Notice2022-26461
Digital Literacy and Resilience, Request for Information (RFI)
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Published
December 8, 2022
Issuing agencies
Labor DepartmentEmployment and Training Administration
Abstract
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is requesting information on successful approaches related to digital skills attainment and competency development in education and training efforts, the strategies our education and workforce development systems are employing to assess and ensure individuals are digitally resilient, and any challenges the education and public workforce systems are facing. DOL is also requesting information on strategies to advance digital equity and inclusion in the workforce. DOL developed this RFI with substantial input from the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce), U.S. Department of Education (ED), and the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences (IMLS), as part of its long-standing coordination and partnership with these agencies.
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 235 (Thursday, December 8, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 235 (Thursday, December 8, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75290-75294]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-26461]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
Digital Literacy and Resilience, Request for Information (RFI)
AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration (ETA), Labor.
ACTION: Request for information: request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is requesting information
on successful approaches related to digital skills attainment and
competency development in education and training efforts, the
strategies our education and workforce development systems are
employing to assess and ensure individuals are digitally resilient, and
any challenges the education and public workforce systems are facing.
DOL is also requesting information on strategies to advance digital
equity and inclusion in the workforce. DOL developed this RFI with
substantial input from the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce), U.S.
Department of Education (ED), and the Institute of Museum and Library
Sciences (IMLS), as part of its long-standing coordination and
partnership with these agencies.
DATES: To be ensured consideration, comments are due by February 6,
2023.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments in response to the RFI described in
this notice by one of the following methods:
Electronic submission: Submit comments by email to:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#05416c62496c71607764667c57434c45616a692b626a73"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c480ada388adb0a1b6a5a7bd96828d84a0aba8eaa3abb2">[email protected]</span></a>.
Postal mail and hand delivery/courier: Written comment submissions
may be mailed or delivered to Attn: Yufanyi Nshom, Office of Workforce
Investment, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Suite
C-4510, Washington, DC 20210.
Instructions: The Department of Labor invites all interested
parties to submit responses to the questions posed in the below
`Request for Information' section. Label all submissions with ``Digital
Literacy/Digital Resilience RFI.'' Please submit your comments by only
one method.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: DOL: Yufanyi Nshom, Office of
Workforce Investment (OWI), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and
Training Administration, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Room C-4510,
Washington, DC 20210, Telephone: (202) 693-3915 (this is not a toll-
free number), Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d094b9b79cb9a4b5a2b1b3a982969990b4bfbcfeb7bfa6"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1c58757b507568796e7d7f654e5a555c787370327b736a">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background: The federal government has supported digital literacy
and digital equity across a variety of sectors and through a range of
programs. Attaining and maintaining digital literacy is critical to
surviving and thriving in modern society. Digital resilience signifies
having the awareness, skills, agility, and confidence to empower users
of new technologies and adapt to changing digital skill demands.
Digital resilience improves capacity to problem-solve and upskill in
employment, navigate digital transformations, and be active
participants in society and the economy.\1\ Under the Bipartisan
Infrastructure Law of 2021 (BIL, Pub. L. 117-58), digital equity is
defined as the ``condition in which individuals and communities have
the information technology capacity that is needed for full
participation in the society and economy of the United States.'' Under
BIL, digital inclusion refers to having reliable and affordable access
to technology, broadband infrastructure,
[[Page 75291]]
and training. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014
(WIOA, Pub. L. 113-39) and Digital Equity Act of 2021 (DEA),\2\
applying the Museum and Library Services Act definition, both define
digital literacy as ``the skills associated with using technology to
enable users to find, evaluate, organize, create, and communicate
information.'' \3\ WIOA includes digital literacy as a workforce
preparation activity, thereby allowing states to use their WIOA funding
allotments to increase digital literacy for successful transition into
and completion of postsecondary education and training or employment.
Workforce preparation activities were included in WIOA to further its
overall goal of improving coordination between the public workforce
system \4\ and industry partners. Workers, jobseekers and employers
meet their workforce needs through the core title I programs that
support eligible adults, youth, and dislocated workers, administered by
DOL; and through title II (Adult Education and Family Literacy Act) and
title IV (Vocational Rehabilitation) programs, administered by ED.
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\1\ Building a Digitally Resilient Workforce: Creating On-Ramps
to Opportunity. (2020). Digital US Coalition. <a href="https://digitalus.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/DigitalUS-Report-pages-20200602.pdf">https://digitalus.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/DigitalUS-Report-pages-20200602.pdf</a>.
\2\ Text--H.R.3684--117th Congress (2021-2022): Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Act [verbar] <a href="http://Congress.gov">Congress.gov</a> [verbar] Library of
Congress.
\3\ Section 101(d)(7)(A) of WIOA, as defined in section 202 of
the Museum and Library Services Act (20 U.S.C. 9101).
\4\ The term ``workforce development system'' as defined in
WIOA, means a system ``that makes available the core program, the
other one-stop partner programs, and any other programs providing
employment and training services as identified by a State local
board or local board.'' STATUTE-128-Pg1425.pdf (congress.gov).
Section 203(17) of WIOA defines workforce preparation activities as
``activities, programs, or services designed to help an individual
acquire a combination of basic academic skills, critical thinking
skills, digital literacy skills, and self-management skills,
including competencies in utilizing resources, using information,
working with others, understanding systems, and obtaining skills
necessary for successful transition into and completion of
postsecondary education or training, or employment.'' (Pub. L. 113-
129).
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Going forward, digital literacy will become increasingly important
to securing a quality job and the advancement of the American
workforce; therefore, it is imperative for federal agencies to better
understand current trends in digital literacy and digital skills
attainment. DOL, in collaboration with Commerce, ED, and IMLS, will use
the information collected through this RFI to inform competitive grant
opportunities, further develop technical assistance, inform public
policy on the expansion of digital skill-building training programs
that facilitate upskilling the workforce, and address demands related
to digital literacy and access.
DOL's Employment and Training Administration (ETA) contributes to
the more efficient functioning of the U.S. labor market by providing
high-quality job training, employment, labor market information, and
income maintenance services, primarily through state and local
workforce development systems. This includes responsibility for
implementing an integrated national workforce investment system that
supports economic growth and provides workers with the information,
advice, job search assistance, supportive services, and training for
in-demand industries and occupations needed to get and keep quality
jobs. Workforce services also help connect employers with skilled
workers seeking employment. Available training services include both
classroom and work-based learning opportunities provided through the
American Job Center network. ETA's workforce development programs are
designed to assist communities, educators, businesses, and jobseekers
(e.g., adults, dislocated and transitioning workers, disadvantaged
youth, veterans, older workers, individuals with disabilities, migrant
and seasonal farmworkers, Indians and Native Americans, and others)
compete in a changing global economy.
Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information
Administration (NTIA) is leading the Biden-Harris Administration's
internet For All initiative, which includes multiple new broadband
deployment and digital equity and inclusion programs funded by the BIL.
The BIL includes the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD)
program, providing $42.5 billion for funding broadband deployment and
digital inclusion initiatives; the Digital Equity Act of 2021 \5\,
which provides $2.75 billion in formula and competitive grant funding
for digital equity and inclusion planning and projects; and an
additional $2 billion in funding for the existing Tribal Broadband
Connectivity Program (TBCP). These collective programs will support
states and other entities to advance digital equity, digital inclusion,
digital literacy and workforce development initiatives in their
respective territories.
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\5\ Digital Equity Act Program Overview: <a href="https://www.internetforall.gov/sites/default/files/2022-05/digital-equity-act-info-sheet.pdf">https://www.internetforall.gov/sites/default/files/2022-05/digital-equity-act-info-sheet.pdf</a>.
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NTIA is also currently implementing additional broadband programs
created by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (CAA) \6\. The
CAA established the Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives within
NTIA, to focus on collaboration for internet access and promotion of
digital skills and digital inclusion at Historically Black Colleges and
Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs),
Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), and their surrounding
communities. The CAA also established the Connecting Minority
Communities Pilot Program, which provides grants to HBCUs, TCUs, MSIs,
and minority business enterprises and nonprofits to be used for devices
and internet service, as well as digital literacy programming and the
hiring and training of technology personnel.
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\6\ Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021: <a href="http://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/133/text">http://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/133/text</a>.
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ED's Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE)
supports the teaching and learning of digital skills for youth and
adults. Preparing secondary, postsecondary and adult learners for
career opportunities in STEM industry sectors, such as advanced
manufacturing and healthcare, is essential to promoting innovation and
economic growth. In recent Perkins V discretionary grant competitions,
OCTAE issued a Notice Inviting Applications that promoted projects
designed to improve student achievement or educational outcomes,
including computer science, as a competitive preference priority.
Annually, OCTAE administers the Presidential Cyber Security Educator
award to recognize two educators--one at the elementary level, and one
at the secondary level--who demonstrate superior achievement in
instilling skills, knowledge, and passion with respect to cybersecurity
and cybersecurity-related subjects.
OCTAE also funds projects to support adult education learners to
engage with digital technologies and help practitioners improve their
ability to deliver effective digital skills training and support. The
projects include Digital Resilience in the American Workforce (DRAW),
Enhancing Access for Refugees and New Americans, and the Adult EdTech
Challenge. Over the next three years, ED will invest in funding these
programs to support improving the quality of foundational digital
literacy skills and training in adult education/literacy programs. If
passed, the Digital Citizenship and Media Literacy Act of 2020 (DCML)
would direct ED to award approximately $20 million bi-annually in grant
funding to state/local education agencies to promote media literacy and
[[Page 75292]]
digital citizenship.\7\ The DCML Act highlights the provision of
information and technology literacy as an important strategy for
preparing students for further education, training, and employment.
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\7\ S.2240--116th Congress (2019-2020): Digital Citizenship and
Media Literacy Act [verbar] <a href="http://Congress.gov">Congress.gov</a> [verbar] Library of
Congress.
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The federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) also
addresses digital literacy skills by statute (20 U.S.C. 9101 et seq.)
and funds a range of training programs in libraries and museums.
Library staff are often on the frontlines of helping individuals
develop the digital skills they need for success in education,
employment, and civic engagement. Among other projects, IMLS funding
has supported the Public Library Association's <a href="http://DigitalLearn.org">DigitalLearn.org</a>, an
online hub for digital literacy support and training, as well as Salt
Lake City Public Library's Digital Navigators Program, which identified
massive digital inclusion needs exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In accordance with President Biden's Executive Order on advancing
racial equity and support for underserved communities through the
federal government,\8\ federal agencies are tasked with developing a
comprehensive approach to advance equity for historically underserved
and marginalized communities adversely affected by persistent poverty
and inequality. This approach requires agencies to assess whether, and
to what extent, its programs and policies perpetuate systemic barriers
to opportunities and benefits for underserved groups.\9\ As part of
this effort, it is critically important to improve digital resilience
and address issues of access around training, technology, and
infrastructure to advance digital equity.\10\ An individual's access to
technology and opportunities to develop digital skills is a key equity
issue that affects their ability to participate in society. This issue
disproportionately impacts Black, Indigenous, and other People of
Color, as well as people in rural communities.\11\
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\8\ President Biden's Executive Order 13985, `Advancing Racial
Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal
Government,' defines the term ``equity'' and directs every agency to
assess whether underserved communities and their members face
systemic barriers in accessing benefits and opportunities available
under certain of its programs.
\9\ <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/25/2021-01753/advancing-racial-equityand-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government">https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/25/2021-01753/advancing-racial-equityand-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government</a>. As recent PIACC Survey
of Adult Skills data shows, in the United States, 19 percent of
adults are profoundly in need of literacy skills development. These
adults are overrepresented in communities of color.
\10\ Under the DEA, the term ``digital equity'' means the
condition in which individuals and communities have the information
technology capacity that is needed for full participation in the
society and economy of the United States. The term ``digital
inclusion'' means the activities that are necessary to ensure that
all individuals in the United States have access to, and the use of,
affordable information and communication technologies, such as
reliable fixed and wireless broadband internet service; and includes
obtaining access to digital literacy training.
\11\ Bergson-Shilcock, A. (2020). Applying a Racial Equity Lens
to Digital Literacy. National Skills Coalition. <a href="https://www.nationalskillscoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Digital-Skills-Racial-Equity-Final.pdf">https://www.nationalskillscoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Digital-Skills-Racial-Equity-Final.pdf</a>.
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Access to training programs, devices (i.e., computers) and
reliable, high-speed internet varies across the country. Rural
Americans consistently have lower adoption rates of broadband compared
to urban or suburban Americans, and are less likely to own a
smartphone, tablet, or computer.\12\ Digitally redlined urban
communities also face issues of access and adoption. One-third of
Americans have limited to no digital skills, and People of Color are
disproportionately affected by these digital skills mismatch.\13\
Additionally, individuals with disabilities are adopting technologies
at lower rates compared to their non-disabled peers, regardless of
their age.\14\ ED's Office of Education and Training (OET), through its
Digital Equity Education Roundtables (DEER) Initiative, convened
stakeholders to identify existing barriers to digital equity/inclusion
adoption, defined under BIL as ``daily access to the internet with the
digital skills that are necessary for the individual to participate
online.'' The DEER Initiative found that one of the most significant
challenges that impede adoption faced by learners, families/caregivers,
and communities is the lack of digital skills necessary to fully take
advantage of technology and access opportunities. It is vital to
understand the need for digital resilience, the digital skills mismatch
that exist amongst workers and learners, and how digital skills
instruction alongside other basic skills can be contextualized and
integrated into various education and training programs.
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\12\ <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/08/19/some-digital-divides-persist-between-rural-urban-and-suburban-america/">https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/08/19/some-digital-divides-persist-between-rural-urban-and-suburban-america/</a>.
\13\ <a href="https://www.nationalskillscoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Digital-Skills-Racial-Equity-Final.pdf">https://www.nationalskillscoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Digital-Skills-Racial-Equity-Final.pdf</a>.
\14\ <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/09/10/americans-with-disabilities-less-likely-than-those-without-to-own-some-digital-devices/">https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/09/10/americans-with-disabilities-less-likely-than-those-without-to-own-some-digital-devices/</a>.
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As more jobs require digital resilience and access to reliable
infrastructure, jobseekers, workers, and learners who lack digital
literacy skills or other foundational career-readiness skills are at a
disadvantage in both securing and retaining employment opportunities.
Further, as noted in a 2020 report from the National Skills Coalition,
``digital skill levels are strongly correlated with general literacy
and numeracy skills,'' such that ``those who struggle with technology
may also struggle with the academic skills needed to gain entry to a
degree or other educational program.'' \15\ Occupations that have not
traditionally required workers to be digitally resilient are
increasingly demanding that workers have digital literacy skills.
Current research suggests that while the demand for jobs requiring
digital skills will increase, many workers and jobseekers continue to
lack foundational digital skills. The National Skills Coalition's
analysis of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD) Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) \16\ found that 73 percent of
workers in entry-level service work lacked digital problem-solving
skills, and 67 percent struggled to use computers on the job.\17\ The
lack of workers' digital skills bring considerable costs to workers and
employers, and threaten economic recovery efforts by imposing a drag on
economic productivity. A lack of digital resilience creates an
opportunity cost on workers by limiting their career advancement
opportunities and job prospects. A 2017 report titled ``The Digital
Edge: Middle-Skill Workers and Careers'' \18\ explains ``the high price
of low skills,'' and how job seekers might have to turn down jobs or
will be considered unqualified for jobs due to a lack of digital
skills. Middle-skill jobs, defined in the report as those that
typically require less than a bachelor's degree while paying a living
wage, make up 46 percent of overall labor demand--and digital skills
are widely required across the middle-skill labor market. 82 percent of
``middle skill jobs'' require digital skills, and 78 percent of these
jobs require spreadsheets and word processing as the baseline for
digital skills. In addition, the report concluded that digitally
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intensive middle-skill jobs pay 17 percent more than non-digital roles.
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\15\ Bergson-Shilcock, 2020. The New Landscape of Digital
Literacy. Washington, DC: National Skills Coalition. <a href="https://nationalskillscoalition.org/resource/publications/the-new-landscape-of-digital-literacy/">https://nationalskillscoalition.org/resource/publications/the-new-landscape-of-digital-literacy/</a>.
\16\ <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/piaac/current_results.asp">https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/piaac/current_results.asp</a>.
\17\ Bergson-Shilcock, 2017. Foundational skills in the service
sector. Washington, DC: National Skills Coalition. <a href="https://www.nationalskillscoalition.org/resources/publications/file/NSC-foundational-skills-FINAL.pdf">https://www.nationalskillscoalition.org/resources/publications/file/NSC-foundational-skills-FINAL.pdf</a>, p. 9-16.
\18\ The Digital Edge: Middle-Skill Workers and Careers. (2017).
Burning Glass Technologies. <a href="https://www.burningglass.com/wp-content/uploads/Digital_Edge_report_2017_final.pdf">https://www.burningglass.com/wp-content/uploads/Digital_Edge_report_2017_final.pdf</a>.
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Technology is built into nearly every aspect of our daily lives,
including how Americans learn, work and communicate with each other.
Digital literacy and resilience enable jobseekers, workers, and
learners to participate in the global economy, and digital skills are
necessary to access many of the public workforce programs that help job
seekers successfully complete job-readiness and/or occupational
training. The COVID-19 pandemic increased the need for the American
workforce to utilize digital skills, and in today's labor market, the
job search, recruitment, and application processes are becoming
increasingly digitized. Despite the shift toward increased uses of
digital tools and technology, an estimated 32 million Americans
struggle to use a computer, and half of all Americans say they are not
confident in using technology to learn.\19\ The pandemic also
accelerated a shift to the online service delivery model, which exposed
more nuanced features of the digital divide and illustrated the
importance of being able to navigate digital transformations, such as
managing the shift to online education, increased use of telehealth
services, and the ability to secure goods and services necessary for
every-day life. The shift created additional barriers for job seekers
who lack the digital skills needed to access virtual services from the
public workforce system, and further highlighted the impacts of
systemic racism and inequity on disadvantaged communities. As digital
literacy skills increasingly intertwine with basic job functions, the
public workforce system will need to gather new data on digital skill
demands to develop plans that address the technology gaps in priority
industries across different geographies and demographics. This will
ensure all individuals have the digital resilience needed to
participate in education/training programs and society.
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\19\ Mamedova, S., Pawlowski, E., & Hudson, L. (2018). A
Description of U.S. Adults Who Are Not Digitally Literate (No.
NCES2018-161; Statistics in Brief). US Department of Education.
<a href="https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2018/2018161.pdf">https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2018/2018161.pdf</a>.
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Request for Information: The U.S. Department of Labor, with input
from the above-referenced Agencies, is interested in learning about
successful approaches to improving digital literacy from workforce
development providers, business and labor leaders, employers,
educators, policymakers, advocates, including community-anchor
institutions and other nonprofit organizations, researchers, and other
interested individuals and entities. Through this RFI, the Agencies
seek public input to gather information about digital literacy and
competencies both prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, as
applicable. The Agencies request that commenters address the key
questions and themes, as noted below, in the context of the preceding
discussion in this document. Commenters do not need to address every
question and should focus on those that relate to their expertise or
perspective. To the extent possible, please clearly indicate the
question(s) addressed in your response.
Key Themes and Questions:
1. Current Trends in Digital Literacy: Please share how actors in
the workforce development system, including education entities,
libraries, community organizations, businesses or industry
associations, and union or worker organizations, are currently engaged
in digital literacy in the following areas:
(a) Assessing digital resilience for adult and youth learners?
(b) Addressing digital literacy skill demands or skills mismatches
for adult and youth workers seeking employment or training services?
(c) Upskilling employees in the workforce, including incorporating
digital skills instruction and integrating digital technologies into
occupational skills training?
(d) Identifying in-demand digital literacy skills and/or skills
most relevant for the local labor market? Are industry or occupation-
specific skills being identified?
(e) Creating and utilizing incentives to engage workers and job
seekers in digital learning?
(f) Developing/piloting innovative strategies and promising
practices or projects to support digital resilience amongst learners?
(g) What are some examples of promising practices in the field of
digital skills training?
(h) What are successful processes used by employers to share
information on in-demand digital skills needed for their respective
industry? How do employers share information with the public workforce
system, including other employers, jobseekers and training providers?
(i) What are successful processes by which employers upgrade
specific digital skills amongst their own workforces?
(j) Which library systems and museums do you consider to be
exemplars in teaching digital skills? What promising practices do these
institutions utilize to serve the public?
2. Challenges and Barriers to Digital Literacy: Please share
identified mismatches, needs, and/or systemic barriers for stakeholders
involved in digital literacy training:
(a) What barriers are individuals (adult and youth workers/
learners) experiencing in accessing digital tools and/or training?
(b) What challenges are instructors and/or training providers
facing when seeking to deliver digital literacy instruction and
training to learners and/or workers?
(c) What are common mismatches in digital literacy that employers
are facing for newly hired workers as well as incumbent workers?
(d) What resources are most needed by educators and training
providers to address the challenges in providing digital skills
training to individuals?
(e) What challenges are training program participants (adult and
youth) facing, and where are there still mismatches in the digital
literacy ecosystem (i.e., public school systems, libraries, employment
service centers, etc.)?
(f) What challenges or barriers are local entities facing when
attempting to use new or existing funding to support digital literacy
training for learners?
3. Digital Equity and Inclusion: Please share what steps need to be
taken by digital literacy stakeholders to ensure the following equity
milestones are achieved:
(a) What additional resources are needed for workers of all
backgrounds to access and succeed in digital literacy upskilling/
training opportunities?
(b) How can programs ensure underserved and/or marginalized
populations are adequately targeted for digital literacy training
opportunities?
(c) How can digital skills/literacy efforts be integrated into
ongoing worker preparation programs?
(d) What interventions/supports can be utilized to support digital
inclusion for all program participants? For example, are there issues
centered around digital literacy resources being made available in
Spanish and other widely-used languages, in addition to English?
(e) How should the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences better
encourage digital skills development in libraries and museums?
4. Strategic Partnerships and Collaboration: Please explain how
state, local, nonprofit, and business partners are collaborating to
implement successful digital literacy initiatives:
(a) How are the most successful partnerships structured? Are there
required partners?
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(b) Are there barriers preventing successful partnerships with
business and industry partners at the state and/or local levels? If so,
what are the barriers and what support is needed to overcome them?
(c) What is the role of employers in preparing new or incumbent
workers for industry-specific digital skills, or how should workforce
providers partner with employers? How might employer-specific digital
skills be taught by the employer to build on skills taught by workforce
grantees or training providers?
(d) Are there any specific digital skills that workforce and
education training providers should be responsible for teaching
learners, such as how to type or navigate digital devices?
5. Federal Investments in Digital Literacy: Please share what
support from the federal government is needed to advance national
digital literacy attainment efforts:
(a) Which existing federal programs/federal funding sources are
being utilized to support digital resilience?
(b) Is additional federal funding needed for states/local
governments to facilitate better services to the public?
(c) What types of technical assistance and resources would be most
valuable to build digital resilience capacity?
(d) How are WIOA grantees/sub-grantees leveraging funding outside
of WIOA, such as the Affordable Connectivity Program and/or digital
equity funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to address
digital inclusion and equity challenges with federal funding?
(e) How can federally-funded workforce and education training
programs work together to ensure that participants (adult and youth)
receive needed training in foundational and occupation-specific digital
literacy skills?
6. Digital Literacy & K-12 Public Education System: Please share
successful strategies, key challenges, and lessons learned in
addressing digital literacy for K-12 youth:
(a) What are the digital skills necessary to be considered
digitally literate today? In the future?
(b) Which K-12 and community college/postsecondary education
systems do you consider to be exemplars in teaching digital skills to
adult learners, youth learners, and/or families/caregivers? Why?
(c) How should the Department of Education better encourage digital
skills education in the K-12, community colleges, and adult education
settings?
(d) What are some recommended strategies to ensure digital skills
education evolves alongside society's technological advances?
Brent Parton,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, Labor.
[FR Doc. 2022-26461 Filed 12-7-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-FN-P
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