Mayor Michelle Wu and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, along with Boston's Office of Workforce Development (OWD), recently revealed the city's plans to inject $1 million into the Digital Literacy (DigLit) Initiative. This funding marks a significant push to close the digital divide and equip Bostonians with the skills needed in a digitally-driven job market. According to the City of Boston, this expansion, dubbed DigLit 2.0, will enable 20 job readiness and occupational training programs across the city to incorporate digital literacy into their curricula.

Last week at the East Boston YMCA, Mayor Wu highlighted the city's determination to provide every resident with the tools to succeed. "Closing the digital literacy gap is critical in our work to make Boston a city for everyone,” she told the City of Boston. Secured by Congresswoman Pressley, the $1 million in federal funding comes directly from the U.S. Department of Labor's Community Project Funding for FY2023, with no finances required from non-federal sources. The crowd present, working to bolster residents' job prospects, nodded in agreement, anticipating this initiative's potential to advance economic mobility.

The initiative builds on Workforce Development's previous efforts, which, according to the City of Boston, began with a pilot program that assisted 25 Adult Basic Education (ABE) programs serving 3,500 students annually. The positive impact of the pilot resulted in the creation of the Boston EdTech Routine Library, a collection of digital learning resources that have already begun to reshape the educational landscape for adult learners in Boston.

The expansion will see World Education providing technical assistance to a diverse array of organizations, from the Asian American Civic Association to Mothers for Justice and Equality. These beneficiaries will receive the funds necessary to help close the digital gaps that hinder their trainees. "Digital literacy will equip our graduates with the ability to learn more quickly and adapt to new technologies,” Christopher Hope, the Executive Director of the Loop Lab, told the City of Boston, outlining the direct impact of digital proficiency on career advancement.

At a time when the workplace is increasingly dependent on digital know-how—a point underscored by a National Skills Coalition report noting that a third of workers lack essential digital skills—the city's investment is a well-timed intervention. "Digital Literacy has become an important skill and ever more necessary in today’s workforce,” Macy Reed, Director of Workforce Development at Boston Medical Center, affirmed to the City of Boston. Boston's commitment to this educational expansion is poised to yield benefits for both employees and employers, bridging the chasm of digital inequity and fostering a workforce ready to tackle the challenges of tomorrow's economy.