Scottish Parliament e-Brief, Issue 254

Cash incentive to learn computing skills
Every adult in Scotland will be offered up to Ł100 to improve their computer skills. The initiative is part of the Executive's Individual Learning Account (ILA) Scotland scheme which offers low income learners up to Ł200 a year to pay for courses to help them get back into work.

This has today been extended to provide funding of up to Ł100 a year for basic skills Information and Communications Technology (ICT) training to everyone in Scotland over 18, regardless of income.

The roll-out of ILA Scotland has been welcomed by a range of organisations, including the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC).

Ł19.3 million has been allocated for the ILA scheme for each of the financial years 2005/06, 2006/07 and 2007/08. ILA Scotland provides the learner with up to Ł200 per learner year. How the learner uses these funds is up to them; they might want to use it for one single course or for several smaller courses throughout the year. A learner year runs for 12 months from when an individuals learning account is set up. Since the targeted ILA Scotland scheme was launched last December, over 9,000 learners have signed up to the programme.

All the learner has to do to access these funds is to call free on 0808 100 1090 to request an ILA Scotland application pack, choose the learning they want to do and then pay to their chosen learning provider a minimum personal contribution of Ł10 pounds towards each piece of learning they undertake. Their ILA Scotland funds will be paid direct to their chosen learning provider.

Learners earning more than Ł15,000 per year can choose from a range of basic skills ICT courses. The Ł100 may be put towards the cost of a single computer course or can be used to help pay for several smaller courses throughout the year.

All ILA Scotland-registered learning providers must satisfy rigorous quality standards, which should ensure that all learners have a positive and productive learning experience.

World's biggest youth conference
The world's most important conference for young people began yesterday in Stirling.

The World Youth Congress, brings together 600 of the world's most dynamic young people from over 100 countries.

Delegates, including a large group of Scots and 50 young journalists, will discuss worldwide social and environmental issues, as well as how best to meet achieve the UN's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The UN's MDGs are policy goals which all UN Member States have pledged to meet by 2015 and include the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, reducing child mortality and tackling diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria.

The delegation of 600 will be made up of:

400 activists and participants;
100 UK delegates, including 54 Scots;
50 young journalists; and
50 cultural performers.

The Congress theme is "Young people working for a sustainable world community". Within this overarching heading, six key themes will run through the Congress programme and will be reflected in the skills workshops, community action projects and outcome documents of the Congress. The key themes are:

Sustainability (environmental and economic);
Poverty (combat hunger and debt, meet housing and hygiene needs);
Education (ensure universal primary education, combat illiteracy);
Equality (gender equality, tolerance, social inclusion);
Community (conflict resolution, social responsibility); and
Health (HIV / AIDS, reduce child mortality).