Technology and community strengthening
Access to information and communication technology (ICT) is important because people use it for so many everyday tasks, including education, employment and recreation. It allows us to keep in touch with friends, family and colleagues, access information for work or study and develop new skills.
However, some people are unable to make use of this technology, resulting in what is called the ‘digital divide’. The digital divide refers to the gap between people who have access to ICT and those who have little or no access.
The gap may relate to economic status – not everyone can afford a computer or an internet connection – or may be the result of other issues such as age, disability or language barriers.
The Victorian Government’s ‘Connecting Communities: the second wave’ (CC: 2nd wave) policy aims to address these problems by providing access to ICT for a broad range of Victorians through a variety of programs.
The Department of Planning and Community Development’s Community ICT team manages the ‘CC: 2nd wave’ programs. These programs tackle disadvantage and support communities by ensuring that everyone has access to technology such as the internet
There are three main ICT issues for people – where can I get access to the technology?; what skills do I need to use it? and what can I use it for?
Connecting Communities addresses these issues by:
Since the start of the project, over 107,000 Victorians have been trained in the use of the Internet; and more than 2,700 online communities have been established.
Find out more about Community ICT programs:
To find out more, contact Vicnet on 86647001 or a regional team.
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