FREE to the end-users through sponsorships by individuals, companies, foundations, and government. The ICWFD’s “E-Skills360” e-learning platform equips girls and boys, women and men with 21st century employability skills so that they are ready to compete in the global economy. The resulting well-trained individuals attract multi-national and local corporate investment into the local economy by providing a talented workforce base from which companies can hire skilled employees. ICWFD is a California-based 501(c)3 non-profit public charity organization.
The ICWFD's 1500 online and downloadable courses are designed to extend employment, educational, and entrepreneurial opportunities within developing nations, and marginalized or disadvantaged communities throughout the world. As noted by United Nations agencies, our program provides benefits in terms of poverty reduction, youth empowerment, educational and economic opportunity generation, entrepreneurial enhancement, building a knowledge-based economy, and bolstering the job preparatory skills level of large pools of prospective employees, which attracts corporations to provide jobs in these areas. Our program is entirely scalable and replicable for simultaneous deployment throughout the world. Additionally, students who complete e-Skills360° courses are able to earn a living from where ever they are in the world.
ICWFD’s e-Skills360° program is endorsed as a United Nations GAID Flagship Partnership Initiative
The United Nations Global Alliance for ICT and Development (UN GAID) has designated ICWFD’s e-Skills360° program, which provides access to 21st Century employability skills, as a Flagship Partnership Initiative of the UN GAID. The UN GAID selectively awards Flagship Partnership Initiative status to valuable, innovative initiatives that promote achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in education, entrepreneurship, health, environmental protection, and citizen engagement in government. The UN GAID is an inclusive global forum on the use of ICT for development that engages leaders in government, civil society, business, foundations, global development, and local communities toward the shared objectives of the MDGs. Designation as a Flagship Partnership Initiative is an important recognition of both the ICWFD’s added value, and of its accomplishments. The e-Skills360° platform is thus recognized as a valuable tool for matching existing learning needs with learning resources, which uses ICT to unlock and maximize people's learning opportunities for improvement of their living conditions, reduce poverty, and stimulate self-sufficiency. The e-Skills360° platform is thus recognized as a valuable tool for matching existing learning needs with learning resources, which uses ICT to unlock and maximize people's learning opportunities to improve their living conditions, reduce poverty, and stimulate self-sufficiency. ICWFD in figures:
Over 3 million people across the G77 countries have been given access to state-of-the-art courses in job skills since March 2001 (launching date).
Over 1500 e-learning courses in IT, Business, and Professional Development are now available.
ICWFD has addressed all of the barriers to use of e-learning in developing countries, e.g., low bandwidth, piracy, lack of awareness, etc.
ICWFD provides access to e-Skills360° courses in collaboration with local partners in numerous countries.
