A new course launching today is an important step towards helping more older Australians to access government services and information online.
The vital online course by the eSafety Commissioner, as part of the Be Connected program, will teach seniors how to use the Australian Government’s myGov website with confidence and safety.
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said almost half of older Australians rarely access government services online*.
“If there’s one thing the pandemic has shown us, it is that being online is critical for older Australians to remain connected to the world around them,” she said. “This includes being able to safely connect to the vital government services they need, and this new course provides the knowledge, skills and confidence for seniors to access vital services through the myGov website.”
Further, eSafety research reveals that one in four older Australians have never searched online for information about government and company services**.
The new eSafety training module will teach older Australians the skills they need to set up a myGov account, make Medicare claims and link to other critical government services. Importantly, seniors can learn how to use the myGov website more safely by learning how to deploy two-factor authentication and retrieve information through the myGov inbox.
Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, said the Morrison Government is committed to supporting older Australians confidently access essential online services, including those provided by Government.
“The Be Connected program provides free advice and support to help older Australians gain the skills needed to access online services with confidence. The program has a national network of more than 3,000 community organisations that offer the training courses. I encourage people to visit the Be Connected website to learn more,” Minister Fletcher said.
Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme and Government Services, the Hon Stuart Robert MP, welcomed the new Be Connected program, which will help older Australians feel more confident accessing government services through myGov.
“I’m pleased to see Be Connected launch a dedicated myGov training program. The myGov website provides access to a range of important services for all Australians and the new training will equip older Australians with the knowledge they need to access government services quickly and easily online,” Minister Robert said.
The Be Connected program is an Australian government initiative committed to improving the online confidence, skills and safety of seniors. Visit the Be Connected website to see more.
See the myGov course details.
*Senior Surfers. 2019 National Seniors Australia.
**Understanding Digital Literacy of Older Australians. 2018. eSafety Commissioner.