Employer Network Advancing Digital Skills & Equity

Leading employers collaborate to ensure the nation’s workforce has in-demand digital skills and resilience.

Leading employers joined forces in early 2021 to form the Employer Network Advancing Digital Skills and Equity, a peer network of employers from across industry sectors who came together to ensure the country’s workers, learners, and communities have the technology access and digital skills essential for thriving in today’s digital economy.

Led by Digital US in partnership with UpSkill America at the Aspen Institute and the EdTech Center @ World Education, this network leveraged their collective reach and deep understanding of employer and community needs to share information and accelerate widespread scaling of high-quality, employer-recognized resources, training, and effective practices to build digital resilience. They are adding employer voice and corporate partnership to state digital equity planning and implementation of the federal Digital Equity Act.

Public resources created include:

• Employer Roadmap for Advancing Digital Skills & Equity providing questions employers can ask to guide their strategy and investments in digital skills development. 
• Digital Skills Spotlight on McDonald’s featuring their use of technology to improve customer service and democratize learning across their workforce.
• The network contributed to Using Data to Advance Digital Skills: A State Playbook from the National Governor Association Workforce Innovation Network.

Participating companies included were mostly Fortune 500 companies such as Accenture, Amazon, General Dynamics, Google, JPMorgan Chase & Co, McDonald’s Corporation, Red Ventures, Tyson Foods, Walmart.org, Wiley, and Workday. They continue to gather and discuss digital skills and other efforts to expand and improve high-quality educational and career advancement opportunities for America’s front-line workers through the Upskill America initiative @ Aspen Institute.

Digital US continues to partner with employers on specific initiatives, including with Tyson Foods on digital inclusion for frontline, primarily immigrant and refugee workers through its Upward Academy.

“Digital divides both reflect and exacerbate existing racial, gender, class, and other disparities. Employers have the power to catalyze investment in the digital inclusion and training of their employees and the communities in which they work to help Digital US meet its goal of ensuring all of US have the technology skills and digital resilience to thrive in work and life,” said Priyanka Sharma, Vice President, U.S., World Education.

For more information about Digital US, fill out the Join US form.