Electricity + Control October 2019

RESKILLING, UPSKILLING + TRAINING

A T ITU Telecom World 2019, held in Budapest, Hungary, in September, the International TelecommunicationsUnion (ITU) andCisco launched the Digital Transformation Centres Initiative. Aimed at tackling the digital skills gap and bridging the digital divide, the initiative will equip people with the skills needed to participate effectively in today's digital society and economy. ITU and Cisco will engage with a network of institutions to run digital skills training programmes in specific tech areas. Digital skills training is needed at all levels: at the basic level, to help people connect and benefit from Internet services and applications; at the intermediate level, to help students and job seekers obtain the skills required by the digital economy; and at the advanced level, to increase the pool of ICT experts and meet the demands of the industry. The initiative will focus in communities where people need basic digital skills to use digital tools and access e-services or are seeking to enhance their basic and intermediate skills. It will also target entrepreneurs who want to develop their businesses and will assist policy-makers in the formulation and implementation of policies and programmes related to digital skills, with the overall objective of enabling a successful national digital transformation process. It will rely on a multi-stakeholder partnership for its success. At the launch, ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao said, “We are proud to partner with Cisco to enhance digital literacy. We call on governments, the private sector, development agencies, local communities and other stakeholders to help us advance this initiative. Join us to boost digital skills to facilitate the digital transformation journey and

accelerate the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals." The Digital Transformation Centres Initiative builds on the existing collaboration between the two organisations. Laura Quintana, Vice President and General Manager of Cisco Networking Academy said, "In this partnership initiative with ITU we will leverage the Cisco Networking Academy to prepare individuals with skills in technology as well as entrepreneurial areas where project-based learning and design thinking are critical. Cisco's objective is to help countries transform digitally and accelerate economic growth, and the collaboration between Cisco and ITU will be key to providing the human capital needed to support that transformation." As a kick-start, ITU and Cisco will identify 10 Digital Transformation Centres to participate in the first phase, which will run for 18 months starting in January 2020. The centres selected will be in Africa, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific regions. “Today half the world is online, but raw connectivity alone will not solve development challenges," says Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau. “Research shows that lack of digital knowledge and skills has emerged as a major barrier to Internet uptake, digital inclusion and digital transformation, especially in developing countries. The Digital Transformation Centres Initiative is designed to strengthen the effectiveness of current activities in capacity development by providing training programmes to meet local needs and address technology trends, developments and gaps. It is also a step forward to help our membership implement their regional initiatives in this field." The Digital Transformation Centres Initiative will complement the ILO-ITU Digital Skills for Jobs Campaign, which is part of the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth, and will contribute directly to the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. It will also complement the existing work of the ITU Centres of Excellence network, which provides training to ICT professionals, and other ITU endeavours in enabling digital transformation at national and regional levels.

For more information visit: www.itu.int

42 Electricity + Control

OCTOBER 2019