National Skills Coalition

A recent court ruling holds good news for digital skills advocates, signaling that $1.25 billion in Digital Equity Act funding is back on the table. National Skills Coalition Senior Government Affairs Manager Caroline Treschitta and Senior Fellow Amanda Bergson-Shilcock explain what happened and what it means for skills advocates.

State and federal policymakers are eager to understand how automation and artificial intelligence will affect the US labor market in the years to come. But predictions are tricky, and especially so when they rely on speculation about the pace of technological adoption, the price of technology acquisition, and the vagaries of the international economy. Happily, leaders can benefit from some insights closer to the ground level.

Discussions about AI’s impact on the workforce tend to focus on what the new technology will mean for white-collar workers, many with higher incomes. But new research by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco shifts the conversation by examining on-the-job exposure to AI among lower income workers. AI isn’t just a story about high-earning knowledge workers. It’s also reshaping the jobs of low-income workers.

Leaders across the United States share a common concern: how to ensure that workers have the skills they need to find quality jobs and that businesses have the talented workforce they need to thrive. In response, policymakers and education and workforce leaders have been exploring new ways for workers to demonstrate their competencies. One example is the growing adoption of “skills-based hiring”—an approach that prioritizes applicants’ skills, competencies, and experience over bachelor’s degree requirements.

In 2021, Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which included $42.45 billion committed to the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.

As states begin to receive their allocations from the $42 billion federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment or BEAD program, Florida is leading the way in preparing the workforce needed for new high-speed internet networks. State officials were quick to convene industry stakeholders as part of their broadband planning process last year, and the state’s BEAD proposal has an unusually detailed section on workforce readiness.

Skills advocates and digital inclusion advocates frequently ask National Skills Coalition for examples of how their peers are collecting, analyzing, and using data for advocacy. We’re happy to highlight several reports that use data about digital skills in creative ways. 

Tennessee’s digital skills policies are making the state a leader as full-blown implementation of the federal Digital Equity Act begins.

A notable 92% of jobs today require digital skills, but one-third of workers don’t have the foundational digital skills necessary to enter and thrive in today’s jobs. Closing this digital skill divide leads to higher pay, better business outcomes, and benefits to local economies. America needs a comprehensive policy strategy to close the digital skill divide.

The digital divide isn’t just about access to broadband and computers and other hardware, it’s also about access to skills. Massive investments made through the bipartisan infrastructure law will send billions of dollars to states and localities across the U.S. over the next five years to help close the digital divide. This includes millions that will flow to Michigan through the Digital Equity Act and the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.