Standard Chartered partners IMDA to promote digital literacy to seniors

STANDARD Chartered has teamed up with the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) to conduct digital literacy training for more than 1,000 seniors, in efforts to build a more inclusive digital society in Singapore under the Digital for Life movement.

At Active Ageing Centres around the country, StanChart volunteers taught seniors how to connect their mobile phones to cellular or Wi-Fi networks, take pictures and post them to social media, find information online, plan their daily commutes, use banking apps, and safeguard themselves against common online scams such as phishing.

Doreen Tan, assistant chief executive (strategic planning and digital readiness) of IMDA, said: “As Singapore continues to digitalise, it is crucial that we build an inclusive digital society so that no one is left behind.”

The volunteers were trained and supported by digital ambassadors from IMDA’s SG Digital Office, with content based on IMDA’s Digital Skills for Life framework. This framework was introduced in January this year and aims to educate Singaporeans on how to carry out daily tasks online.

On the course’s content and making it easy to understand for seniors, Patrick Lee, chief executive of Singapore and Asean at StanChart, said: “We were focusing on basic digital literacy skills, especially as they relate to financial services, social media and security… We didn’t try to make it too complicated.”

Making learning fun

On Jun 7, 27 and 28, about 1,200 seniors in total – ranging from those in their 50s to 90s – put their new skills to the test at Gardens by the Bay. They were accompanied by about 1,200 volunteers from StanChart as they walked around Cloud Forest and Flower Dome, snapping pictures and using social media to share them.

Lee said: “We thought about how to make (learning) interesting and fun. Combining the recreational with the educational is very important – it stimulates more interest and more learning. We thought about a recreational outing to Gardens by the Bay, and combining that with training.”

The seniors were able to get personalised training from their assigned volunteer on a one-to-one basis, which Lee said was “more effective” than larger groups. 

One beneficiary, Tee Nam Sang, 74, said he no longer has to rely on his daughter on some digital skills – such as taking pictures – after learning them from the StanChart volunteers. 

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“After learning (these skills) and knowing how to use (the mobile phone), (day-to-day life) will be more eventful and we can have fun anytime we want,” Tee added, referring to himself and his 72-year-old wife Chong Yong Lian. They have been going to Loving Heart Active Ageing Centre in Jurong East since May 2023.

Over the next six months, StanChart will continue to conduct digital literacy workshops at Active Ageing Centres. These are is expected to involve more than 250 staff volunteers and 450 seniors. Next year, the bank aims to expand the workshops to more centres.