There is a significant digital skills gap in Wisconsin’s workforce, but a new training initiative is aiming to close it.
According to State Digital Equity Scorecards, nearly 33% of unemployed individuals in Wisconsin lack the foundational digital skills to compete for the state’s more than 140,000 open positions. Without those skills, almost 73% of open jobs are unattainable for unemployed individuals in Wisconsin.
Rebecca Deschane, vice president of talent development for New North, Inc., says closing the gap is important for continued economic growth in the region. This is why New North, Inc., African Heritage Inc. and several partnering organizations are collaborating to offer free digital skills training through the NEW BOOST for Hidden Talent initiative.
NEW BOOST (Building Opportunities for Overlooked Sustainable Talent) offers basic computer skills training across multiple locations throughout Northeast Wisconsin. Resources can be utilized by community and nonprofit organizations serving individuals, as well as businesses seeking new talent or upskilling current employees.
Once approved for the program, participants can complete free online courses through LinkedIn Learning, Microsoft Learning and more. In total, about 40 individuals have been approved for the program so far.
“Community-based partners are interested in supporting the effort, but don’t always have the capacity or expertise to actively provide services,” Deschane says. “Building partnerships and establishing a referral network has been critical to our ability to expand accessibility for our most vulnerable and disconnected communities.”
Partner organizations include AbaCor, African Heritage Inc., Back to the Basics Tutoring, Casa Hispana, College of Menominee Nation, Fox Valley Literacy, Literacy Green Bay and We All Rise African American Resource Center.
Brian Kowalkowski, dean of continuing education at the College of Menominee Nation, says the college saw an increased need for digital literacy skills at its Community Technology Center during the COVID-19 pandemic, as service workers transitioned to administrative roles.
CMN is currently working with 11 participants, Kowalkowski says, most of whom are upskilling to advance in their current jobs.
“We have an individual [who] was working at the casino bingo hall. When COVID hit, they closed the bingo hall and she moved to guest services. But she never had used a computer, so she was struggling,” he says. “When she came in [for the assessment], she scored very low in some areas and now she is scoring in the 90s. Her supervisor commented that she should move up to being a supervisor soon.”
Deschane says leveraging community partners like the College of Menominee Nation and its public technology center has been a critical component of reaching underserved populations. Another example is the program’s partnership with Appleton Pentecostal Assembly, which was able to open a computer lab with computers donated by U.S. Venture.
“Our NEW BOOST outreach specialists actively go to the people we wish to serve, meeting them where they are and helping them navigate new training opportunities in a more familiar environment,” Deschane says.
In July, a website — www.newboost.org — was launched as part of the initiative, further expanding access to anyone looking to enhance digital competency, connect with support services and explore new employment opportunities.
The Bay Area Workforce Development Board is a funding partner of New North, Inc. on the initiative. BAWDB leveraged Worker Advancement Initiative funding to provide workforce development services across the 11 counties it serves. The program was made available by a grant from the American Rescue Plan Act Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. A Microsoft Digital Literacy Grant provided a portion of the match.
While the NEW BOOST grant period ended Sept. 30, Deschane says availability of its free resources is expected to be ongoing.
One of the most intriguing long-term impacts of the program, Deschane says, has been the unexpected partnerships being established within the workforce and economic development system to drive a more holistic approach in supporting “hidden talent.”
“It’s really being mindful that you can partner with nontraditional partners to achieve your goals and connect with new individuals,” she says, “to expand not only your own knowledge but those talent pipeline connections as well.”
More on the web newboost.org
