Hof sets up advice for digital beginners

Digital together - young people answer questions about digital applications free of charge.

Photo: Max Kratzer — Der bayerische Digitalminister Dr. Fabian Mehring (Mitte) übergibt den Förderbescheid im Rahmen der Auftaktveranstaltung im Museum für Kommunikation in Nürnberg an den Digitalisierungsbeauftragten der Stadt Hof, Benjamin Kupijai, und die in Hof für die Projektumsetzung zuständige Smart City Managerin, Martina Schmid (rechts).

Hof residents will receive free support with individual digital questions in the future: the city of Hof is one of 16 new municipalities that are setting up their own advice desks as part of the "digital together" project funded by the Bavarian State Ministry for Digital Affairs. The target group is particularly digital newcomers - the project aims to offer them help with individual everyday questions about the internet and smartphones. For example, it can explain how to use online public transport services. The information will range from very basic functions (how can I carry out updates myself or install apps?) to help with using municipal online services.

Mayor Eva Döhla: "This offer is ideal for Hof. It was a concern during the participation phase for our overall senior citizens' policy concept that there should be more information on digital issues in Hof. The 'digital together' project is open to everyone in Hof. The aim is to overcome language barriers and comprehension problems and to prepare us all for an ever faster changing digital world. I would like to thank VHS Hofer Land for participating in our project."

Digital Minister Dr. Fabian Mehring: "The digital turnaround can only succeed if we manage to take people with us on our journey into the future. I am therefore all the more pleased that Hof is so actively involved in our project. Whether young or old, digital native, techie or beginner. With our advice desks, we bring generations together and get people excited about the digital transformation. To this end, we are deliberately on the ground in Bavaria's municipalities, where digitalization meets the reality of people's lives. There, we train young people in the digital skills of newcomers and make them fit for the digital future. This is how we bring the digital and the social together, because Digitalization also works best together."

The project goes far beyond conventional digital support measures for senior citizens: on the one hand, it is aimed at digital beginners as a whole, while on the other hand, the beginners are coached by young people with local roots, thereby contributing to intergenerational exchange and cohesion.

The concept is currently being rounded off in Hof and the young people are being trained for their upcoming task. The dates for the free consultations are currently being coordinated and will be announced in the coming weeks. However, the location in the city center has already been decided: the consultations for all residents of Hof as part of the project will initially take place on the premises of the VHS Hofer Land.

In addition to promoting digital skills, 'digital together' also pursues social goals. In particular, the media-pedagogical training of the young people offers an opportunity to motivate them for their future at school and at work through the project and to strengthen their self-esteem.

The aim of 'digital together' is to enable people with little or no digital skills to use everyday digital services at a total of 30 locations throughout Bavaria. In the current second round of applications, more than 40 municipalities submitted committed applications to take part. 'Zusammen digital' is organized by the "JFF - Institute for Media Education in Research and Practice". The Bavarian State Ministry for Digital Affairs is funding the project with around 950,000 euros.