The BCS launches e-Citizen Training Course to overcome Digital Divide

A new British Computer Society (BCS) qualification, e-Citizen, has been designed to give people the tools they need to get onto the Web, while also raising awareness of the issues and dangers.

The new qualification will be open to all and will introduce candidates to processes such as online banking, shopping and information retrieval. On successfully gaining the qualification, adults will have the ability to safely and securely access the internet and the information it holds. They will be able to help their children with schoolwork by confidently using search engines as well as using the internet for hobbies and getting that all important discount by booking the annual holiday online.

The E-Citizen qualification, which launched this week, will consist of a ten-week course with a final online test leading to certification. The syllabus consists of five modules:
* Basic IT skills - how to use a computer, applications and browsers
* Using email - understanding the concept of email, including personal safety online
* Access to online content - how to navigate the web and understand the content that is available
* Access to online services - how to complete online forms, safety of personal data and how to use interactive information such as train timetables
* Producing content - knowledge of online content like discussion groups and simple web creation.

Pete Bayley, director of qualifications for the BCS, says, 'We live in an internet dominated society and it is vital that adults can make the best use of the opportunities it has to offer. I believe that E-Citizen will enable people to use the internet with confidence bringing them up to speed with today's online culture.'

Meanwhile, the new BCS President, David Morriss, is committed to using his twelve months' tenure to address the divide between those who can use computers and those who are unable, whether due to physical disability or social exclusion.

He says, 'As a recent BCS survey revealed that over a quarter of Britons do not have access to a PC, whether at home or work, it is clear there is a danger of a considerable portion of the population being excluded from the information age. It is essential that accessibility is taken seriously by industry and this is an issue I will be tackling in my Presidential year.'

Associated Link: e-Citizen

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