On Monday, 1 October, the International Institute of Social Studies welcomed the first group of refugees to a computer skills course offered by Unity in Diversity.
The aim of this computer course is to familiarize the participants with very basic computer skills and help them get comfortable around computers. The point of departure is that while most of the participants are familiar with technology, since they use smartphones (and apps like Facebook and WhatsApp), they might not be comfortable with computer hardware and software.
The course will focus on basic internet skills including setting up an email account, sending emails, using the cloud/drive and such. The participants will also learn about the MS Office Suite - Word (typing, CV writing for the basic learners, referencing for the more advanced ones), PowerPoint (making a presentation and presenting it to the class), and Excel (making a spreadsheet).
The students were split into two groups - beginner and more advanced - to enable all participants to get the most out of the course. The skills acquired by the basic learners during the ten week course should give them an edge at work, while the more advanced learners can use this time to polish their skills. It is hoped that they will be able to use their newly-learnt skills both in school and at work.
The teachers are all volunteers, and include an ISS student from the current MA batch.
- More information
This pilot project was set up by Unity in Diversity which organizes projects that support and promote the sociocultural integration of refugees in the Netherlands.