|
Victoria County CAP Sites Association
Web Optimization in Easy StepsNew: On our new website WebOpt.info you can learn about:
Victoria County CAP Sites Association was formed in the fall of 1998 as the umbrella organization for all CAP Sites in Victoria County. VCCAPS helps manage projects and support funds available to the CAP Sites through an Industry Canada Initiative. Currently, 11 CAP Sites throughout the County assist communities and visitors with Internet access, access to information and IT training needs.
|
Featured News in The Victoria StandardVCCAPS in the News: The Web Info Project The Victoria Standard
January 25, 2010 Original Article
This winter, in C@P Sites across the County, a non-profit organization is hoping to increase the technological skill levels of all members of our community. The Victoria County CAP Sites Association (VCCAPS), run by a board of volunteers, is in the middle of its Fall/Winter project, and is employing two area youth, Mike Riegner and Leah Noble, to teach classes.
The project is managed by VCCAPS Regional Coordinator Corrina Petersen, who says, “CAP’s mandate is to bring people and technology together.” CAP stands for Community Access Program, an initiative of the federal government’s Industry Canada, which is distributed provincially through the Nova Scotia Department of Economic and Rural Development. Our county’s Regional Working Group, VCCAPS, then receives project funding on a year-to-year basis. CAP’s goal is to provide people with public access to the Internet and to whatever skills they might need to keep up in today’s increasingly wired world.
This winter’s project, titled the “Web Info Project,” fits with this goal by teaching skills ranging from the basics of computer use to how to optimize your business’s website. Mike Riegner, of Middle River, who teaches the classes on Web Optimization, says, "Basically, 'web optimization' means improving your website so that search engines such as Google will send more traffic to your site. As well, it means designing a good-looking site that people will like and recommend to others. On optimized websites, it is also easy for people to buy from you online. This is what I teach in our workshops."
VCCAPS also designed a website called www.WebOpt.info. It contains much of the information they are using in this year’s courses,. The site’s purpose is to consolidate the confusing abundance of resources for people who are new to this information. Now that it’s built, Petersen and her colleagues are trying to get the word out. “We have this great resource for people to use, accessible not just in our county but anywhere you can get online,” says Ms. Petersen.
The Web Optimization classes, like the website, include sections on web design, search engine optimization or “SEO”, and E-commerce. Athol Grant of Rare Earth Ventures took a class and says, “The course was great for small business owners, and it’s local. You don’t have to go too far.” Nahman Korem of Crown Jewel Resort Ranch agrees. “I was more than impressed by the level of knowledge of the instructor. This was incredibly helpful. I went home and started using the information, right away.” | Pictured, during one of the Seniors' Computer Training Courses, are (l-r) instructor, Leah Noble and participants Harriet Cheverie, Murdock MacLeod and George MacLeod
The Seniors’ Computer Training, held at the Baddeck Library, is in demand. “I get calls about the training nearly every day,” says Leah Noble, one of the teachers. “People take the classes and then talk to their friends about it, and the word spreads. And we’re seeing that seniors have many uses for the technology, like booking tickets online, reading the news, or sending pictures using email, but that they’re just not as comfortable with it as they’d like to be. There is a definite need for this training.”
Any member of the public who is interested in attending a class or setting up training for themselves or for a community group, can call VCCAPS at their St Ann’s office, 295-1347. They can also reach Mike Riegner at mike@vccaps.com, or Leah Noble at the Baddeck Library, 295-2055, or check out the new website, www.webopt.info. | Web Info Project Winter 2009/2010VCCAPS Announces Winter Web Info Project Approval The Victoria County CAP Sites Association Fall Web Info Project will have the broad objectives of increasing the skill levels and web knowledge of CAP site volunteers and youth, as well as, seniors and other community members in our area. This web knowledge for VCCAPS, CAP sites, small businesses, and volunteer organizations will include training on web optimization information and tools and how to use them. This includes producing manuals and training material for future training and to disseminate to other sites; and to increase usage at the sites for training, broadband usage and web info tools. These objectives will be achieved through training with all VCCAPS project personal including youth interns, and our partners, including volunteers from individual C@P Sites site, small business people; and community organization members. The overall outcomes achieved will be: newly promoted web portal with useful up-to date info on web directories, SEO resources, social networking, e-commerce and web design set up as an easy to use learning resource; statistics and surveys on all courses given at the C@P Sites; reports on partnership development and training resources; and updated training manuals for all C@P Sites to use with seniors or any learners on web info such as Internet navigation and safety, computer security and maintenance and electronic communication. To see an example of what people have come up with as a result of our workshops, visit LFA27.com, a fishermen's website.
|
|
|
This
project is made possible by funding from the Nova Scotia Department of
Economic and Rural Development (ERD) as part of the Community Access
Program and its Youth Initiative. VCCAPS is very pleased to hire local
youth and a regional coordinator to work with you in your community.
Please see our staff information page to learn more about them.
|
|
|
Please contact your local CAP Site for more information or email office@vccaps.com
Download the VCCAPS Brochure.
VICTORIA COUNTY CAP SITES ASSOCIATION PROMOTING SKILL ENHANCEMENT AND TRAINING THROUGH CAP SITES
Visit any one of our CAP Sites to learn more about the training courses, specialized courses, technical information sessions, or the many services we offer.
The Community Access Program is an initiative of
|
|
|
