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ICT Training for DevelopmentThe Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector incorporates a wide variety of interdependent sub-sectors, including computer hardware and packaged software resellers and installers; telecommunications services providers (Internet and phone services); software developers; software integrators; and IT-savvy consultants who help organizations define and meet their IT needs and adjust their business processes to take advantage of ICTs. Reducing the "Digital Divide" through ICT TrainingThe rapid proliferation of ICTs in industrialized nations has created a "digital divide" between approximately one billion of the world's citizens who have access to these technologies and the billions not yet able to join the global ICT community. Encouraged by the ever lower-priced Internet "devices" (including computers, hand-held personal digital assistants, or PDAs, and smart phones), the development of low-cost WiFi phones, the growing area of cloud computing, and numerous other ongoing innovations, this gap in access will continue to shrink rapidly as ICTs become more energy- and cost-efficient, more portable and durable, and more widely available. USAID's ICT training for development programs are also helping to reduce the impact of the digital divide. Providing Free Training in Partnership with the USTTIOne example of an ICT training for development program is the United States Telecommunications Training Institute (USTTI) public-private partnership. With support from USAID and other partners, USTTI provides tuition-free training for developing country professionals. USTTI works with USAID training and education officers to provide scholarship funding and J-1 visa support to highly qualified candidates who cannot afford the airfare, hotel, and subsistence costs associated with training. USAID Missions assist with identifying candidates and helping them fulfill pre-departure requirements for visa processing. USTTI's coursework helps provide developing country professionals with the knowledge to design, implement, manage, and maintain state-of-the-art telecommunications systems for their countrymen. The curriculum includes courses such as:
USTTI also offers several special senior-level seminars designed to promote enlightened international communications policy, including opportunities for U.S. Government and developing country policymakers to discuss developments in these fields. USTTI training courses range from one to four weeks in length. Approximately 100 courses are offered each year. The USAID/USTTI training partnership supports the broader goals of building democracy and improving economic growth in developing countries. |
