The digitization of society comes with huge opportunities. In order to be able to seize them, young people need digital skills. By now, Vodafone and Ziggo have shown more than 200,000 pupils the way. Now that the two companies have joined forces, it is time for something new: the interactive teaching programme 'Online Masters'.
VodafoneZiggo developed the teaching package together with Veilig Internetten and Mediawijzer. The goal: stimulating youngsters to develop digital skills. Online Masters can be followed the whole year, for free, and focuses on four topics: the digital world, online skills, safety online and balance (offline / online). The series of lessons has been especially developed for the senior section of primary education and the first few years of secondary education. The subjects are introduced by well-known masters in the trade, from professors to vloggers, who familiarize pupils with their digital world in short video clips.
Enjoyment and progress
Many people think that the young are very able to manage on the digital superhighway. But research shows that young people often fall flat. To increase one's chances in the digital society, supervision and training is required. "The world is becoming ever more digital and the pace of developments is extremely high", says VodafoneZiggo CEO Jeroen Hoencamp. "Many people have trouble keeping up and that has an effect on our society. Not only on education, but also on government and the business world. For that reason it is essential that we equip children and youngsters with the proper digital luggage. VodafoneZiggo employs technology to realize enjoyment and progress in the lives of people and in society. Young people play an important part in that. I am pleased that we can show them the way, cooperating with partners like Mediawijzer and Veilig Internetten.
Digital skills in the curriculum
Most schools are busy trying to implement the so-called 21st century skills in their curriculum. Not an easy task. How can you familiarize children with all these new technologies, so they can avail themselves of all the opportunities awaiting them? Up till now, schools themselves determined to which extent they integrated the development of digital skills into their curriculum. Recently, however, the House of Representatives agreed on an accelerated inclusion of digital literacy in the curriculum. Jeroen: "That was great news of course! VodafoneZiggo has been labouring for this for quite some time, because future-proof education also means you teach your pupils digital skills. That is for the common good and also in VodafoneZiggo's interest of course. In future, we will always be needing good people who understand our technology and can use and improve it. It's expected to take another few years before a subject like that has become a standard part of the curriculum. Until that time, we do our best to acquaint as many young people as possible with technology and support them in developing their digital skills."
Launch
The Online Masters teaching package will be launched during the national week of Media Literacy (17 to 24 November 2017). That week hundreds of VodafoneZiggo employees will be standing in classrooms giving introduction lessons. Jeroen: "As of that moment, everyone can use the teaching package for free. In this way we aim at reaching 100,000 pupils a year. In the past we already managed to put a lot of future talents on their way and of course we will be doing a lot more. Like 'Meet the Masters', a live event organized by VodafoneZiggo, also in 2018, with experts from the teaching programme. In addition, we spend additional energy on underprivileged youngsters, for example with a fund for the purchase of digital means and support for teachers. All with the same goal in mind: to increase the digital chances of future talent."