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| Local Communities Receive Online Boost |
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Information and Communication Technology Minister, Marsha Thomson, said the My Connected Community program had reached its target of establishing 1500 online communities three months ahead of schedule.
This follows the success of the Skills.net program, which last August reached its target of training 80,000 Victorians nine months ahead of schedule.
"This is a great result and indicates Bracks Government programs are helping to meet the high demand in Victoria for getting connected and IT skilled," Ms Thomson said.
"These programs are all about strengthening communities and sharing the benefits of technology with all Victorians.
"The Internet is now part of our everyday lives and the My Connected Community program is about making the Internet more relevant and useful to more and more Victorians," she said.
"The My Connected Community program allows Victorians with a mutual interest to get together online.
"It provides Victorians with the training and support they need to get online, stay in touch and build Internet skills and experience," she said.
Under the $3.5 million My Connected Community program, community groups are provided with the support and tools to establish a website, publish online, network to members, extend their membership and activities, and communicate with similar communities of interest elsewhere via the Internet.
The program in particular targets individuals or groups that are socially, physically or geographically isolated, as well as people from non-English speaking backgrounds, indigenous people, older Victorians and people with a low income.
The program aimed to help more than 1500 groups to establish online communities by June 2003. This target was reached was reached in late March.
My Connected Community is one of several programs under the Government's Connecting Victoria strategy, which aims to deliver the benefits of technology to all Victorians.
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