National Skills Coalition outlines the following 10 immediately actionable recommendations for policymakers…

Revenue-neutral Administrative Policy Recommendations

1. Issue guidance on how state agencies and local partners can support digital inclusion via existing federal programs.
2. Encourage the use of existing Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funds and state adult education funds for digital skill-building.
3. Capitalize on the availability of federal Covid relief funds such as the CARES Act.
4. Ensure that digital literacy skill-building is an explicitly permitted use of state Incumbent Worker Training (IWT) funds.
5. Facilitate partnerships between education and workforce providers and the public library system to support digital skill-building.
6. Analyze existing datasets to understand whether existing digital learning methods produce equitable outcomes for learners.
7. Create or revise state strategic plans and initiatives to include digital literacy goals that align with governors’ postsecondary credential attainment goals or other educational attainment strategies and metrics.

Legislative Recommendations that Require Additional Investment:

1. Introduce state-level Digital Equity Act or Digital Upskilling Grants legislation.
2. Research, develop, and invest in a scalable, low-cost digital assessment and aligned learning technologies.
3. Allocate state rapid-response funds to help disconnected workers build digital skills.