About the Initiative
The Digital Transformation Centres (DTC) Initiative was launched in September 2019 by ITU in partnership with Cisco, with the objective of supporting countries to strengthen the digital capacities of citizens, particularly those in rural and the underserved communities. The Initiative operates through a global network of national institutions, the Digital Transformation Centres (DTCs), which have a mandate to deliver digital skills programmes in their countries. The DTCs operate nationally and demonstrate proven capacity, infrastructure and experience to implement training at basic and intermediate levels. More information about the DTCs is available here.
Empowering communities through digital skills: Looking back, moving forward: A five-year review of the DTC Initiative
The Digital Transformation Centres (DTC) Initiative began with a clear vision: to help more people, particularly those in rural and underserved areas, acquire the digital skills they need to thrive in today’s connected world. Launched in September 2019 through a partnership between ITU and Cisco, the Initiative has grown into a global effort to support communities left behind in the digital age.
From an initial network of nine centres, the DTCI has expanded to 14 Digital Transformation Centres across Africa, the Americas, the Arab States and the Asia-Pacific regions. These centres provide free training in basic and intermediate digital skills, including internationally accredited courses that empower learners to build confidence, find employment, start businesses, and engage safely and fully in an increasingly digital economy and society.
With the release of the five-year review of the DTC Initiative "Empowering communities through digital skills: Looking back, moving forward" (2020–2025), ITU and Cisco reflect on the Initiative’s success, the power of multi-stakeholder partnerships and cross-sectoral collaboration, as well as the lasting impact of investing in people’s digital capacities.
As we look to the future, ITU and Cisco remain committed to expanding the DTC network, fostering collaboration, and bridging the digital divide and digital skills gap, so that everyone, everywhere, can benefit from the opportunities of the digital age.
Download the full report here.
“Boosting Digital Skills through the Digital Transformation Centres” Project
In 2021, the “Boosting Digital Skills through the Digital Transformation Centres” project was launched as a partnership between ITU and the Government of Norway. This project supports the activities implemented under the DTC Initiative, particularly those aimed at scaling the delivery of digital skills training – and hence digital literacy - in local communities and among marginalized groups.
The first project, implemented from January 2021 to September 2024, provided significant resources for expanding digital skills training in Ghana as well as the global DTC Initiative. The project has transformed the lives of over 22,000 people (68 per cent women) —including women entrepreneurs, students, marginalized groups, persons with disabilities, including visual impairments and unemployed youth - through digital skills training interventions, fostering social and economic development in underserved areas. The project also equipped community ICT centres, supported coding clubs, and strengthened the capacity of trainers in Ghana.
Highlights and results achieved under the project, as well as testimonials from training participants, are featured in the project video documentary (below) and the impact story "Revolutionizing lives with DTC in Ghana".
Call for partners
The DTC Initiative can only achieve scale through the engagement of partners. Private and public sectors, UN agencies, governments, and the international/donor community interested in partnering with ITU and Cisco are welcome to contact the ITU Capacity and Digital Skills Development Division at dtc@itu.int
Read more about the Digital Transformation Centres Initiative.