Workshop to equip staff with technological skills

By Marc Membrere 05 October 2021, 3:00PM

The Digital Assessment Readiness Tool and the Information Communication Technology (I.C.T) Policy Development Workshop opened on Monday at the Taumeasina Island Resort.

The Digital Readiness Assessment Tool is a platform that looks at what are developments in the country in terms of communications, infrastructure, human power, and systems and regulations in terms of doing business.

The Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Toelupe Poumulinuku Onesemo, said in his keynote address everyone is living in an information age where I.C.T. more than ever before is recognised as a vital tool in achieving sustainable development.


"But the reality is that the advancement in these technologies have also at the same time widen the gaps between those countries and people who have accessed and those who have not especially in developing countries," Toelupe said.

"The challenge is to make I.C.T readily available, affordable and accessible to all, hence accelerating to transition to digital, especially in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic is even more pressing than ever.

"To achieve this, the need for the developing relevant meaningful policies and regulations is crucial."


The M.C.I.T Chief Executive Officer, Fualau Mata'u Matafeo, told this newspaper that the Government of Samoa through the M.C.I.T is working in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (U.N.D.P).

The four day workshop according to the C.E.O. is conducted by the Ministry and the U.N.D.P. to strengthen the building of ICT policies and regulations.


"I believe that today is another milestone achieved by the Ministry of Communications Information Technology and also the communications sector as a whole," Fualau said.

"As you are aware of the dynamics development of I.C.T. in Samoa and also in our region, we also have to keep our manpower up to the skills that it's required to develop policies and regulations.


"And I think that's the whole target for these four days is to ensure that we teach, we train with the assistance of U.N.D.P. and our development partners.

"In order to build the capacity of our employees so that they are better equipped with skills and the technologies that we are currently using but at the same time we look at the policies and the strategies in order to cater for that need."

By Marc Membrere 05 October 2021, 3:00PM
Samoa Observer

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