Future-Proofing The Workforce: Why Digital Literacy Is Key

Artificial intelligence and automation are fundamentally transforming the labor market, impacting all workers in all lines of work. In fact, the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution released a report earlier this year concluding that virtually all occupations will be affected by automation and artificial intelligence.

Change is already underway. Even jobs not traditionally seen as "technology jobs" today require some degree of digital literacy. Take, for instance, a mechanic—it used to be enough to know how to fix a busted engine, but today’s mechanics also need to understand the software and apps built into modern cars.

As workers find themselves displaced by technology, or struggling to adapt, employers are having a difficult time finding the workforce they need to get ahead. The latest Department of Labor report found 7.5 million jobs are currently unfilled in the U.S.—jobs that remain open while businesses fall short of growth plans and capable candidates sit on the sidelines.

So where do we go from here? How do we prepare workers—both current and future—to secure good jobs and grow in today’s digital economy? And how do we help employers hire and retain qualified employees?

Instead of trying to predict what jobs of the future will look like, we are urging employers, trainers and workers to focus on the foundational skills that will be needed, namely digital literacy skills. Digital literacy is the ability to find, evaluate, and convey information via digital mediums. These skills are increasingly important in today’s labor market and are key in the path forward. However, digital literacy training is not always easily accessible. Costs, time constraints, and a basic lack of information about which skills are in demand and how to get training puts workers at a systemic disadvantage. Moreover, employers are still working through how to effectively identify, assess, and teach digital skills to workers.

To navigate the movement toward digital literacy, we urgently need to restructure how workers access training and education, as well as how employers account for skills in hiring and retaining qualified employees. Partnerships across all players in the labor market—businesses, educators, career coaches and even policymakers—are paramount. We must recognize the diverse needs of these businesses and workers, and identify the most comprehensive ways to support them.

One initiative working to solve this, the Rework America Business Network (RABN), is gaining momentum within the business community. RABN, a Markle Foundation initiative, is a consortium of 11 prominent U.S. companies dedicated to accelerating the development and adoption of innovative hiring and training practices. This year, the RABN has been working on a project to help employers better manage their workforces to meet evolving digital literacy skill needs. RABN plans to release a set of tools later this year to help employers prioritize occupations to focus on when it comes to digital literacy skills needs, as well as provide employers with a starting point to define and assess the digital literacy skills needed for various occupations.

We also need to equip workers with digital literacy skills and help them recognize and market the skills they already possess. It is important to recognize that, as these workers seek to reskill through new training and education, they are not the "traditional" students one may imagine. Many have years of experience in their field, families, or limited time and resources. The College Promise Campaign supports students like this by making education and training more accessible. They cover costs for students to complete technical certificates and degrees through the more than 300 College Promise programs in 44 states and 24 statewide programs. "Everyone deserves the opportunity to keep up with the ever-changing world of technology," said Martha Kanter, Executive Director of the College Promise Campaign. "That is why the College Promise Campaign works to make education accessible to everyone."

Skillful is working as well to shift recruiting, hiring, on-boarding and training processes to focus on skills. For example, in Indiana and Colorado, the Skillful Governor’s Coaching Corps (SGCC) is an eight-month program designed to help career coaches strengthen their skill sets and develop new practices to support job seekers. At the end of the program, the coaches share recommendations with state policymakers for adoption and implementation.

There are many ways forward in today’s rapidly changing economy, but no matter the path, digital literacy skills are inevitable and new forms of accessible education and training are necessary. To learn more about programs to provide workers with the skills they need to be successful in the 21st Century economy and to connect employers to skilled workers.

This Article Source is From: https://www.forbes.com/sites/civicnation/2019/07/11/future-proofing-the-workforce-why-digital-literacy-is-key/#273e72207f23