From today, learning to use Singapore ONE and the Internet will become easier and more affordable for everyone. ONE Learning Place, Singapore's first permanent mass training centre offering Singapore ONE training, will be ...
Singapore, 10 May 1999 | For Immediate Release
From today, learning to use Singapore ONE and the Internet will become easier and more affordable for everyone. ONE Learning Place, Singapore's first permanent mass training centre offering Singapore ONE training, will be officially launched by Mr Wong Kan Seng, Minister for Home Affairs and Member of Parliament for the Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC on 10 May 1999.
Located at the newly-renovated Toa Payoh Community Library, this one-stop training centre is an initiative to promote mass awareness and widespread adoption of Singapore ONE. A collaboration between the National Computer Board (NCB) and the National Library Board (NLB), ONE Learning Place will offer training in Singapore ONE and Internet, as well as information literacy skills to students and adults.
ONE Learning Place builds on the successful formula of the NCB's past mass training efforts - Surf@Stadium and ONE Camp. More than 15,000 people picked up skills to use Singapore ONE and Internet applications at these two events. The aim of ONE Learning Place is to train another 100,000 users to be Singapore ONE and Internet-savvy by the end of next year.
Why Singapore ONE?
Singapore ONE is the future way of life. It will transform Singapore into an Intelligent Island - where information technology enhances quality of living, at work, at home, and at play. Users of Singapore ONE will have access to entertainment and news-on-demand, distance learning, on-line shopping, and government services. At ONE Learning Place, Singaporeans will learn how to use these services and how to integrate Singapore ONE into their everyday lives. Singapore ONE will facilitate the access and use of information and empower people in Singapore to work more efficiently.
Mr Michael Yap, Chief Executive of the NCB, said, "The information age will be a multimedia one. We would like to have as many Singaporeans as possible experience the benefits of multimedia. ONE Learning Place will offer the learning experience to 100,000 Singaporeans over the next 18 months."
Training Details
The training programmes offered at ONE Learning Place will cater to the needs of people with various levels of IT literacy, even those without IT experience. Special courses will be customised for students and senior citizens. The NCB is also working with key user organisations to tailor the programme to suit the needs of the various sectors such as the retail and healthcare industry. Participants at the training centre can expect very affordable and attractive rates for the training offered.
In addition to the training programmes, ONE Learning Place also has an exhibition area to showcase the latest applications and services on Singapore ONE. The exhibition area also serves as a hands-on area for visitors to the library.
Mr Yap added, "Our aim is for ONE Learning Place to reach out to people from all walks of life, giving all a first bite at the information age."
This centre has more than 142 multimedia personal computers that are connected to Singapore ONE via ADSL (Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line). Tools such as the pen input device, smart-card reader, and video-conferencing kit are also put in place on each of the training stations to allow trainees to experience the benefits of Singapore ONE.
How to Sign Up
Signing up for the training will be a breeze. Those interested can either:
a) Call the ONE Learning Place hotline on 470 0888
b) Sign up via the ONE Learning Place website at http://learn.s-one.net.sg
Strategic Partnership
ONE Learning Place is made possible with the generous support of the industry partners who have been forthcoming in their support. The main sponsors are: Siemens and SingTel Magix. The co-sponsors are: 3M, ADC Technologies International, Cisco Systems, Creative Technology Ltd, MG Logic, Microsoft Singapore, National Computer Systems, Star+Globe Technologies, and SUN Microsystems. The co-organisers of this project are the Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP), and the Marine Parade Community Development Council who have been working in active partnership with the NCB to promote IT skills training and adoption among the community.
Factsheet
ONE Learning Place
What is ONE Learning Place?
ONE Learning Place is a mass training centre devoted to Singapore ONE, Internet and information skills courses, set up jointly by the National Computer Board (NCB) and the National Library Board (NLB). Located on the third floor of the Toa Payoh Community Library, it spans 430 square metres.
This is probably the largest training centre in Singapore that offers broadband access. This centre has more than 142 multimedia PC stations that are connected to Singapore ONE via ADSL Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line - a technology that allows the transmission of large amounts of information via a broadband network, which allows for the delivery of interactive, multimedia content and services at high speed.
There is also an exhibition area within the premises for sponsors of ONE Learning Place to showcase and demonstrate their products, services, and technologies.
Why ONE Learning Place?
IT skills are critical for Singaporeans to harness information in a knowledge-based economy. To help foster mass awareness and appreciation for both Singapore ONE and the Internet among Singaporeans, the NCB has already conducted two large-scale training events - Surf@Stadium and ONE Camp. Both have garnered overwhelming responses.
As the two events were conducted at ad-hoc training venues and therefore limited in availability and capacity, the NCB has decided to set up a permanent site to allow for more people to attend the training. The target is to train 100,000 participants at ONE Learning Place by the end of year 2000.
What Can Participants Expect at ONE Learning Place?
1. Singapore ONE & Internet Training
A comprehensive three-tiered training programme on Singapore ONE and the Internet will be offered by the centre manager, 1-Net Singapore Pte Ltd, appointed by the NCB. Participants can sign up for basic, intermediate or advanced courses. The training will be conducted in English and Mandarin. There are also plans for the training to be conducted in Malay.
Besides these generic courses, the centre manager is also working with key user organisations and community groups to tailor the programme to suit the needs of the various sectors and communities.
Participants can expect courses at very affordable and attractive rates:
a) Basic - $20
b) Intermediate - $25
c) Advanced - $40
How can interested individuals sign up for courses?
Those interested can either:
i) Call the ONE Learning Place hotline at 470 0888
ii) Sign up via the ONE Learning Place website, http://learn.s-one.net.sg
2. Information Skills
NLB will offer specific information literacy skills for organised groups. Participants will learn to access various information resources such as online databases, CD-ROMs, Internet sites and printed quick reference materials. They will also be guided to formulate information-seeking strategies, execute and refine these search strategies to retrieve the required information, and evaluate the information retrieved to ensure relevance and accuracy.
Apart from information literacy skills, participants will also get a chance to explore information services and products offered by the NLB. These include the InfoXpress database, the library's On-line Public Access Catalogue (OPAC), the Student Virtual Community, Business Virtual Community and many other multimedia services.
Targeted Users
Other than the standard courses, we also work with interested organisations and schools to customise information skills courses for specific groups.
How Can Interested Groups Sign Up For the Course?
i) Call the NLB Institute hotline at 332 3331
ii) Email to NLB Institute at nlbi@nlb.gov.sg
In addition to training, a number of exhibitions will be organised in the next 12 months. When there are no exhibitions, the exhibition area will be converted into a Singapore ONE hands-on area for visitors to the library.
The People behind ONE Learning Place
The project was conceptualized and spearheaded by the NCB. It is set-up jointly with the generous support of the NLB. The following sponsors have participated generously: Siemens and SingTel Magix. The co-sponsors are: 3M, ADC Technologies International, Cisco Systems, Creative Technology Ltd, MG Logic, Microsoft Singapore, National Computer Systems, Star+Globe Technologies, and SUN Microsystems. The co-organisers of this project are the Association of Muslim Professionals, and the Marine Parade Community Development Council.
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