To say that 2020 has been a bad year would be an understatement. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused so many problems both personally and professionally. It has become hard to see a silver-lining when the global economy is in the state it is in. However, there definitely are some bright spots to be seen among the devastation.
For one, the availability of e-learning platforms and services to stand in for classroom educations for all levels skyrocketed during the pandemic. Interest in e-learning has also risen dramatically as people are for the most part, stuck at home. Everyone, from young learners to seasoned professional, have taken to online learning in order to compensate for the closure of physical classes due to the pandemic.
With pandemic-related effects posing an ever-present threat, embracing digitalisation has become more imperative than ever. While some more mature and economically developed nations may be further along with their digital adoption, countries such as Vietnam and Indonesia are also jumping on the train, announcing that their SME workers affected by Covid-19 will be embarking on their own e-learning journey.
In Indonesia, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology revealed it’s working with the Indonesian E-commerce Association (IdEA) to kick off online classes for 2,500 SMEs, starting from this October until 12 December.
Up to 60 different classes will be offered as a part of this initiative to enhance digital inclusion among Indonesian SMEs. Additionally, the programme will also target SMEs outside of the main urban hubs, including in remote areas and in tourist locations.
“We’ve seen that the successful cases of SME digitalization mostly occur on Java island. So, we want the same success for SMEs all around the nation,” stated Johnny G Plate, Indonesia’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology. “We also want to see those already on the digital platforms upscaling their businesses.”
Meanwhile, in Vietnam, a series of short training courses is being introduced in eight cities and provinces across the country, with the aim of helping at least 1,000 workers who have been impacted by the pandemic or its consequent effects like downsizing.
These classes are being conducted in collaboration with the German development agency Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit and Vietnam’s General Directorate of Vocational Training; and will run for two months until the end of the year.
Workers heavily affected by the pandemic such as tourism and hospitality can opt for these e-learning programs which will focus on reskilling participants in more sustainable industry fields.
