iCentres Association Bulgaria A BRIEF ENCOUNTER

Table of Topics Social integration through networking and education 1. Overview/ Organizational structure/Network value 2. Organization goals 3. Available resources and assets 4. Promoting digital literacy, social integration and professional training

Overview #1 : Overview The iCentres Association is the successor of the T-centres Project - a joint initiative of the Bulgarian Government in the face of the former State Agency for Information Technology and Communications (SAITC) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), which started in Currently the iCentres Association is a fast growing network of iCentres (telecentre facilities/public Internet access points), which has a developed capacity for providing affordable access to broadband connectivity and distribution of customized content, resources and services to citizens.

Organization goals #2 : Organization goals The organizations is primarily committed to:  applying and testing innovative solutions facilitating the use of ICTs by citizens, with a focus on remote and underdeveloped communities (bridging the digital divide and promoting digital literacy);  promoting e-government and creating a supportive business environment through providing ICT-enabled supportive measures to SMEs in Bulgaria.  the activity of the iCentres Association has a clear focus on the elaboration of digitally-enhanced training programs and facilities, curriculum development, as well as aggregation and distribution of education content, targeted towards specific groups and implementing the practice of continuous education.

e-Services provision – the iCentres network has been providing various e- GOVERNMENT SERVICES (including provision of technological solutions for interactive transfer of documents between central institutions, local authorities and citizens, plus e-signature services), e-BUSINESS, e-INCLUSION (ICT and language trainings to disabled people, persons of Roma origin, orphans, adults aged 55+,unemployed), e-HEALTH (through development of a fully-operational digital environment allowing for aggregation and storage of information for the management of different diseases, consultation mechanisms and content). A network of over 100 iCentres covering 35 % of the national territory, equipped with latest ICT solutions and suitable for testing and multiplying the effect of different initiatives, including a skilled staff of local professionals and trainers. Available resources and assets #3 : Available resources and assets

Available resources and assets…cont. #3 : Available resources and assets…cont. Core and Specialized ICT Skills Training – since its establishment in June 2004, the iCentres network has provided such training to more than trainees locally. Established Centre for Professional Training (CPT) with a license of the National Agency for Vocational Education and Training with the purpose of developing and providing various programs for professional training and the relevant certificates, including general and advanced IT skills, as well as specific professional competences (26 registered professions with 32 specialties in areas, such as business management and tourism). Recently the CPT has become the main instrument of the Association in the field of professional education.

Available resources and assets…cont. #3 : Available resources and assets…cont. ECDL certification – the iCentres Association is the core provider of testing and certification in various areas (e-Citizen, ECDL Core and ECDL Advanced). A fully operational CPT e-learning system, accessed at any iCentres location and allowing for easy access to interactive education content, self-preparation, testing and individual assessment of the achieved progress of the trainees.

Promoting digital literacy, social integration and professional training #4: Promoting digital literacy, social integration and professional training The iCentres have put a specific focus on the development of comprehensive resources to tackle the problem of providing access of vulnerable groups to ICTs, including the elaboration and implementation of comprehensive training programs, distribution of knowledge and innovative communication solutions. For this purpose the iCentres network has established a partnership with one of the biggest IT companies (Microsoft) within the framework of a project aiming at localizing the MS UP (Microsoft Unlimited Potential ) training curriculum, as well as providing training to different vulnerable groups all over the country in core IT skills. Some large IT companies have donated equipment to the ICENTRES MOBILE TELECENTRE in an effort to contribute to raising the digital literacy of the population, as well as popularizing the advantages of ICTs as a tool for professional realization and raising the quality of life of people in remote locations. The target groups have included unemployed (focus on professional realization), disabled (focus on social integration) and minorities (focus on professional orientation and integration).

Continued #4 : Continued Two key words – education and networking!  Information technologies in support of the women at the small town /Dryanovo, 2007/ - improvement of the standard of living and opportunities for women through ICT training. Grantee – Bulgarian Fund for Women. Participants – 20 women.  Provision of IT training to people with physical disabilities /Varna/, where there has been established a direct link with businesses, which have ensured job placement of the trainees – an initiative, funded by the UNDP in 2007 – 30 people with disabilities.  ICT Integration of Roma minority /Lom, Stara Zagora, Blagoevgrad, 2008/ - ICT education and integration – creating opportunities for occupation and career. Grantee – Open Society Foundation, Hungary. Participants – 150 Roma trainees /50% women/.  Project Optimism – 2 phases /national area coverage in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy’s National Employment Agency/ - ICT professional training of unemployed school teachers for acquiring new qualification. Grantee – national fund. Participants – 800 unemployed teachers /80% women/.

Continued #4 : Continued  Improving the qualification of BTC employees /Sofia, Varna, Plovdiv. Veliko Turnovo, Stara Zagora, Pleven, / - specialised trainings (CCNA). Grantee – Bulgarian Operational Programme “Human Resources Development” Participants – 260 employees /30% women/. CURRENT AND STARTING EU-LEVEL PROJECTS: Senior intergenerational social capital /SISC/ - GRUNDTVIG – the SISC e-learning tool enables senior workers to identify own strengths and weak points (trough a personalized ICT based balance of competencies), and acquire required skills to manage the role of mentor within the company, in order to transfer own skills and experiences and social capital to new generations of workers. – 24 months, starting in October Mentoring rural women through social networking /MW-sonet/ - LEONARDO DA VINCI – involving and stimulating rural women to become active participants of local community life, to become mentors for other rural women and all the rural community - 20 months, starting in November European VET solution for e-Inclusion /VET 4 e-i/ - LEONARDO DA VINCI - design, testing and certification of “The eInclusion Facilitator” as a new European professional profile, as well as assessment of new blended learning pedagogies and testing 10 courses, and training of 25 trainers – 24 months, starting in November 2009.

iCentres Contacts iCentres Association 6 Gurko Street 1000 Sofia Tel.: (+359 2) Fax.: (+359 2) Website: Contact person: Viktoria Nikolova M.Sc. Deputy chairman of Centre for Professional Training at iCentres Association Tel.: (+359 2) , Fax.: (+359 2)