State funding

THE State Government is seeking expressions of interest from communities that require funding for the second round of the First Click computer program.

The First Click computer literacy fund was established last year to provide learning materials and grants to community groups to run computer-training sessions. It aims to increase computer literacy skills among all Western Australians, but particularly seniors, low-income families, families in regional areas, women out of the workforce, the unemployed, disabled, indigenous and non-English-speaking people.

The Government said that while WA had a relatively high level of computer literacy, the Internet was still a mystery for up to 400,000 adults who do not have any computing skills. These people’s job opportunities were often limited and their earnings capacity lower than would otherwise be the case.

The first round of funding provided grants totalling nearly $1 million to more than 70 regional and metropolitan organisations to provide computer literacy skills to 6,000 potential participants around the State.