Making computer skills accessible to all, irrespective of age, experience and location, has always been a key objective of the Thurrock Adult and Community College “GetOn2GetOn” bus; but ensuring effective internet connectivity has suddenly become much easier thanks to the purchase of OptiBond.
Thurrock Adult and Community College said:
“OptiBond is working very well on the bus. It is a great relief that I do not have to worry about ‘line of site’ as we did with the previous satellite solution. We can now, generally, park the bus anywhere and still connect to the internet…..brilliant ! The performance is also superior to our old system. It is so nice to just switch on and forget.”
About “GetOn2GetOn”
Thurrock Adult Community College brings learning to local residents. Thurrock Adult and Community College (TACC) provides lifelong learning opportunities to adults living in the borough. Recognising that many adults in the area have restricted or no access to learning facilities TACC has developed a mobile solution to reach out to the community – a single-deck bus.
The GetOn2GetOn learning bus has helped the college reach out to those who have difficulty travelling to the campus or who may not have the confidence to enrol on a course. The bus has ten laptops (connected to the internet via an EMS OptiBond and other peripherals including printers, monitors and a large LCD display for the tutor to demonstrate techniques.
The bus travels to various local towns and villages, encouraging residents to ‘get on’ and learn fundamental ICT skills. Because the bus stops in community areas such as parks and outside pubs, the residents are aware of it and are able to pursue learning opportunities they might not have done otherwise.
The scheme has also provided residents with skills in computing that they can use in everyday life. These include writing documents and emails as well as using the internet for shopping, information searching and online communications.
