Local residents receive skills training for workforce participation and economic mobility
By Megan Sayles
AFRO Staff Writer
msayles@afro.com
The Maryland Digital Equity Coalition (MDEC) is in the midst of hosting a bi-weekly webinar series to arm individuals and organizations with the skills and knowledge to build digital inclusion programs, forge partnerships and secure digital equity grant funding.
On April 9, experts explored the relationship between workforce development and digital skills. The webinar addressed the necessity of digital skills in entering today’s job market and progressing in a career. It also discussed strategies for reaching underserved populations who face greater barriers to digital inclusion.
“Digital skills are now essential for workforce participation and economic mobility. In Maryland, addressing the digital divide is a cross-sector effort spanning education, health, housing and employment systems,” said Teri Mumm, digital navigator program manager for the University of Maryland Extension. “I like it when people refer to digital inclusion as a super social determinant of health because it really does cross against all those things that we need to do and can do to live healthier, happier lives as Maryland residents.”
Digital skills are needed for nearly all jobs today
According to a report from the National Skills Coalition in collaboration with the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, 92 percent of jobs require digital skills. If an individual lands a job that demands even one digital skill, they earn an average of 23 percent more than a position requiring no digital skills.
Without digital skills, individuals may miss out on these opportunities.
As Mumm pointed out, 84 percent of Marylanders are “covered populations,” groups of people the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) considers the most impacted by the digital divide. This includes incarcerated individuals, older adults, veterans, people with disabilities, immigrants and people of color.
“We see that at least 84 percent of our population falls into at least one of those categories, and most often they’re intersectional. They fall into several categories,” said Mumm. “One in three residents cannot fully engage in online education, employment or health because they don’t have that access or skill development.”
The recent end of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and Maryland Emergency Broadband Benefit (MEBB), which provided low-income households with a subsidy for internet service and devices, has left cost and access gaps in their wake.
One point of hope is support from the State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, which is set to deploy $800 million in grant funding to U.S. states and territories for plans to equip communities with the tools and skills needed to benefit from access to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet service. Maryland was awarded $13.4 million dollars through the program last December.
The state will use the funding to deliver sub-grants to organizations implementing key digital equity initiatives, including enhancing digital literacy and skills training. However, the current White House administration has created uncertainty. The 47th president has already sought to freeze digital equity funding as part of his attack on equity, diversity and inclusion.
At this time, no local grants have been awarded by Maryland.
“The Office of Statewide Broadband is working very hard to get that grant program up and running— give or take what happens with the federal government— but everybody is moving forward,” said Mumm.
Organizations are working to bridge digital skills divide
Mana McNeill is the co-founder of CareerCatchers, an organization that provides one-on-one counseling to low-income and underserved residents who are seeking stable employment with upward mobility.
The nonprofit specializes in serving foreign-born individuals and those experiencing domestic violence or homelessness. Nearly 85 percent of their clients are Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC).
“Digital literacy is a really significant employment barrier, and since our inception, we’ve seen that when a client comes in and can’t even create their own resume because they don’t have a computer or they don’t have access to the skills needed to write their resume,” said McNeill.
In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, which spotlighted the pervasive repercussions of the digital divide, McNeill said her clients were heavily impacted by not being able to meet in person. They didn’t have the skills needed to join virtual meetings.
CareerCatchers stepped in to teach them how to use Zoom on smartphones and encouraged them to take advantage of local programs and organizations that deployed free or low-cost Chromebooks. In 2020, the organization also hosted two weekly workshops focused on workplace skills and empowerment, which made digital access even more critical.
“We started focusing a lot on digital skills building at that point. We do one-on-one tutoring with clients who are unable to use the computer,” said McNeill. “We also have classes for those who are a little more advanced.”
Once a client has a good understanding of how to navigate a computer, they can learn how to use Microsoft Office and Google Docs and how to submit online job applications. With digital skills, clients were able to engage in career presentations and virtual job fairs as employers struggled to rebuild their workforce post-Covid.
“Our clients, for the most part, have taken to the technology. They’re willing to do it. They want to do it,” said McNeill. “They just have never had the opportunity before to be able to participate fully.”
MDEC’s bi-weekly webinar series will continue through May 28. Scheduled webinars include: older adults, digital skills and technology on May 7; people with disabilities and digital inclusion on May 21; and artificial intelligence (AI) and digital skill building on May 28.
This story is part of the Digital Equity Local Voices Fellowship lab. The lab initiative is made possible with support from Comcast NBC Universal.