Digital Literacy Training for seniors

Being online is increasingly important for modern life, but as many as one in four older people do not regularly use the internet. Since 2019 the Office has been delivering its award-winning Digital Literacy Training for Seniors programme.

Budget 2022 allocated additional funding of $1.341 million over three years to continue and expand the programme, as part of the Government’s commitment to implement the Better Later life Strategy and Action Plan

The priorities for the expansion of the Digital Literacy Training for Seniors programme are to:

• support 5,000 more participants to learn essential digital skills

• target older population groups at greater risk of digital exclusion

• improve the sustainability of digital training programmes for older people.

The Office has partnered with the Ministry for Pacific Peoples, which will deliver up to 450 digital devices in support of the delivery of the digital training for older Pacific People. Pasefika Proud has also committed funding to support older Pacific learners.

Organisations delivering digital training for seniors over the next three years are:

2020 Communications Trust (Māori and Pacific focus aged 55+)

The Seniors CONNECT programme will be providing digital literacy training to 300 Māori “Kaumātua” and 200 Pacific seniors “Matua” across Aotearoa/New Zealand from Te Tai Tokerau, across the North Island to Te Tairawhiti, down to Manawatu, and further to Ōtautahi – Christchurch area. The training will be delivered in culturally appropriate environments such as churches and marae, as well as, in languages conducive to successful learning.

360 Tautua Trust Board (Pacific focus aged 55+)

The MATUA GO DIGITAL programme will be providing digital literacy training to 130 Pacific seniors “Matua”. The training will be delivered in a culturally appropriate way, at their churches and local community, and in their own languages. The Pacific Matua will also be supported through tuakana-teina learning, where younger family and Church members will be available to work alongside the trainer/facilitator. The programme has a national reach, but with a focus on more isolated regions with emergent Pacific populations. For example, Oamaru, Blenheim, Timaru, Ashburton, Balclutha and Invercargill.

Age Concern Auckland(Asian community focus aged 65+)

The Asian Service Team will deliver the “Tech for Seniors” programme for older Asian people in the Auckland region. This programme aims to provide digital literacy training in a culturally and linguistically appropriate way to 1,100 non-English speaking older Asian people.

Digital Inclusion Alliance Aotearoa (Nationwide focus aged 65+)

The Digital Inclusion Alliance Aotearoa is a national network of over 400 trusted local organisations, providing digital literacy support for their communities. Approximately half of these organisations are public libraries; the others provide targeted social services to their communities. Many provide services specifically for older people. The digital literacy programme that we will be providing to 3000 older people through our programme partners is called Better Digital Futures for Seniors. This takes people on a learning journey to build their skills and confidence to use digital tools and engage online. Better Digital Futures offers six learning pathways; older people can choose the pathway (or pathways) most suited to their needs. More details can be found on our Stepping UP website. We welcome inquiries from organisations supporting older people that are interested in delivering Better Digital Futures to their community. We invite you to complete our Expression of Interest form.

Moana Connect (Pacific focus aged 55 plus)

The DIGIFALE programme is designed for Pacific communities with a focus on Pacific seniors. It utilises a ‘train the trainer’ approach where young people (DIGIFALE navigators) will be teaching Pacific seniors the required digital literacy skills to navigate online platforms on a smart phone to improve health and wellbeing. The training will be provided at their churches and in their own languages. DIGIFALE is working with Pacific churches in Auckland, Wellington, and Dunedin. This programme aims to reach 120 Pacific seniors.

Takiri Mai Te Ata (Māori focus aged 55+)

Tākiri Mai te Ata is a collective of seven health, education, justice and social service providers, in the Hutt Valley, Wellington and the Porirua regions that have been working together for 45 + years. Kaumātua having access to digital technology and having the skills to learn them is vital in todays world though one they were not born into. Takiri Mai Te Ata has a Kaumātua Kaimahi already leading our Kokiri Hauora kaumatua programs who will step up into this space and support them to be confident and competent in this space. The Kaumātua Digital Literacy Te Arawhiti Hangarau programme will be connecting Kaumātua and Rangatahi together. Rangatahi support kaumātua with digital literacy training, while kaumātua can support the rangatahi who often feel disconnected from culture and whakapapa. This programme aims to reach 100 Kaumātua in the Hutt Valley region over a two-year period.

Digital Inclusion

Enhancing opportunities for participation and social connection

Last modified: 15 June 2023