DIGITAL EDUCATION: AN INVESTMENT IN YOUR FUTURE
Many Jamaicans hold the view that a good education is one of the critical steps on the path to a secure future, putting in the investment from early childhood to post-graduate studies. It is the vehicle which opens the door to better career opportunities and contributes to economic stability.
Hundreds of Jamaicans have enthusiastically taken the opportunity to upskill themselves by enrolling in the Flow Foundation’s Digital Education Programme
One such individual is Simone Richardson. The mother of 2 who is an employee of Massy Distribution (Ja) Limited, stated that she had a lot of experience in the digital space so “it wasn’t strange” to her. In sharing what motivated her to join the programme, she said, “I love learning. It was free, so I invested the time in my future. Not because you know something means that you know everything. There is always something new to learn.”
In speaking of what the experience has been like for her, Richardson shared, “I have learnt so much. I have a greater understanding of internet “netiquette” jargons and technological terms as well as a deeper appreciation of data and digital literacy.” She further stated that one of the skills she has developed is the ability to build a website as she confided that she has always wanted to learn and plans to build her own website soon
The design of the programme also worked well for Richardson as even though she had some prior knowledge, she found the “reinforced learning” method to be very useful as each module built on and reinforced earlier teachings. Another benefit was the interaction with both her peers and facilitator. “I loved that we were encouraged to support each other as we went through the programme. Our facilitator was a very big resource. In fact, She was the best!” she commented.
A facilitator is assigned to each cohort at the beginning of the programme and is a major resource for providing guidance throughout the programme. They function as liaisons between the administrators of the programme and the students.
Richardson believes that the programme was a good investment of her time. It has expanded her ability to provide for her future and that of her children. Her message to other persons is, “I have done other digital skills programme before and I would encourage anyone to do this programme. It will open your eyes to what is happening in the digital space. Invest the time in your future.
Horenzo Chambers is a 26-year-old Sales Professional who joined the programme because the course content engaged him. A digital native who is computer literate and uses various apps for his job functions, he stated, “I needed more digital literacy training. I wanted to learn more tools so that I could be even more empowered in the virtual space.”
Similar to Richardson, he expressed the view that the programme offered many benefits. He found the platform to be user-friendly and particularly appreciated the flexibility, the networking and the support of his facilitator and peers.
Chambers further stated that, as a result of his interactions with members of his cohort, he gained an even greater understanding of the content and can now confidently share that content with others.
Adding that he has benefited tremendously from the modules on Search Engine Optimization and Digital Marketing through Social Media, he enthused, “I gained so much knowledge from the data management modules. It has enhanced my understanding of breaches within the corporate world.”
Chambers continued, “A big thing for me is how this training has empowered me to be a better asset to my company. I wanted to be able to protect my company data and set effective controls which would allow us to be safer using social media. It is good knowing that I now have the skills to do it.”
He proudly explains how he is even able to help his mother, who is new to social media, set up her account. He believes that digital literacy is the way of the future and would encourage his peers to get on board with this training stating, “It is time to challenge yourself. We have been in a digital world, but Covid has increased the mass utilization of the Internet and application softwares as many persons are required to work from home. Enroll in this programme so that you can create long-term value for yourself in this new work space.”
Both Richardson and Chambers are wrapping up the Skills for the Future programme and have now enrolled in the Foundation’s Training for Professionals programme which will allow them to take advantage of the many courses online from over 100 world-leading publishers including Google, Microsoft and Amazon. While Richardson is still exploring her options, Chambers has already registered to for the Project Management course.
Digital and data literacy is a critical skill if one wishes to remain relevant in this digitally-transformed global market place. The Digital Education Programme being offered by the Flow Foundation and administered through the Caribbean School of Data at the Mona School of Business Management and One-on-One Educational Services Limited is open to all Jamaicans and support the organization’s mandate of enabling progress through digital inclusion.
For more information and to apply, visit . www.flowfoundationja.org
