Creating opportunity: Bridging the digital divide for Washington’s Workforce
Overview
Many marginalized communities in Washington face barriers to accessing quality jobs in the digital economy due to a lack of affordable and reliable internet, devices, skills, and support. This divide disproportionately affects the participation and opportunities of vulnerable groups. Closing this divide and creating new opportunities for living wage jobs is a major goal of the state strategic workforce plan, Talent and Prosperity for All.
Background
The Workforce Digital Pathways Initiative involves public, private, state and local partners working together to narrow the digital divide through expanded or enhanced career pathways leading to good jobs.
Executive Director Eleni Papadakis, left, speaks to the House Postsecondary Education and Workforce Committee about the Workforce Digital Pathways Initiative.
Solutions include digital literacy education and credentials, rapid response skills gap programs to support training for new jobs created from federal infrastructure investment grants, work-based training and supports, and career readiness resources and tools. This is a broad effort among many partners to narrow the digital divide by increasing digital literacy among disadvantaged and marginalized populations and enhancing training and education pathways to good IT-related or IT-enhanced jobs.
In 2024 the Legislature funded these components of the initiative:
- Washington State Digital Literacy Curriculum and Credential – $425,000
- Reentry Support Program – $350,000
- Occupation and Education Mapping Tool – $150,000
- Administration and Partner Coordination (Dashboard not funded) – $150,000
Strategies
The Workforce Digital Pathways Initiative includes many strategies. Some are funded, as noted above, and others are proposed for the 2025 legislative session. Strategies include:
- Washington State Digital Literacy Curriculum and Credential (Multi-Tiered Digital Literacy Program) (funded in 2024)
- Rapid Response Skills Gap Programs (flexible fund pool) (proposed in 2025)
- Work-Based Training and Supports
- Advance Equity in IT Careers (AEITC) (proposed in 2025)
- IT Service Corps (proposed in 2025)
- Career Readiness Resources
- Reentry Support Program (funded in 2024)
- Devices for Job Seekers and Career Advancement (proposed in 2025)
- Occupation and Education Mapping Tool (feasibility study funded in 2024)
- Administration and Partner Coordination
- Performance Dashboard (proposed in 2025)
- Industry Advisory Council (funded in 2024)
- Contracts and Interagency Agreements, Compliance and Oversight (funded in 2024)
This initiative was developed using cost-effectiveness guidelines. Programs leverage or build upon current structures or resources whenever possible. Additionally, solutions are evidence-based, and performance accountability will be transparent and meaningful to meet goals and objectives.
For more information, please contact Career Pathways Policy Associate Paulette Beadling.