Technology company Dell is making further investments in education to help bridge the digital divide through the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre.
The company today announced it will continue its five-year partnership with the science centre, with a further investment of R1 million.
“These funds will go towards the ICT Training Centre, which [was] established last year. This training centre is the only facility available to all public school teachers and it plays an important role to ensure that South African teachers gain the essential ICT skills necessary for professional educators,” says the company.
Sci-Bono's ICT training co-ordinator Zelda Fynn says more than 1 000 teachers have been trained due to the investments made in the centre. She adds that this has made a major impact on the increased use of ICT skills in schools.
ICT essential
“ICT literacy continues to be one of the biggest challenges that the South African education system faces,” says Stewart van Graan, GM of Dell Africa and MD of Dell SA.
He adds that technology is an essential tool to bridge the digital divide and provides South African youth with the platform to compete academically with their global peers.
Using the ICT Training Centre, Sci-Bono has prepared 85 unemployed youths from disadvantaged backgrounds for entry-level technical jobs in the IT industry, according to Dell.
The Sci-Bono Discovery Centre aims to support education in mathematics, science and technology; to improve public access to science, engineering and technology; and to promote career education in these critical areas.
Dell has invested over R2 million in Sci-Bono since 2007. “As the world continues its transition from an industrial economy to a digital economy, technology access and training are becoming critical tools in the pursuit of social equity,” adds Van Graan.
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