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help your community to get ahead £252m available to establish 700 ICT Learning Centres in disadvantaged communities the opportunity to apply has been informally extended for small community and voluntary organisations Information about the ICT Learning Centres Initiative by the DfEE   -  for full details go to DfEE ICT Learning Centres ICT - what's the problem? Who are these ICT Learning Centres for? ICT Learning Centres - help to provide a solution How will the new ICT Learning Centres meet community need? An ICT Learning Centre Who can Apply Expression of Interest Form ICT - what's the problem?   Lifelong learning, the Internet age and technology is all around us and becoming a greater part of our everyday lives.  More and more people are using Information Communication Technologies (ICT) both at work and in their leisure time to improve their skills, opportunities and even quality of life.  However, many people do not have the chance to do this.  They have low, or no, ICT skills, do not have access to ICT facilities in their home or place of work, and are unaware of the opportunities available to them through ICT.  Back to the start of this document Who are these ICT Learning Centres for? This initiative focuses on adults in disadvantaged communities.  The following are seen as indicative client groups for the Centres: People who need help with basic skills Lone Parents People from ethnic minorities Unemployed people People with disabilities People who are over 60 and not involved in learning activities Research has shown that many of the people ICTs are seeking to help: feel intimidated by ICT or feel it is irrelevant to their lives; lack confidence due to a negative experience of more formal education and training; have caring responsibilities that limit the time and money available for learning; feel it is too late in life to learn to use new technology but are fearful of being left behind by their families, friends or workmates; are unable to afford to pay for existing provision or be suspicious that using learning centres might affect their benefit entitlement in some way; have cultural traditions which make it difficult for them to access provision (including women only provision); are unable to access provision due to language difficulties; are physically isolated, particularly in rural areas and feel that what is currently on offer is not practical or appropriate; are involved in voluntary agencies or community groups which are unable to make effective use of ICT because they lack adequate premises or equipment.  Back to the start of this document ICT Learning Centres - helping to provide a solution The Government has made £252m available to establish around 700 ICT Learning Centres in disadvantaged communities.  These ICT Learning Centres will provide hands on learning for those with little or no ICT skills or access to ICT, for example helping people: Use the Internet to access information, for example about local events, family history, travel and health; Send email and use other ICT applications such as games, mobile phones and digital television; To explore the opportunities Information Technology can offer such as further learning and updating skills.  ICT Learning Centres will provide a local place for local people to meet, learn and achieve.  They could be in a community centre, church, or a mobile centre, for example for those in rural or dispersed communities - whatever best suits the needs of the people who will use it.  Back to the start of this document How will the new ICT Learning Centres meet community need? The distinguishing characteristic of ICT Learning Centres will be the focus on how ICT can support people within disadvantaged communities rather than on technology for its own sake, and enrich their lives.  Access to ICT and confidence in its use in turn opens up access to learning, chances to acquire skills and a better chance of gaining and keeping a job.  The key to success will be the extent to which the Centres increase and develop the spread and use of ICT skills in their community.  The expectation is for these Centres to successfully provide a local place for local people to meet and learn and achieve.  They will develop and prosper because of the enthusiasm of the people who work and learn there.  The private sector will also have a key role to play in providing innovative Centres which meet local need.  Although we are very clear about the people ICT Learning Centres should reach, we recognise the need to be flexible about the way this is achieved.  Consequently the Centres will be many shapes and sizes from a small PC-based facility in a village hall or a community centre or mobile library, to a major ICT area in an FE college or shopping centre and a privately run centre which might offer music production and digitally-based television courses to young people.  These ICT Learning Centres will be conveniently located where people live and work, or in leisure facilities such as libraries, pubs and sports Centres.  They will offer a safe and supportive place that will give people the confidence to explore.  The Centres will have flexible opening hours that match community needs including evenings and weekends, and take account of the particular needs of those with caring responsibilities.  As not all disadvantaged areas are the same, differences in social, employment and cultural traditions will need to be reflected in the design and style of ICT Learning Centres and in how they are owned and managed.  Their aim is to give more people greater opportunities to engage in society and to improve their prosperity and the quality of their lives.  Back to the start of this document An ICT Learning Centre provides easy, friendly and professional access to ICT technologies for those who have little or no prior experience of these; is conveniently located where local people live and work, for example in leisure facilities such as libraries, pubs and sports centres; offers a safe and supportive environment that will give people the confidence to explore and learn; provides flexible opening hours that match community needs, including evenings and weekends.  The ICT Learning Centre will be required to communicate and market itself and marketing within the local community.  Innovative approaches should be developed to ensure the Centre attracts its target client group initially at launch and throughout the life of the Centre.  The Centre can be managed by the community or by a partner e. g.  the local college, local authority, private sector company.  You will want to develop your own style and partnership.  It is important to recognise that different client groups will make different demands on your Centre such as flexible opening hours, learning content, access and learner support.  Your Centre should ensure that learning content is suitable for people with: English as a second language; a range of disabilities such as physical, learning or sensory impaired; basic skills needs.  We will not be able to accept an application which cannot assure this and demonstrate appropriate learner support.  Applications from ICT Learning Centres who are proposing to design and develop a community website for use by the whole community are also welcome, for instance a housebound resident taking part in the local pub quiz over the Internet via digital television, or families trading online with other families.  Back to the start of this document Who can apply? The ICT Learning Centres will be developed, organised and operated according to the needs of the local community.  Community involvement in the planning and use of the Centre will be vital.  However, a wide range of groups may be involved in setting up and running these Centres, from community and voluntary organisations, to libraries, museums and sports associations.  Some applications will be from a partnership with a private company, local authority or college.  If you and / or a partnership of groups consider you could / would want to run a centre, complete the expression of interest form. But if your group / members / users just want to be catered for by any existing application or expression of interest from your area, use the same address to write in stating this, giving contact details, borough, users etc.  Back to the start of this document Expression of Interest Form