Boosting Digital Literacy in the Workplace: How Rapid Prototyping Is Helping Businesses to Upskill Workers and What Policymakers Can Do to Help

When it comes to digital literacy, how do we know what kind of skills America's workers need for the workplace, how they can best acquire them, and what competencies or credentials can help them signal their preparedness to employers? Over the past four months, National Skills Coalition staff interviewed business, education, and workforce leaders across the United States to understand how these issues are playing out on the ground. Made possible with support from the Cognizant U.S. Foundation, "Boosting Digital Literacy in the Workplace: How Rapid Prototyping Is Helping Businesses to Upskill Workers and What Policymakers Can Do to Help," provides an actionable summary of their responses. Among the new findings: (1) A broad base of digital skills is a highly valued asset to business leaders; (2) Small businesses face greater challenges in addressing digital literacy gaps compared to their larger counterparts; (3) Dedicated public investments and integrated training models are crucial to the effectiveness of digital upskilling programs; (4) Investments in industry sector partnerships can help local businesses meet the demand for digital skills; and (5) Lack of access to broadband internet and digital devices makes training difficult and sometimes impossible for workers and small businesses. [Funding for this research was provided by the Cognizant U.S. Foundation.]