Increasingly, technology is built into nearly every aspect of our daily lives and how we learn and work. Inequitable access to technology and digital skills development compounds existent inequities.
April 2021
Persistent gaps in access to technology and opportunities to develop digital skills exacerbate existing disparities, disproportionately impacting Black individuals and people of color. A lynchpin of equitable reskilling efforts will be closing digital divides and building on-ramps for all learner-workers in the United States. As our learn and work ecosystem moves increasingly online, we must commit to dismantling barriers to digital inclusion and skills especially for particular demographics most affected by structural racism.
OECD research shows that while a third of all Americans workers aged 16-64 have limited or no digital skills, about half of all Black and Latino workers have limited or no digital skills. US Census data shows 76% of households without home internet are in urban areas and primarily in low-income neighborhoods, disproportionately affecting communities of color. And only about half of individuals living on tribal lands have high-speed internet service.
As a collective impact initiative, the Digital US coalition tackling the challenge of how to make personalized support for technology access and digital skills development radically accessible, when currently 10% of adults with digital literacy and other foundational skills needs can access instruction.
We are designing new, scalable delivery models including digital navigator services to ensure equity in our new learn and work ecosystem, including equitable access to online learning opportunities. We are partnering with large employers who can help scale provision of supports for diverse learner-workers in developing digital resilience and in upskilling.
Digital US Coalition is diverse by design: We need a cross-sector approach to build an ecosystem that fosters digital resilience for all learner workers in the U.S. This will take real commitment from disparate stakeholders to collaborate in new ways. Join US to secure a more equitable digital future for all of US.
Local businesses, employers, healthcare providers, local government, service providers, schools, communities, our environment
April 2020
With video chat enabling virtual work and students and teachers learning (many, for the first time) to collaborate digitally, it is easy to focus on the ways technology is enabling a degree of normalcy in a time that is anything but normal.
As COVID-19 response measures forced schools, libraries, and community centers to close and workplaces to shift off-site, changes in our analog habits have cut off a digital lifeline for millions of U.S. workers and families.
Sadly, the digital fault lines that have emerged reflect more than gaps in access. An estimated 32 million Americans struggle to use a computer, and half of all Americans say they are not confident using technology to learn. For these individuals, the shift to a fully-online job market or online-only education and training is exacerbating the gaps that already exist between economic haves and have nots.
The Digital US coalition is a collective impact effort driven by 25 leading nonprofit and employer partners, launched earlier this year to draw attention to the ways in which millions of Americans are being left behind–and the social and economic imperative to ensure they are not locked out of education and employment opportunities. Together, we’re working to ensure that all Americans have the opportunity and support needed to develop essential technology skills and digital resilience — the agility, skills, and confidence to be an empowered user of new technologies, and adapt to changing digital skill demands.
Our report highlights the experiences of individuals like Tamea, a single mom who didn’t own a computer or know how to use one when she first enrolled in an online associate’s degree program, or Celso, a job-seeker who was continually told during his job search to use online resources, but didn’t know how to access them. Both needed the support of a coach to gain the skills necessary to achieve their goals. But their ability to access this support, in a time of social distancing, is at risk.
Technology has the potential to be a powerful force for good in this uncertain time. But it can also exacerbate inequalities. Recovering from this pandemic will require us to reflect on what worked during this time–and what didn’t. It’s also important to distinguish between critically needed bandaids to provide short-term access to technology and digital skills supports and the ecosystem changes we must catalyze to build a more equitable economy and learning ecosystem for digital skills. Preparing our workforce with the technology skills to better handle a similar disruption in the future will serve us all well– and also holds the potential to create more robust talent pipelines for employers, and stronger pathways to prosperity for millions of Americans. Join Us!
February 2020
We are at a critical crossroads on our journey to build a resilient workforce and economic mobility for all Americans.
In our quest to save money and increase efficiency, we risk creating systems that marginalize individuals that lack the connectivity – and skills – to navigate an increasingly digital world.
The challenge is especially acute in the world of work. Because while headlines often focus on the risk of automation for truck drivers or the heightened demand for coders and computer scientists, technology is making an impact on all of our jobs.
According to a recent report from the McKinsey Global Institute, technology threatens just 5% of occupations with complete automation-driven obsolescence, but far more jobs (60%) could have nearly a third of their work activity automated, dramatically changing the work experience of most occupations.
Currently 73% of service sector workers lack skills to solve problems in digital environments, but very few receive training at work or can access opportunities outside of work to improve their digital skills.
Current efforts to upskill employees through online courses may leave out those who need it most: workers without access to devices or internet at home, or who are uncomfortable navigating the world of online learning. And even the on-ramps to employment can be cut off, as the process job-seekers use to discover and apply for jobs moves online.
In our increasingly tech-infused world, digital inequity exacerbates existing disparities and challenges reskilling and recovery efforts.
Digital US is working to ensure that all Americans have foundational digital skills and resilience to thrive in work and life. We will drive awareness, develop digital skills and resilience, and design an equitable ecosystem for digital upskilling that works for all of US.