More than 800 seniors over the age of 55 living in rural areas across Spain benefited in 2020 from the workshops of the Expertclick technology school, a program by the Cibervoluntarios Foundation and the AEB Foundation of the Spanish Banking Association, which has now completed three editions.
Since its launch in 2018, more than 2,100 people have attended these free training sessions on the use and management of digital tools, applications, and technological services or content related to administrative, health, online banking, or social procedures.
Classes in the latest edition of Expertclick were held exclusively online following pandemic prevention protocols, which represented a significant challenge for the participants, most of whom were women residing in 62 municipalities.
For José María Roldán, president of the AEB and its foundation, “technology has played a life-saving role during the pandemic in personal communication and the provision of goods and services. For this reason, the banking sector is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of their age or where they live, can take advantage of the benefits provided by technology during the most difficult times and also in the normality of their daily lives.”
Yolanda Rueda, president of the Cibervoluntarios Foundation, states that “it is very gratifying to see how technology has become the best ally for many seniors living alone, helping them stay in virtual contact with others and, ultimately, making their lives easier.”
Expertclick student Ana Vinseiro from Concello A Estrada (Galicia) values having learned to make medical appointments online without having to visit the center, as well as discovering the communication possibilities available through her mobile device: “now I can make video calls with my family.”
The objective of this project is to contribute to improving the quality of life for seniors and to encourage their participation in society. According to the National Statistics Institute (INE), there are 125 people over the age of 64 for every one hundred people under 16 in Spain, representing an all-time high in aging.
