The Digital Transformation Centres (DTC) Initiative was launched in September 2019 by International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in partnership with Cisco with the objective of supporting countries to strengthen digital capacities of citizens, particularly in the underserved communities. The selected DTCs become part of a global network of institutions to accelerate the uptake of digital technologies among citizens and boost the capacity of young entrepreneurs and SMEs to succeed in the digital economy. This initiative lays the groundwork for inclusive digital literacy and empowerment, providing a foundation for specific targeted programs like the International Girls in ICTs Day.
Building on the foundation established by the DTC initiative, International Girls in ICTs Day, celebrated worldwide every year on the fourth Thursday of April (25 April, 2024), takes this initiative a step further by focusing specifically on the empowerment of young women within the digital landscape. Girls in ICTs Day provides an opportunity for girls and young women to see and be exposed to the benefit of ICT in enabling their careers and aspiration. Over 377,000 girls and young women have taken part in more than 11,400 celebrations of International Girls in ICTs Day in 171 countries worldwide. This synergy between the DTC initiative and Girls in ICTs Day amplifies the impact of digital transformation efforts by ensuring they reach a demographic critical to the future of technology and innovation—girls and young women.
For girls and young women to thrive in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers, they need to acquire skills to become both ICT users and creators in the digital world. “Leadership” was identified as the theme for Girls in ICTs 2024. This theme underscores the joint commitment of the Girls in ICTs initiative and the DTC Initiative to empower young women with leadership skills and digital literacy, highlighting the collaboration between these initiatives to foster innovation and inclusivity in technology.
The Digital Transformation Center-Pakistan (DTC-Pakistan) at Virtual University of Pakistan (VU) and ITU, with support from the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication Pakistan (MoITT), and partners work will together celebrate to inspire and encourage girls to pursue a future in ICT and to empower them by ensuring they have the necessary skills, confidence and support to achieve their goals.
DTC-Pakistan, in collaboration with the ITU, is organising a digital skills training seminar “Empowering Girls with ICT Skills” (in hybrid mode) to promote leadership among participants and underscore the importance of digital literacy and skills training. Supported by Cisco, and HP this training seminar aims to raise awareness of the importance and facilitate access to digital skills training in various areas of ICT, including soft skills training.
Objective:
In this one-day training seminar, we aim to inspire participants to pursue ICT and STEM education through various learning platforms to help guide their studies and career choices. Specifically, we will:
- • Highlight the collaborative efforts of the ICT sector leaders in Pakistan, sharing knowledge and insights to showcase the combined impact of the Girls in ICTs Day and DTC initiatives.
- • Introduce participants to a broad spectrum of digital skills training platforms, emphasizing the collaborative effort to expand access to educational resources in ICT.
- • Support the development of digital and soft skills of girls and young women, specifically in the areas of communications, productivity, and entrepreneurship, specifically through HP Life training programs.
By the end of the training seminar, participants will have gained:
- • Insightful knowledge and inspiration from leading figures in the ICT sector, empowering them to envision their potential futures in ICT and STEM.
- • Practical experience with various digital skills platforms, understanding the breadth of skills necessary to succeed in ICT & STEM and completion of at least one HP Life training.
- • Enhanced awareness on the critical role digital literacy plays in today's world, equipped with resources to pursue further education and career opportunities in STEM.
- • A network of like-minded peers and professionals, fostering a supportive community for future collaboration and mentorship with the aim to continue working with selected schools on digital skills training.
The training seminar is set to take place on 29 July 2024 at Lahore Office and Raiwind Road Office Lahore (for practical sessions) of VU. The remote participants for the training workshop will join online from the VU campus in Karachi Orangi Town (Orangi Town in Karachi is one of the largest informal settlements in Asia, known for its dense population and significant challenges with infrastructure, sanitation, and access to basic services) and from a school in Islamabad of Telecomm Foundation Education System (TFES) .
The participants will be encouraged to join a virtual follow up session in August after the summer break, to share their feedback regarding the HP-Life training. The virtual follow up session will serve as a future road map as well where participants will be encouraged to take on more HP-Life or other such trainings offered under the DTC initiative.
Targeted Participants:
The target participants are primarily girls from grade 9th and 10th who have no or basic digital literacy skills and are from the underserved or under privileged community. This initiative specifically aims to empower girls, in line with the objective of the Girls in ICTs initiative.
The registrations of participants for the training will be carried out through direct outreach and through TFES schools. This training will be conducted in English and Urdu hence, a good command of English (both spoken and written) is required. The participants will be provided with IT infrastructure to facilitate the learning process. The seminar aims to engage at least 100 participants (40 in-person participants at VU offices and 60 online participants (who will be joining from VU campus in Karachi Orangi Town and the school for girls in Islamabad of TFES), with an emphasis on reaching out to and including girls from various educational backgrounds to promote digital inclusion.
Programme:
Date/Time
29 July 2024
(GMT+5) Islamabad Time
|
Activities
|
| 09:30 – 10:00
|
Registration and welcome
|
|
10:00 – 10:10
|
Welcoming Remarks (Rector of Virtual University of Pakistan)
|
|
10:10 – 10:50
|
Girls in ICTs Day Panel Session on Leadership by national and international ICT Professionals
Panelists:
- 1. Ministry of Information Technology & Telecommunication Minister / Additional Secretary (Chief Guest).
- 2. Rector Virtual University of Pakistan.
- 3. Mr. Zomma Mohiuddin (President & CEO Telecom Foundation).
- 4. Ms. Nadine Amgad Kotb (Business Development Manager Cisco Networking Academy).
|
|
10:50 – 11:00
|
Session closing & Remarks by Chief Guest and Group Photo.
|
|
11:00 – 11:30
|
Tea/Coffee Break
|
|
11:30 – 12:00
|
Overview of Digital Transformation Centre - Cisco Skills for All (Ms. Nadine Amgad Kotb (Business Development Manager Cisco Networking Academy))
|
|
12:00 – 12:05
|
Cisco Skills for All Q&A session
|
|
12:05 – 12:35
|
Overview of Digital Transformation Centre - HP LIFE
|
|
12:35 – 12:40
|
HP LIFE Q&A session
|
|
12:40 – 13:45
|
Lunch & shifting of in-person participants to the Raiwind Road Office of VU for later sessions.
|
|
13:45 – 14:50
|
HP LIFE on boarding session, Course Enrolment and Completion of course by Participants
|
|
14:50 – 15:00
|
Tea/Coffee Break
|
|
15:00 – 15:30
|
HP LIFE on boarding session, Course Enrolment and Completion of course by Participants
|
|
15:30 – 16:00
|
Closing Ceremony and Certificate Distribution
|