Bridging the Digital Divide through NGOs a Study of Information Software Personnel Vocational Training Program

Abstract

自從美國NITA於1995年發表的「Falling Through the Net」報告揭露數位落差所可能帶來的社會不公平現象以來，數位落差的研究主軸似乎已由著重在資訊硬體設備及連線取得，轉移至資訊內容及資訊使用的訓練。本文探討在政府補助之下，非政府組織所提供的訓練課程「資訊軟體人才職業訓練」，是否可以提供「資訊弱勢族群」另外一個縮減數位落差的管道。研究發現，非政府組織所提供的訓練課程，在地點便利性及提供更多就業機會方面，得到肯定。但是研究也發現，政府及提供訓練的非政府組織，應該特別注意政府補助計畫政策及非政府組織所提供的訓練課程安排方面所帶來的負面問題，以便提高這類補助的訓練效果。

The issue of the digital divide has become a critical aspect of inequality and social injustice in our world particular after the first report ”Falling Through the Net” issued by NTIA in 1995. The focus of recent studies on the digital divide, however, seems to shift from the issue of physical access to information technology (IT) and the Internet to that of content and training. This paper has studied the effectiveness of the vocational training programs offered by for-profit non-government organizations (NGOs) and subsidized by Taiwan Government in an attempt to narrowing the information gap. The exploratory case study has found that by providing convenient locations and better employment opportunities, NGOs offered the information ”have-nots” an alternative to bridge the information gap. However, NGOs and government should pay more attention on the problems associated with the subsidy scheme and the course design to improve the effectiveness of the vocational training programs.