National Skills Coalition
A Holistic Vision for Digital Skills in the Heart of the Midwest: How Illinois is Investing its Digital Equity and Broadband Funds
The federal Digital Equity Act and the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program will collectively send more than $1 billion to Illinois, and state officials have been working for more than a year to lay out their roadmap for implementation. The State Digital Equity Plan describes how Illinois officials envision supporting broadband adoption, digital devices, and digital skills, while the BEAD
What State Leaders Need to Know about Measuring Digital Skills: Options and Opportunities
As implementation of the $2.75 billion federal Digital Equity Act gets underway, state broadband officials and other policymakers are hurrying to put plans in place to measure the impact of these new investments. A key area of focus is digital skills—how to measure the baseline of residents’ current skills, what data digital skills program providers will need to collect and report on, how to set targets for improvement, and more. The field has not yet coalesced around a single list of digital skills that all individuals should possess.
Comcast Partners with National Skills Coalition to Close the Digital Divide
National Skills Coalition (NSC) announced a partnership with Comcast to educate local, state, and national decision-makers about the benefits of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to promote digital equity and opportunity nationwide. The initiative aims to help close the digital skill divide that is currently limiting educational and employment opportunities for nearly 50 million Americans.
Digital Skills for the Digital Age
President-Elect Joe Biden recognized the nation’s urgent need for investment in digital skills with his campaign pledge to pass the Digital Literacy Act. As legislative action begins to get underway, the Biden Administration can and should take decisive administrative action to fill the vacuum in national leadership on digital literacy. In particular, the White House should convene a new Digital Skills for a Digital Age interagency task force that includes among other agencies the Departments of Commerce (DOC), Labor (DOL), and Education (ED).
Four Ways to Promote Digital Inclusion for California's Workers
To support workers and industries now and in a Future of Work transformed by technological changes, policymakers should invest in digital skill building for quality jobs, as well as access to broadband and digital devices. Recommendations for promoting digital inclusion for California's workers:
Federal government allows use of TANF, SNAP E&T, WIOA funds to support digital inclusion
New guidance from the federal government can help skills advocates to improve digital access and equity for adult learners and workers. In particular, several federal agencies have clarified how existing policies can be used to remedy technology gaps faced by many US jobseekers and workers. What federal policies can support greater digital inclusion?