ITIF Report Finds America’s Workforce Ranks 29th Out of 100 Countries for Digital Skills
In case you missed it, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) recently released a report that found the United States lags behind global competitors when it comes to digital skills.
The United States ranks 29th out of 100 countries for “the digital acumen of its workforce in business, technology and data science,” trailing behind 3rd-ranked Japan and 9th-ranked Russia.
Further, the report also highlights how the global economy is becoming increasingly digitalized. Between 2002 and 2017, the percentage of U.S. jobs requiring medium-high digital skill levels jumped 26 percent. However, as the report also explains, “fully one-third of working-age Americans possess at best limited digital skill” and “one in six cannot use email, web search, or other basic online tools” (OECD).
The findings warn of a shortage of digitally skilled workers in the near term and long-term challenges to maintaining a globally competitive U.S. economy.
The 21st Century economy is becoming increasingly dependent on digital technology. Americans must have the digital skills necessary to succeed in an evolving workforce if we are going to be able to maintain America’s competitive edge in the global economy.
Lawmakers must build on the unprecedented momentum for action and the positive progress of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed last year by advancing additional, permanent solutions to help Americans in every community learn the skills necessary, including the ability to use, work and communicate from computers, for success in the 21st Century economy.
Read the full ITIF report HERE.
Learn more about Connect Americans Now HERE.
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