ERIC Number: ED607424
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Mar-20
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-
EISSN: N/A
Applying a Racial Equity Lens to Digital Literacy: How Workers of Color Are Affected by Digital Skill Gaps. Digital Skills Series
National Skills Coalition
American jobs are undergoing massive technological transformation, with even entry-level workers now expected to use all manner of digital devices and equipment. To succeed in this rapidly transforming environment, workers need broad-based digital problem-solving skills that equip them to learn a wide variety of today's technologies and navigate continued changes in the future. This digital literacy includes both the capacity to use technology and the cognitive skills necessary to navigate it successfully. This fact sheet draws on U.S. data from a respected international assessment known as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Survey of Adult Skills, or PIAAC. The data shows that 13 percent of currently employed American workers ages 16-64 have no digital skills, and an additional 18 percent have very limited skills. Another one-third (36 percent) have achieved a certain level of proficiency, and the remaining 33 percent have the advanced skills necessary to be most adaptable to changing technology. For workers of color to thrive in the United States, they will need equitable opportunities to build in-demand digital skills--and businesses will need to invest in helping their employees build such skills. Congress can take action by investing in upskilling for workers and job seekers through existing workforce and education legislation as well as new proposals.
Descriptors: Racial Differences, Technological Literacy, Work Environment, Problem Solving, Cognitive Ability, Adults, International Assessment, North Americans, Job Skills, Employees, Educational Opportunities, Skill Development, Minority Groups, Educational Legislation, Labor Force Development, Employment Opportunities, Age Differences
National Skills Coalition. 1250 Connecticut Avenue NW Suite 200, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 202-223-8991; e-mail: info@nationalskillscoalition.org; Web site: https://www.nationalskillscoalition.org/
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Walmart
Authoring Institution: National Skills Coalition
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A