Digital Skills Training Opportunities
Baltimore City Office of Broadband and Digital Equity has four goals:
- Every resident has access to high speed broadband internet
- A device that connects to the internet that meets their needs
- Skills to safely interact with the internet
- Access to technical assistance as needed
$65 billion–federal investment in broadband and digital equity. Taylor shared the breakdown of various grant and funding sources to support digital equity.
There will be a demand for jobs with digital skills and technology associated jobs, but there is a real digital skills divide. 92% of jobs require digital skills, ⅓ of the workforce have low or no digital skills. Divide disproportionately impacts workers of color, low income workers, and rural workers
Jobs requiring digital skills pay more than jobs that don’t
Baltimore City Digital Equity Fund: provides funds for communities to create and implement digital equity plans
–many grantees provide digital skills training
Working to turn Rec Centers into tech hubs
Online and digital skills trainings are available on resource hub: https://technology.baltimorecity.gov/digital-inclusion-resources-baltimore-city
Second cycle of DEF will provide in person digital skills training programs–grant information will come out in the spring.
Baltimore Digital Equity Coalition: focuses on advocacy–want to know what the need is so they can get resources to them: Cody@digitalequitybaltimore.org
Lisa sees a need for every location that works with residents in the SWP area has access to training–would like to continue to have ongoing conversations about this moving towards when the grant opens in February
Announcements
UMMC: upcoming paid PCT training sent out to partners
