According to’Insee, 17% of the French population is in a situation of illectronism, that is to say the state of a person who does not master the skills necessary for the use and creation of digital resources. Faced with this alarming finding, Huawei took advantage of the Parisian VivaTech trade fair to announce, alongside its partners Simplon, Close the Gap and ATRenew, the launch of the DigiTruck program. The concept is simple: a connected vehicle that travels the Hauts-de-France to help people with digital difficulties. The DigiTruck team offers all these people – without access or with limited access to digital resources – basic computer training. ” It is the responsibility of a large technological group like Huawei to help reduce the digital divide ” , said Linda Han, CEO of Huawei in France, during the project announcement conference. With 40 participants per day and 200 per week, the program could reach more than 10,000 people in Hauts-de-France.
Turning a container into a mobile classroom
The DigiTruck project was primarily designed for young adults, job seekers and seniors. It offers training in a container converted into a mobile and connected classroom. Training is provided by experts from the Simplon group, specialist in digital training. ” We will use active pedagogy in our training. In other words, we will start from the concrete problems encountered by the participants to help them find precise solutions ” , details Frédéric Bardeau, president and co-founder of Simplon.
The Belgian NGO, Close the Gap, has been called upon in particular for its work in Africa, and more particularly in Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire, where it is launching two DigiTruck operations in parallel. ATRenew, a specialist in computer equipment recycling, for its part, supplied the tablets as well as the smartphones that will be used during the experiment.
The DigiTruck has 20 workstations equipped with tablets, a local wifi network, an overhead projector, as well as Huawei smartphones. The installation is powered by solar energy through panels installed on the roof, thus limiting the carbon footprint of this experience. ” Our ambition is to provide a fun program to promote the professional integration of people affected by the digital divide and to share the digital culture in one of the regions most affected by illectronism in France ” , explains Frédéric Bardeau.
The fight against illectronism and the digital divide
The Hauts-de-France has 800,000 people in a situation of illectronism according to theInsee, making this region the first victim of the digital divide. The DigiTruck will therefore target “Priority City Districts” (QPV) which have a significant need for access to training and employment.
Classes, from 90 to 120 minutes, will focus on a specific skill, with 3 to 4 daily sessions. They will allow you to familiarize yourself with the devices, use messaging services and online conferencing tools. They will also respond to targeted objectives such as ” format a professional documentl “or” complete an online administrative form » . “We have worked a lot with The Assemblers, the inclusive digital hub of Hauts-de-France, to offer a long-standing thoughtful training program that is consistent with the needs of the population ” , specifies the president of Simplon.
Sustain the project, a social responsibility
« We want to provide a quality internet connection to the entire French population, but we also realize that this is not enough to fight against the digital divide. This is why we have decided to offer personalized support, in the form of a mobile school which meets the inhabitants to meet their daily needs ” , develops Linda Han.
The DigiTruck will thus travel the roads of Hauts-de-France from July 5 to November 27. It will cross 9 cities:
- Béthune from July 5 to 18
- Dunkirk from July 19 to August 1
- Calais from August 2 to August 15
- Boulogne from August 16 to August 29
- Douai from August 30 to September 19
- Valenciennes from September 20 to October 3
- Lens from October 4 to October 17
- Roubaix from October 18 to November 7
- Lille from 8 to 27 November
But the program may not stop there. ” 50% of digital jobs are in Île-de-France, while it is also the second region most affected by the digital divide. We would therefore like to deploy our program there, if the first stage in Hauts-de-France is successful ” , explains Frédéric Bardeau.
Maddyness, Huawei media partner.
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