March 28, 2006
Following its success in helping the Council of Agricultural Affairs teach computer skills to women in farming village cooperatives in 2005, Microsoft Taiwan this year is working with the National Youth Commission to teach computer-based micro-enterprise skills to 850 women that work on popular shopping streets around Taiwan.
Microsoft Taiwan has invested the approximately
USD 800,000 it received in compensation from the public as a result of its anti-piracy efforts in 2004 in programs aimed at narrowing the digital divide in Taiwan. Over the next two years, the US software maker intends to put another
NTD 30 million into such programs.
Providing an example of the value of know-how, Microsoft Taiwan says that, although last year's COA computer classes taught only the use of basic software applications such as those for
email, word processing and databases, the courses succeeded in boosting the value of the farm products in those villages by at least three times. In all, 312 farming village women participated in the classes at 13 locations around the island in 2005. This year, Microsoft Taiwan and the COA will select 50 farming women to enroll in more advanced classes that teach e-commerce skills. This COA digital skills program is called the Digital Phoenix Plan.
The NYC points out that such courses help female entrepreneurs apply computer knowledge to the establishment of micro enterprises.
(Central News Agency)
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