Daily Management Review

Digital Training Hubs To Be Opened In Europe By Facebook To Educate Small Business And The Digitally Challenged


01/25/2018




Facebook announced plans to help people in Europe to get trained in digital skills while reiterating its committed to its assurance of training one million people from the European Union block over the next two years. And for this purpose, the company will start three new centers in the region as part of the commitment of the company to exhibit that it is committed to the region.
 
The U.S. based largest social media network of the world also announce plans for investment of 10 million euros ($12.2 million) in France in the artificial intelligence research facility there in addition to start three “community skills hubs” in Spain, Poland and Italy. This is significant because of late, Facebook has bene facing regulatory pressure in the EU related to a wide ranging array of issue from privacy to antitrust.
 
“People are worried that the digital revolution is leaving people behind and we want to make sure that we’re investing in digital skills to get people the skills they need to fully participate in the digital economy,” Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s chief operating officer, told the media.
 
For those people in the region whop have limited access to technology – where the group would include older people, refugees and such people from the younger generations, Facebook plans to open up these   community hubs where people would be impacted digital skills, media literacy and online safety.
 
By 2020, the company promised to complete such training of at least one million general individuals and business owners.
 
“Absolutely we want to make sure that people see that we are investing locally, we’re investing in technology, we’re investing in humans,” Sandberg said.
 
In recent years, there has been growing pressure on the EU by some of the member states to take action against large tech companies that resort to various tactics to reduce their tax obligations and bills by making use of low tax counties like Luxembourg and Ireland and recording their profits there. At particular focus are large U.S. corporates such Amazon, Google, Apple and Facebook.
 
However, there has been a hue and cry from the smaller EU countries such as Luxembourg or Malta about the possibility of their economies being damaged and their rivals would be favored if any solo action on corporate tax is initiated by the EU.
 
Last year, a report by an EU lawmaker indicated that between 2013 and 2015, there may have been a total loss of 5.4 billion euros for the member states of the EU in tax revenues from Google and Facebook.
 
With the aim of preventing any further legislation similar to a new hate speech law enacted in Germany, which the Facebook the says goes too far, executives form the company have been roving the continent of Europe this week for addressing issues and allegations that the social media has been reluctant and slow to address and respond to abuses on its platform.
 
Small businesses and start-ups would be helped to grow and hire through the Community Boost EU program by Facebook.
 
The company said that online training for 250,000 businesses and in-person training for 100,000 small- and medium-sized businesses would be conducted by it by 2020.
 
“What we’re finding is when small businesses use technology, when small businesses use Facebook, they hire,” Sandberg said.
 
It has been an established agenda for the executives of the European Union to further enhance the digital skills off Europeans so that the continent is able to create its own digital giant and boost employment. 
 
Similar centers have been opened up in Nigeria and Brazil by Facebook.
 
(Source:www.reuters.com)