An e-Learning Programme for South Yorkshire

A six-year e-Learning Programme aims to boost learning and skills in South Yorkshire from 2002 to 2007 by helping more people to be trained on computers at school, college, home, work and in the community. The e-sy.info Programme is being co-ordinated through a partnership of the four Local Authorities of Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield as well as the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) South Yorkshire.

Although investment in ICT infrastructure plays a major role in the project, training and helping people access high quality education is the priority of e-sy.info . Christine Lewis, Project Director said “we are training our teachers to use this new technology to transform the way they can deliver the curriculum. We are putting a learning environment into libraries and small local businesses to make this learning available to people who do not have access to computers.”

Through this initiative, over £50m will be spent on computer infrastructure, ICT training and skills training. Over 140 educational and training institutions will be upgraded with laptops and computers and networked using wireless technology.

The project aims to help 37,000 people to access e-learning, and 270 trainers will be trained. Also, Computer learning centres and pods (dedicated learning modules) will be provided to small businesses.