use the technological tools available allows for new collaborative projects, wether they be as a family, or as a community. This leads to content creation and information sharing, which can help strengthen community bonds.

https://www.fundaciontelefonica.co/proyecto-escuela-tic-familia/

• Colombia

• Youth
• Older persons
• Women
• The unemployed

Having digital skills allows adults to partake in the digital education offerings of many institutions, breaking down barriers of time and place. Escuela TIC Familia helps parents and caretakers be active parts of their children’s educational process, while also giving them the tools to protect children from cyber bullying and other forms of online harassment. By allowing parents and caretakers to access online educational offerings with the proper tools, Escuela TIC Familia also creates equity and social justice beyond the specific scope of the project. We have proven sustainability and have been able to replicate the educational model and contents in varying contexts and with diverse populations across the country.

We have proven sustainability and have been able to replicate the educational model and contents in varying contexts and with diverse populations across the country. The project allows women to challenge gender roles by giving them tools to carry out non-care related activities, as well as giving them tools to be better caregivers.

Continuous and adult education, re-training, life-long learning, distance-learning and other special services, such as telemedicine, can make an essential contribution to employability and help people benefit from the new opportunities offered by ICTs for traditional jobs, self-employment and new professions. Awareness and literacy in ICTs are an essential foundation in this regard. The attainment of our shared aspirations, in particular for developing countries and countries with economies in transition, to become fully-fledged members of the Information Society, and their positive integration into the knowledge economy, depends largely on increased capacity building in the areas of education, technology know-how and access to information, which are major factors in determining development and competitiveness.