Chair & Funder Nilesh Makwana Speaking at the West Tech Assemblage Half-Day conference 2024
This year’s West Tech Assemblage marked a monumental moment in history, hosting its inaugural half-day conference on digital citizenship. As the founder and Chair, I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to unite community, state and federal government leaders for this crucial dialogue. The success of WTA consistently grows stronger year after year. Personally, it has been a year of significant transformation for me as well. Navigating through a divorce while maintaining my commitment to WTA was tough but it taught me resilience and perseverance.
We initially heard from The Voices from the Community panel, who provided us with valuable insights. It is wonderful to provide a platform for these voices to be heard in a public forum. It’s crucial to ensure that community and government leaders have the opportunity to listen to these perspectives. I’m particularly proud of our illuminance Solution‘s intern, Dylan Watts, for sharing his lived experiences from Banksia Hill on behalf of the Corrective Service Group. He underscored the importance of digital education programs and access while in incarceration, emphasizing the need for more opportunities to learn about digital tools to facilitate inmates’ rehabilitation into society.
Events rarely unfold without a hiccup, and WTA 2024 was no exception. Just minutes before the ministerial panel was scheduled to begin, we encountered an unexpected obstacle: two of our three planned ministers were unable to attend due to unforeseen circumstances. Firstly, Hon Stephen Dawson, Minister for Emergency Services; Innovation and the Digital Economy; Science; Medical Research; Minister Assisting the Minister for State and Industry Development, Jobs and Trade was unable to attend due to a QantasLink strike causing the cancellation of his flight.
In a swift response, our WTA team acted decisively, and fortunately, Greg Italiano, who was slated to speak later in the program, graciously agreed to stand in for minister Dawson.
Minister Dawson was originally intended to kick off the conference introducing the Digital Inclusion in WA Blue Print, a role that Hon Don Punch, minister graciously took on in his absence.
Despite my initial decision to refrain from speaking at this year’s event, I chose to step in for Hon Paul Papalia, Minister for Police; Corrective Services; Racing and Gaming; Defence Industry; Veterans Issues, on the panel.
During the ministerial panel discussion, various critical aspects regarding rehabilitation programs for young adults involved in the justice system was addressed. I emphasised the urgent need for such programs both during and after incarceration, stressing the importance of offering them within correctional facilities. Drawing parallels to Dylan’s earlier testimony, lived experiences have a profound impact on understanding the challenges faced by incarcerated individuals.
Light was also shed on the alarming absence of technology-focused initiatives in prisons, citing my observations at Banksia Hill, where outdated and barely functional computers were evident during a digital literacy training course conducted by illuminance Solutions. I echoed concerns expressed by Dylan regarding the detrimental effects of boredom on inmates, advocating for government-supported endeavours aimed at positively engaging incarcerated youth. Furthermore, I supported the notion of introducing more technology, such as laptops, into correctional facilities to provide inmates with entertainment and educational opportunities. It took me over 2 ½ years of actively lobbying to implement digital literacy training at Banksia Hill, overcoming initial challenges and a lack of government support. Providing access to technology and the internet could play a pivotal role in mitigating violence and unrest among young adults in custody.
I also shared the success Dylan has had since we welcomed him into the illuminance family. He is now learning app development and coding.
The Civic Leaders panel delved into local impacts, future plans, community feedback, success stories, challenges, and collaborations. It was especially noteworthy listening to Ron chamber, Shire President of Esperance, talking about the obstacles and challenges they face with only one sole functioning. mobile tower in the entire region.
Greg Italiano, representing the state government, provided updates on the progress of The Blueprint and discussed the initiatives implemented since the launch in 2022.
Dr. David Cook from NIT closed the event with inspiring words on the beacon of giving and passing on wisdom, fostering happiness and inclusion. He introduced the NEW PLATFORM, NIT Connect launched on Friday. “NIT Connect was founded to empower students and alumni to connect and engage in meaningful activities, providing mentoring opportunities and fostering a sense of community.”
In conclusion to all these insightful discussions, it’s imperative that we ensure nobody is left behind in our digital future. Responsibility falls on all of us. WTA remains committed to fostering these crucial discussions, as they are essential for driving societal change.
