Nearly one in three US workers lack foundational digital skills—with 13% having no digital skills and 18% with very limited skills, according to the National Skills Coalition’s New Landscape of Digital Literacy report released in May 2020. Digital divides have persisted for decades, but COVID threw it into stark, unavoidable relief. By some accounts, the pandemic accelerated ten years of planned technological change in workplaces in less than a year.

New research from PLA finds that 88% of public libraries provide formal or informal digital literacy training, including computer software, social media, and coding, but capacity varies widely. While not all technology training will be tied to employment, this webinar will focus on research and resources related to developing, assessing, and documenting digital skills building for workforce and career development. How can libraries best leverage and add to existing assets to increase access to technology training, connect with employer needs, and better address racial inequities?

During this webinar—the fourth in the Public Libraries: Partners in Workforce Development series—participants will hear from national, state, and local leaders developing strategies and implementing programs to begin closing the digital skills divide, specifically focused on employability outcomes and workforce development. REGISTER NOW!