To build a better economic future for California workers, invest in digital equity

There is a lot to like about Gov. Gavin Newsom’s state budget. It includes funding to expand the High Road Training Partnership model in various industry-specific sectors. It provides relief to assist immigrant communities. It invests in support services — like child care — for working families. All of these investments will play an important role in California’s economic recovery. But what’s missing is the critical role that digital skills training plays in building a just and equitable recovery.

The “future of work” of automation and digitized workplaces is no longer decades away. It’s here now. And an increasing number of workers — mostly workers of color — are being left behind in the transition. That’s why our state must invest in all three elements of digital equity and inclusion: dependable and affordable broadband access, digital device access and digital skills training.

A good place to start is to create a new digital equity grant program for workers who have been most impacted by the economic crisis. The grant should provide funding for education and workforce providers to develop high-quality digital skill-building programs for workers. It should include funding to give training participants a home computer and internet service for the duration of the program. We know that roughly 15% of California households — approximately six million people — lack broadband internet subscriptions. This is a major barrier for those who want to participate in online training programs.

The grant should also include funding for the state to provide technical assistance to program providers. And it should financially support the trained staff and volunteers who are helping workers navigate their devices, access online services and search for jobs.

At a time when millions of Californians have lost their jobs, this new grant program should also target industries and workers with a high level of digital skills gap density, especially frontline workers like the janitors that we work with and advocate for at Building Skills Partnership. Born out of the Justice for Janitors movement that helped hundreds of immigrant janitors achieve social and economic justice, BSP collaborates with SEIU-USWW and more than 80 employers throughout to address industry and worker training needs.

We offer job training programs — like the Green Janitor Education program and the Infectious Disease Certification program — to professionalize the industry and create a more equitable future for property service workers and their families. Like many other frontline workers, a janitor is not a stagnant position. With proper investments in training, a janitor is an environmental steward, a public health worker and a first-line in emergency preparedness.

Understanding the totality of a profession and bringing a human focus to policy conversations about technology is vital to closing the digital divide for working families. What keeps me up at night is this: How do we respond to rapid workplace digitalization in a way that focuses on equity for workers like these and ensures that they are not left behind?

Organizations like BSP and many others throughout the state are working together to develop quality digital skills training programs for workers. We are proud to partner with the National Skills Coalition, CA EDGE Coalition and Digital US to advocate for digital equity and inclusion. But we need our state lawmakers to partner with us in that effort.

If we truly want to “future proof” California to meet tomorrow’s challenges, we need to invest in dependable and affordable broadband access, digital device access and digital skills training. A digital equity grant program that addresses all three elements would be a good start.

This story was originally published April 22, 2021 at 6:00 AM.