DTC Dominican Republic at a glance
The Community Technical Centres (CTC) is a public education institution delivering digital skills training at basic, intermediate and advanced levels. CTC joined the Initiative in January 2020.
Most of its courses are delivered with instructors through the four community centres operating in socio-economically deprived areas, as well as through the seven service and training centres operating at metro stations. CTC is also delivering content through 94 community radio stations and 77 community libraries. Training is delivered through more than 300 instructors and courses are largely instructor-led.
DTC-Dominican Republic continues to build institutional capacity to deliver DTCI content
From 22 January to 2 February 2024, the DTC in the Dominican Republic “Centros Technologicos Comunitarios” (CTC) conducted a train-the-trainer activity on the Cisco and HP-LIFE programmes. The training was supported by ITU and the Government of Norway through the ITU Project “Boosting Digital Skills through Digital Transformation Centres”: It aimed to strengthen the capacities of CTC instructors in delivering quality basic digital skills for underserved and rural communities and ensuring an effective pedagogical approach. In total, 50 facilitators (25 female) were selected by CTC area supervisors across the country, on the basis that they have the capacity and bandwidth to scale and cascade the knowledge and skills acquired, as well as the motivation to empower themselves and their communities. The training was delivered in a hybrid modality combining classroom and self-paced learning (70-30 ratio) and provided an opportunity for participants to focus on acquiring the skills to use digital tools and teaching techniques, as well as learn about best practices to deliver Cisco and HP-LIFE courses such as “Introduction to Data Science” and “Entrepreneurship”.
Following this training, DTC – Dominican Republic will establish virtual support platforms and online learning communities to enable facilitators to maintain contact and share their experiences and resources. Refresher sessions and networking opportunities will also be organised on a regular basis to keep facilitators up to date with the latest trends, advancements and changes in the Cisco and HP LIFE platforms. Ensuring effective monitoring and evaluation will also be crucial for CTC to measure progress and seek continued feedback as they train citizens in the communities.
Facilitators of DTC-Dominican Republic get trained on HP-LIFE programme
As part of their collaboration under the DTC Initiative, ITU and the UNDP Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development (IICPSD) co-organised train-the-trainer sessions on the HP-LIFE programme for facilitators of “Centros Teleológicos Comunitarios” (CTC), the DTC in the Dominican Republic. The training was conducted virtually on 18-21 September in Spanish language and brought together 22 (16 male, 6 female) trainers and managers from local training centres. As the DTC in the Dominican Republic already has proven experience in using and delivering HP-LIFE courses as part of its training offering, the HP master trainer convened participants for a brainstorming session prior to the training to take stock of their specific needs and tailor the programme accordingly.
Sessions focused on the tools, techniques, and best practices to deliver the programme, particularly the courses on entrepreneurship skills, communication, and soft skills in leadership and provided an interactive platform for participants to engage in simulation exercises and presentations. Most attendees expressed interest in continuing the process through deep-dive trainer sessions, to be held within the next months.