Alex Francis, Infoxchange
This paper aims to present Infoxchange Australia's bridging digital projects. Infoxchange Australia is currently working on a number of sustainable social enterprises in partnership with local and state government, community organisations, the community and the private sector.
Under these bridging digital divide strategy, Infoxchange Australia has developed some projects:
The Reach for the Clouds Projects gives low income and disadvantaged communities the opportunity to bridge the DIGITAL DIVIDE, create EMPOLYMENT, learn new skills and contribute to a sustainable ENVIRONMENT through PC and hardware recycling.
The project is unique in that it moves away from traditional solutions of creating shared facilities, to allow low-income people to do their computing in private.
The Green PC is about revitalizing and providing them to communities that otherwise will be left behind in the information age.
Infoxchange Australia has for the past couple of years been working on small initiatives whereby revitalised computers are being used to create computing and Internet facilities in low-income and disadvantaged communities including Aboriginal communities and public housing communities.Green PC initially employs people through a state government initiative called the Community Jobs Program. This program runs for 16 weeks and gives the participants a chance to gain some skills and hands on experience in an IT environment whilst being paid a full time wage.
These participants are delivered nationally accredited training and offered practical workplace skills to further enhance their opportunities in the IT industry.
The training of all residents of the Atherton Gardens estate is the focus here. All 2000 Residents are offered a 10 hour module in basic computer operation skills from a certificate II or III in Information Technology which is delivered by a team of Volunteer trainers and overseen by Infoxchange Australia's own Registered Training Organization.
http://www.infoxchange.net.au