SCOTIA Jamaica Foundation, the local charity arm of Scotiabank, has donated US$75,000 to the Northern Caribbean University (NCU) to fund its computer literacy programme offered as a community service. Converted, the grant is valued at more than $4.6 million.

The university's information technology department offers free training to groups and individuals from Manchester, where its main campus is located, and has been doing so since 1998.

The sessions began in-house, said chair of the department and initiator of the programme Avery Thompson, with the training of NCU administrators and church officials, later expanding into the community.

"To date, taxi operators, high school students, nurses, police officers, retirees and even 'stay at home' mothers, have received training," said a NCU release announcing the foundation grant.
The programme offers the basics in computer education, including use of the keyboard and mouse, accessing the Internet and setting up email accounts.

Thompson said a number of retirees were clamouring for additional sessions, as they are now able to keep in touch with their grandchildren, many of whom are overseas. A taxi-operator, she added, "ended up buying a computer system when he was finished."
In addition to the basics, some of the professionals are instructed on particular software applications that will help them on the job.

"So if we have, like, nurses - which we have done from the Mandeville Regional Hospital - we would have things to do with health, muscle groups, medication and how they work with the body, things that are available that a nurse would find handy," said Thompson.

"If we brought in people from the Women's Centre, as we did last year, then we would give them things that speak about cooking recipes, landscaping, household chores, decorating."
The programme remains in high demand.

This year, NCU says it will be accommodating another group of taxi-men; police officers; employees from the National Works Agency; the local ministers fraternal, an association of pastors; nurses from Hargreaves Memorial Hospital; Albion Secondary and Bethalba Teachers College.

Scotia Foundation's assistance will allow for more frequent training sessions, from twice per year to every fortnight.
"We were limited in time, space and equipment," said Avery, adding that the grant has procured additional resources.

"We have 30 computers that we got and paraphernalia."
The funds also pay those teachers who want to be paid. Most of the instructors, however, teach for free.

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