The Spanish Seniors Association for Technical Cooperation (SECOT) and the AEB Foundation, of the Spanish Banking Association (AEB), are launching ‘Conectando mayores’, a training program in the use of new technologies for people over 60 residing in urban and rural areas.
More than 1,500 beneficiaries will receive training in 2023 through programs at no cost to them, which will be delivered in senior centers, municipal social centers, and senior residences, both day centers and full-time facilities, in at least 16 Spanish provinces.
Reducing the isolation of beneficiaries, increasing their autonomy, and improving their quality of life is the objective of these workshops, which will be held in Madrid, Málaga, Seville, Jaén, Álava, Asturias, the Balearic Islands, Barcelona, Castellón, Vigo, Alicante, Valencia, La Rioja, Biscay, Valladolid, Salamanca, and León, and which are expected to expand to other regions.
Thanks to these training sessions led by senior volunteers, students acquire the skills to use mobile devices to establish direct contact with their families and access useful applications for all types of daily tasks, such as online banking and online shopping.
“Our objective is to provide senior citizens with the necessary knowledge so they can take advantage of the benefits offered by digitalization and improve their quality of life,” states Alejandra Kindelán, President of AEB and its foundation. “New technologies should not be a barrier, but rather a tool at the service of everyone.”
For his part, Inocente Gómez, President of SECOT, states that “reducing the digital divide among seniors has been one of our objectives for more than 10 years. Our alliance with AEB will allow us to increase the positive impact with close, quality training based on the experience of Senior Volunteers,” and indeed “being a senior does not have to be at odds with being connected.”
