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Volunteers from the digital public administration are now arriving to help Italians in computer literacy. The Minister of Technological Innovation and Digitization, Paola Pisano, and the Minister of Youth and Sports Policies, Vincenzo Spadafora, signed the memorandum of understanding today to initiate experimentation and employ at least 1,000 volunteer operators in the role of “digital facilitators. The young people, after a training period, will get involved in the territory, in the neighborhoods, in the local communities and in the public spaces organized to welcome and guide those who need help in the use of technologies. Ultimately, it will be a civil service for people who already have digital skills, to pass them on to citizens of all ages.
The Italian lag in digital literacy
Data from Istat on basic digital skills demonstrate the usefulness of this support. The widespread use of smartphones and social networks does not translate into a conscious use of technological tools: 42% of the population between 16 and 74 years old have at least basic digital skills, 58% do not have digital skills. There are also 26 million citizens between the ages of 16 and 74 without at least basic digital skills, a figure that places us far behind the European average of 42%. Still, this 58% includes 11 million people who do not use the Internet and 15 million are Internet users who do not have basic skills. In fact, many Italians navigate the Internet sea without a compass and often cling to a log in the middle of the storm.
The call to become “digital enablers”
The note issued by the ministry affirms that the digital civil service initiative “aims to increase the digital skills and competencies of citizens and encourage the use of digital public services to promote the full enjoyment of citizen rights, to disseminate an approach aware of the digital reality and facilitate collaboration between public administration, institutions and citizens. ”The public notice of presentation of intervention programs and projects for the digital public function will be addressed to the bodies accredited in the Universal Registry of the Function Public and will be published at the beginning of the year on the website of the Department of Youth Policies and Services.
The protocol on the digital public function, explains the note, is part of the objectives of the ‘República Digital’ program promoted by Minister Pisano to counteract the digital divide, even of a cultural nature, and fully responds to the main objective of the supported Public Function by Minister Spadafora investing in young people, their training and their role as active citizens. The introduction of digital identity, the need and convenience of using public administration online services (an example is the race to assign the Spid for “cashback”) make a digital literacy plan not postponed, or a great part of the population will be left behind.
Pisano and Spadafora: “The task of the state leaves no one behind in computer literacy”
“The girls and boys of the digital public function – said Minister Pisano – will be committed to helping citizens, starting with the elderly and those less familiar with technologies, to obtain and use the new digital services of the Citizens. administration such as the public digital identity system (Spid) or the “Io” application to access public services from a mobile phone. of new digital services “.
Minister Spadafora explained that “during the confinement, thousands of girls and boys made their technological skills available to help their family and friends to stay connected, despite the distances imposed by the pandemic, and to take advantage of the digital services of organizations, institutions, offices, associations. It was a spontaneous response that in a short time allowed a digital leap for many citizens less used to new technologies. It is a push that we must not lose. The protocol signed today will allow a first experiment in 2021 by the Digital Civil Service Service, which will be better exploited in the near future also thanks to the next generation EU plan. “
