Every Singaporean will have the opportunity to acquire basic infocomm skills, through Singapore's first National IT Literacy Programme (NITLP) announced today by Singapore's Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong....
Singapore, 23 June 2001 | For Immediate Release
Every Singaporean will have the opportunity to acquire basic infocomm skills, through Singapore's first National IT Literacy Programme (NITLP) announced today by Singapore's Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong.
Spearheaded by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) and Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the $30 million programme aims to train 350,000 Singaporeans over a period of three years so that they can become adept users of infocomm appliances and services. Targetted at workers, homemakers and senior citizens, the programme will equip trainees with basic computing and Internet skills that will improve their quality of life and enhance the workers' employability.
The Infocomm Training Framework recently announced by IDA has identified the specific training needs of different segments of the Singapore population. NITLP is one of the key initiatives developed to address the training needs of the non-infocomm literate with the end goal of driving Singapore forward in building an infocomm-savvy society.
Ms Yong Ying-I, IDA's Chief Executive Officer said, "NITLP is the first important step towards equipping everyone in our community with essential basic infocomm skills. Through the training they can now learn how useful, easy and fun it is to integrate IT into their daily life and reap the benefits of being connected."
NITLP will be made affordable and accessible with financial support from the Lifelong Learning Endowment Fund and the Skills Development Fund. Trainees will be eligible for an 80 per cent support of the total course fees, capped at $8 per trainee-hour. Additional financial assistance will be provided to low-income trainees by the Community Development Councils and self-help groups.
Dr Tan Chin Nam, Permanent Secretary for Manpower, said, "NITLP is the first major programme under the newly established Lifelong Learning Endowment Fund managed by MOM. At the individual level, the programme will help Singaporeans acquire the necessary skills to make use of IT to enhance their employability and improve their quality of life. At the national level, the programme is a key component of our overall effort to achieve an IT-literate population, which is key to both economic competitiveness and social inclusion."
To complement NITLP's classroom curriculum, an e-Learning web-top in English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil has been launched to provide a continuous, interactive learning platform. Some of the features in the web-top include simulations of e-Transactions such as e-shopping, online travel bookings and general interest information such as hobbies and recipes. To sustain user interest, the web-top will be constantly updated with dynamic content relevant to the target audience.
NITLP will be available to the public through 22 Authorised Training Centres (ATCs) (27.00KB) located around the island which will provide basic infocomm training in English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil languages. NITLP consists of three modules, each to be completed between three-and-a-half to seven hours. At the end of the course, trainees will be able to search and retrieve relevant information, surf the Internet, communicate via email and perform online transactions such as online shopping and banking.
For further information on NITLP, the public can call the hotline 1800-211-2133 during office hours or refer to the website www.nitlp.com.sg.
JOINTLY ISSUED BY THE INFOCOMM DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE & THE MINISTRY OF MANPOWER
About Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore
The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) is a dynamic organisation with an integrated perspective to developing, promoting and regulating info-communications in Singapore. In the fast-changing and converging spheres of telecommunications, information and media technologies, IDA will be the catalyst for change and growth in Singapore's evolution into a vibrant global info-communications technology centre. For more information, please visit www.imda.gov.sg.
About Ministry of Manpower
The changing economic landscape has required a fresh approach to manpower planning in Singapore. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is a progressive manpower planner, developer and strategist, in line with its aim to transform Singapore into a hub for innovations and knowledge exchanges. Our mission is to develop a globally competitive workforce and foster a highly favourable workplace environment, in partnership with workers and employers, to achieve sustainable economic growth for the well-being of Singaporeans. For more information about an organisation dedicated to Talent Development and passionate about People Development, visit MOM at www.mom.gov.sg.
For media clarification, please contact:
Ms Chia Sher Ling
Manager, Corporate Communication
Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore
Tel: +65 6211-1840
Fax: +65 6211-2227
Email: chia_sher_ling@imda.gov.sg
Gabriel Wong or Joanne Kwan
Edelman Public Relations Worldwide
Tel: +65 6733-1110
Fax: +65 6733-5550
.webp)