“This announcement is the first step by the Coalition Government to address digital exclusion, and 20/20 Trust will be looking at how we can align our operations to match the expectations of the government,” says the Trust’s CEO Laurence Millar. Millar is responding to the government’s announcement to establish a contestable fund for providers to train digital skills in homes. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe Education minister Chris Hipkins says the Coalition has agreed to set aside up to $1 million this financial year for providers to undertake programmes to promote digital skills. “This proposal, strongly promoted by the New Zealand First Party, is consistent with the Labour and New Zealand First Coalition Agreement which commits to restore funding for computers in homes programmes this Parliamentary term,” says associate education minister Tracey Martin. Millar says the 20/20 Trust is focused on supporting all New Zealanders to participating in the digital world – for learning, for work and for life. “Our mission is to provide leadership and work with communities to deliver programmes that contribute to New Zealanders’ digital literacy, skills and inclusion.” No caption There are still 100,000 school-aged children without internet access at home…Their exclusion drives a wedge into NZ society Laurence Millar, 20/20 Trust He says the trust looks forward to working with the government in delivering digital inclusion programmes. “There are still 100,000 school-aged children without internet access at home, and they continue to be a priority group for investment. Their exclusion drives a wedge into New Zealand society, affecting education, employability and social inclusion for generations.” The Government has recognised digital inclusion as a priority and has set an aspirational goal to close digital divides by the year 2020. Millar says more than 19,000 families have gained digital access and skills since 2001 as a result of participation in 20/20 Trust programmes, and the Trust is widely recognised as a significant contributor to digital inclusion in New Zealand. “We have maintained our operational capability by drawing on reserves since Government funding for Computers in Homes ended in June 2017,” says Millar. Get the latest on digital transformation: Sign up for CIO newsletters for regular updates on CIO news, career tips, views and events. Follow CIO New Zealand on Twitter:@cio_nz Related content brandpost Lessons from the field: Why you need a platform engineering practice (…and how to build it) Adopting platform engineering will better serve customers and provide invaluable support to their development teams. By VMware Tanzu Vanguards Oct 02, 2023 6 mins Software Deployment Devops feature The dark arts of digital transformation — and how to master them Sometimes IT leaders need a little magic to push digital initiatives forward. Here are five ways to make transformation obstacles disappear. By Dan Tynan Oct 02, 2023 11 mins Business IT Alignment Digital Transformation IT Strategy feature What is a project management office (PMO)? The key to standardizing project success The ever-increasing pace of change has upped the pressure on companies to deliver new products, services, and capabilities. And they’re relying on PMOs to ensure that work gets done consistently, efficiently, and in line with business objective By Mary K. Pratt Oct 02, 2023 8 mins Digital Transformation Project Management Tools IT Leadership opinion The changing face of cybersecurity threats in 2023 Cybersecurity has always been a cat-and-mouse game, but the mice keep getting bigger and are becoming increasingly harder to hunt. By Dipti Parmar Sep 29, 2023 8 mins Cybercrime Security Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe