Young people are often overlooked in discussions about digital skills gaps because they are considered “digital natives” who do not require digital skills training. Using 2017 data from the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies survey, this research highlights a number of disparities in digital skill levels among Americans aged 16-24, including that many older youth have no or low digital skills and digital skill levels are disproportionally lower for youth of color than white youth. It also describes how philanthropy and the public sector can invest in digital skills training in communities in ways that promote equity, by supporting additional research about what drives digital skills gaps and exploring public-sector interventions such as efforts to make broadband internet and computer access public utilities.
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