NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (February 07, 2017) — The  Nevis Island Administration’s Information Technology (IT) Department will observe its inaugural Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Week from February 11 to 18, 2017.

 

The week of activities will include an NIA information session from 9:00 a.m. to noon on February 13 at the Ministry of Finance conference room; GSS Talk and CSS Talk on February 14 at the Gingerland and Charlestown Secondary schools; Tech Talk on February 14 at 8:00 p.m. on VON Radio; and an Open Day on February 17 at the IT Department at Gasspree Building on Craddock Road.

 

Director of the IT Department Quincy Prentice promises that the events will be engaging, enlightening and educational.

 

“The theme for the week of activities is ‘An Introduction to ICT for positive Social and Economic Development.’

 

“ICT is pervasive. Basically, everyone has a computer, has a telephone, has a smart tv. Businesses rely heavily on information and communication technologies in their day-to-day operations. However, in as much as it is pervasive, it’s still in the background. People use it without truly understanding what it is they are doing, so the introduction is saying this is what you can really do and how you can really benefit from the use of information and communication technology,” Prentice said.

 

The activities to mark the week are being sponsored by Nevis Housing and Land Development Corporation, Nevis Air and Sea Ports Authority (NASPA), Agile Junction Technologies, OHM International, Flow and the Nevis Island Administration.

 

The goals of ICT Week are to connect ICT solutions providers with solution seekers; to promote the growth and development of our local ICT sector; to raise awareness about critical ICT issues such as cyber-security, cyber-bullying and artificial intelligence and; to generate interest in ICT as a career.

 

The events are geared toward increasing the knowledge and heightening the awareness about the impact of ICT throughout the island of Nevis.  One of the premiere activities will be the Open Day on February 17, 2017.

 

“We’re inviting the general public to come into our offices. They can benefit from a number of sessions that will touch on the various ICT-related issues. I will be doing a session on General Computer Awareness. You may have heard about the computer. You may have heard about technology but a lot of persons have not been exposed to any formal training. This is your opportunity to get a better understanding of what technology is about and hopefully assist you in your day-to-day lives,” Prentice said.

 

A number of sessions will also be geared towards the business community.

 

“A lot of the smaller businesses on the island may not have the resources to fully leverage information and communication technology, so we thought it appropriate to have a number of sessions that are geared towards them and to assist them in the development of their businesses,” he said.

 

 

The team at the IT department is encouraging all persons on the island of Nevis to patronise the events, so as to increase user knowledge, interface and protection.

 

An official Web site has been launched for the event. Persons can log on to http://ictweek.niagov.com to see a list of all of the activities and to register for the sessions in which they wish to participate on the Open Day.

 

For additional information, interested persons should call the IT Department at 469-5521, ext. 5050 or 5051, or email ictweek@niagov.com

 

Activities for the week will commence on February 11, with a service at the Beulah Seventh-Day Adventist Church and culminate with the ITD Delta Awards Ceremony at Nisbet Plantation Inn on February 18, 2017.