Record number of seniors and schools ride the digital wave at largest Intergen Bootcamp

For the first time, 18 schools from the North East district will be coming together to bring infocomm to seniors. Through a series of IT workshops, over 450 seniors will learn basic computer usage such as introduction to parts of a computer, keyboard and mouse skills and the Windows operating system.
Held from 15 November to 30 March 2016, the North East Eldersurf Intergen Bootcamp is conducted in both English and Mandarin and led by student cyberguides and volunteers aged 10 to 15 years. The seniors will also learn more about eEntertainment, the Internet, and email, amongst others. Part of the curriculum is the use of POSB’s self-service banking and SMS banking services, through hands on experience, customised to make banking transactions easier for seniors.
Ms. Jacqueline Poh, Managing Director, IDA said, “Technology can be very daunting for seniors, but events like these show how simple and useful it is. What’s more, it helps bring families and communities together – which is what life in a Smart Nation is all about – enriching lives and creating opportunities.”
The Annual Survey on Infocomm Usage 2014 also indicates that more than half of seniors, who are interested to learn IT skills, first pick it up from family members.
Mr. Teo Ser Luck, Mayor of North East District said, “When we initiate a programme, it is always about benefitting our residents. I am glad that both the seniors and the younger generation are involved in this one. Eldersurf promotes picking up new skills while the two generations bond and the best thing to come out of this programme is the appreciation of what each other could offer.”
The programme is a collaboration between the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), North East Community Development Council (NE CDC), POSB Bank and participating schools. It was unveiled at the opening ceremony of the POSB White Sands branch which was graced by Guest-of-Honour Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean.
Mr. Derrick Goh, Head of POSB said, “The world is becoming more digital and we want to play our part to ensure that our seniors are not left behind. As we promote financial literacy to seniors, we want to also ensure that our elders take full advantage of POSB’s suite of digital banking services so as to enjoy greater convenience. We are glad to support this initiative to help our seniors live life to the fullest.”
The 3-hour IT workshops are conducted by professional trainers in groups of 25 senior-student pairs. The programme has been received positively, with many seniors expressing delight at the ease of communicating with loved ones and sourcing for information with infocomm. Some are keen to continue their digital journey through similar workshops.
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About Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore
The mission of the IDA is to develop information technology and telecommunications within Singapore with a view to serve citizens of all ages and companies of all sizes. IDA does this by actively supporting the growth of innovative technology companies and start-ups in Singapore, working with leading global IT companies as well as developing excellent information technology and telecommunications infrastructure, policies and capabilities for Singapore. For more news and information, visit www.ida.gov.sg. Follow IDA on Facebook and Twitter.
About North East Community Development Council
Set up in 1997, North East Community Development Council (CDC) serves a population of over 855,000 residents in three Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) and two Single Member Constituencies (SMCs). They are Aljunied, Pasir Ris–Punggol, Tampines GRCs, Hougang and Punggol East SMCs. North East CDC administers financial and employment assistance to residents in need as well as works closely with community and corporate partners to plan outreach programmes to promote bonding and social cohesion. North East CDC is headed by Mayor Teo Ser Luck. For more information, please visit https://cdc.org.sg/northeast/
About POSB
A part of the DBS Group, POSB is the largest and oldest local bank in Singapore with over 4 million customers. Having served generations of Singaporeans for the past 139 years, it is known as the “People’s Bank”, and prides itself on being “neighbours first, bankers second”.
With a good understanding of Singaporeans through the years, POSB offers products and services that are relevant to the savings, borrowing, investment and insurance needs of all Singaporeans. With over 50 branches conveniently located islandwide, and over 1,000 ATMs and Cash Acceptance Machines across the island, POSB’s distribution network is the largest in Singapore.
POSB acknowledges the passion, commitment and can-do spirit in each of its staff. For more information, please visit www.posb.com.sg.