ABOUT THE I-CAN CENTR
WESTERN CAPE GOVERNMENT
The Western Cape Government is rolling out Broadband Technology across different areas in the Western Cape Province.
One of the projects under the Broadband Initiative is called Connected Citizens where an Interactive Community Access Network (I-CAN) Center has been set up in a local community.
As part of the Connected Citizens project, a pilot project has been earmarked as a digital public access Centre, known as Interactive Community Access Network (I-CAN) Centre project based at the Elsies River Multi-Purpose Centre (ERMPC).
As stimuli to boost the uptake of the Broadband usage and services at the I-CAN, specific programming in the arena of ICT has been developed to improve employability skills and digital skills in the workplace.
DEDAT has identified that providing the province with Broadband and a distribution of devices would not necessarily stimulate the uptake and usage of Broadband services that will be available to the citizens of the Western Cape, thus as a measure to ensure that the broadband rollout achieves the strategic goals of skills development, economic development, job creation and growing of businesses and entrepreneurs, specific training has been developed in order to increase the uptake of broadband and supply the skills demand within the ICT and other sectors.
The boost in Entrepreneurship and support to SMME’s will occur through access to information and empower business owners through entrepreneurship programmes at the I-CAN Centre.
All programming will improve skills, employment development, grow innovation, stimulate creativity, supplement motivation for young people in schools, support tertiary students to complete studies and alleviate poverty issues in the community.
The I-CAN Centre is the digital heart for communities and has a strategic adoption framework that outlines how citizens can be upskilled through specialized service providers and how companies can invest in the I-CAN Centre going forward.
This initiative is a game changer in community development and transformation will inevitable in our local communities.
Narrative
We provide opportunities to succeed
The I-CAN Centre is a digital public access facility for all citizens. This unique environment offers various digital services and entrepreneurship support.
The importance of access to ICT as a means for development was recognized as far back as 1980 with the commissioning of a report by UNESCO that identified the need for a more equitable allocation of resources in the field of communication.
In this model local government partners with local entrepreneurs to establish and maintain public access centres.
The current challenges the community faces through gang violence, drug abuse and many more can be addressed through social projects and social innovation.
Reframing mindsets in a community is a process, but the offerings of the I-CAN Centre, citizens can transform their lives through digital skills and broadband usage.
The I-CAN Centre aims to transform a local community into a digital village. This will in return, makes broadband usage a demand. Through the interest and buy-in of a community where citizens will explore and discover new ways of learning through technology.