Turning Teenagers On To Technology

2 August 2005

Turning Teenagers On To Technology

IDG Communications, New Zealand largest technology publisher, is launching a teen magazine with a difference in a joint initiative with the government’s HiGrowth Project.

actv8 will launch in October and is designed to excite and encourage teenagers to become passionate about the positive benefits that ICT (Information and Communications Technology) can have on their lives and their careers.

Distributed through secondary schools to 13-to-15 year olds (some 110,000 Year 9 and 10 students), the full colour publication will encourage teenagers to become passionate about the positive benefits that technology can have on their lives and their careers.

Bob Pinchin, managing director of IDG Communications, says actv8 will show teenagers how technology will have a significant impact on their jobs – no matter what career they choose. Most importantly, it will have a style and approach that will directly appeal to teenagers and will sit comfortably alongside the more usual teen publications featuring fashion, music and film stars.

“We plan to inspire both novices and the ‘experts’ to acquire great technical skills which will broaden their career options in the future. We need more technically literate people entering the workforce and some kids just don’t get the opportunity to learn and become passionate about technology.

“Technology is not just for the geeks. These days it is a necessity across all career paths, whether you’re working in design, fashion, music, sport or banking”, Pinchin says.

HiGrowth's Executive Director, Garth Biggs, says that ICT companies simply can't get enough appropriately skilled workers today, let alone meet the growth anticipated over the next ten years.

"It is not only about software programming and electronics engineering. New Zealand needs managers, marketers, lawyers, accountants and sales people – actually it needs everybody to exploit technology, in order to grow. With full employment, the only way we can improve the economy's productivity is through the application of ICT.

Today's secondary students need to understand that ICT not only offers them a very real advantage in the job stakes, but gives them the greatest opportunity to improve their lifestyle and standard of living", Biggs says. The first issue of actv8 is due out early October.

ENDS

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