WELLINGTON, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The New Zealand government will continue to help get seniors digitally enabled by delivering essential digital skills courses for up to 5,000 learners nationwide.
"Being online is increasingly important for participation in modern life, but as many as one in four older people do not access the internet regularly," Minister for Seniors Ginny Andersen said on Monday.
Budget 2022 allocated 1.341 million NZ dollars (830,000 U.S. dollars) over three years for the Office for Seniors to expand its digital literacy training for seniors program.
Barriers to digital inclusion can include a lack of access to devices or connections, the skills needed to use them or mistrust of the online environment, Andersen said.
"The programs focus on supporting older people to develop the skills to get online safely and confidently," she said, adding it is particularly targeted to deliver digital skills training in a way that works for diverse groups of older people, including older Maori, Pacific and East Asian people.
"From doing banking online to staying in touch with grandchildren, we want to make sure our seniors have access to all that modern technology offers," the minister said. ■
