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According to a Pew Research Center Internet & American Life Project study, "The Mobile Difference," nearly 40 percent Americans have positive and improving attitudes about their mobile communication devices, thereby further immersing themselves into a more robust digital lifestyle.
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How will broadband affect burgeoning controversies over health care? The answers to this question and more came courtesy of a Broadband Cenus-hosted, hour-long panel discussion. View a video of the discussion.
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President Obama on Innovation and Sustainable Growth. President Barack Obama has new plans to strengthen the economy that will all favor people with hi-tech educations.
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Elevate Miami, a comprehensive Digital Inclusion program launched by the city of Miami, aims to serve youth, low-income families, minorities, seniors and residents facing barriers to digital inclusion.
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The Knight Center of Digital Excellence held its first Stimulus Webcast Session for Knight communities and program directors July 23. Watch it online now.
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By pushing hard on broadband, lawmakers hope to close the "digital divide" that has long separated rural America. In doing so, they hope to give rural consumers access to the same sorts of high-speed services and opportunities - think telemedicine, distance-learning and Web-based commerce - that city dwellers have enjoyed for years.
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Posts Tagged ‘Information Technology’
Thursday, July 16th, 2009
Attracting and retaining business is an important part of any community’s economic makeup. And it’s the little guy that can sometimes provide the greatest benefit for many areas.
Small businesses employ over half of the U.S. private workforce. In many communities, small businesses may employ even a higher percentage.
The stimulus package means jobs for small businesses. The U.S. Council of Economic Advisers projects the stimulus package – as a whole – will create of save about 3.7 million jobs (1.6 million in small and mid-sized businesses). Steve King, of Emergent Research, indicates a significant share of those jobs will take place in areas where growing businesses play a major role.
According to King, the stimulus package provides a number of elements to boost the economy, mostly centered around a modernized infrastructure, a shift to clean energy, an improvement in healthcare, broadened educational opportunities and an expanded use of technology.
At the Knight Center of Digital Excellence, we’re seeing how an “expanded use of technology” – specifically broadband technology – is already laying the groundwork for future economic development in numerous Knight communities. Consider just a few of the previous articles we’ve reported on: wireless networks taking off in Akron, Ohio; advances in Smart Grid technology in Miami; the use of ePrescribing and telemedicine applications in numerous states, IT workforce development programs in Lexington, Ky.
Broadband Internet is playing a crucial role in all areas outlined as crucial elements in getting our nation’s economy back on track. Keep in mind these programs not only lay the foundation for economic success for existing businesses, but for entrepreneurs as well.
Consider what the Internet has allowed many to accomplish already. Some 20,000 small businesses now operate on the Internet, 120,000 individuals are primarily employed as eBay sellers and 500,000 individuals have part-time businesses on eBay. In addition, there are several examples of Internet companies that have risen to prominence within the last 10 years to become major employers. Amazon, Cisco Systems, Symantec, Google and eBay collectively employ 75,000 people. All in all, consumer e-commerce comprises about 10 percent of all U.S. retailing.
Communities that can offer expanded broadband technology better position themselves to not only attract and retain existing business, but allow small ones to grow and thrive. And thriving local business means a more solid tax base and greater economic freedom.
Tags: Akron, Amazon, American Recovery & Reinvestment Act 2009, broadband, Broadband Expansion, Cisco Systems, community, digital, eBay, economy, education, electricity, Emergent Research, Florida, Google, healthcare, high-speed, Information Technology, infrastructure, innovation, Internet, IT, KCoDE, Kentucky, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, Lexington, Miami, network, Ohio, small business, Steve King, stimulus, stimulus watch, telemedicine, U.S. Council of Economic Advisers, utilities
Posted in ARRA, Stimulus Package | No Comments »
Thursday, June 25th, 2009
The Knight Center of Digital Excellence has been actively involved in the planning of an innovative, IT workforce development program in the Knight community of Lexington, Ky.
YouthTech will have participants (18 to 24 years old) take part in training programs that include technology classes, mentoring, personal development and workforce training. In addition, all participants receive case management and referral services as appropriate.
The program is designed to address four key areas:
• Workforce development: Overall, the goal of YouthTech is that students will ultimately develop into self-reliant, productive adults working in the IT field. But in addition to students working to become IT-competent, they’ll work to become “employable.” This includes developing skills in resume writing and delivery; bolstering interview techniques; and developing professional habits such as punctuality, dependability and workplace-appropriate communication.
• Education: The program isn’t designed to simply teach students basic information technology skills. Training will focus on participants obtaining industry-standard certifications, such as Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) Server 2008 Administration Training, MCTS Application Development Training and others.
• Community service: To complete certification, students will demonstrate skills through service learning projects. As participants progress through the program, projects will be identified comparable with their skill levels. Projects may include teaching a computer literacy course, designing or performing maintenance on the website of a local non-profit organization, or even working on community initiatives to provide wireless Internet access at a reduced rate to low-income neighborhoods in their area.
• Partnerships with local businesses: Plans for YouthTech include the promotion of partnerships with local businesses for mentorship, internship and possible job placement. An interesting aspect of the program will be the individual success plans developed for each participant. For some participants, this could be job readiness upon completion of high school, or admission into and success in a two-year vocational training program or a four-year degree program. Regardless of the goal, local mentors will be assigned to students to foster a relationship that helps carry the student through the program and into post-program success.
If successful, YouthTech will be a high-impact addition to the collection of Lexington-area programs dedicated towards teaching students valuable technology skills. The city already boasts Tubby’s Clubhouse, a computer-training program for low-income middle school students in Lexington-Fayette County; an Academy of Information Technology at Bryan Station High School; and an Information Technology program at Fayette County Public Schools East Side Technical School.
These types of programs can really make a difference for a community.
Lexington is home to numerous small technology businesses in addition to three major hospitals that require advanced security networks and are working to transition into the new era or bioinformatics.
Programs like YouthTech can position local youth to serve as the qualified individuals needed to fill existing and future jobs. It’s this kind of initiative that ensures connected communities will have an intelligent workforce prepared to compete in an ever-evolving global environment.
Tags: Academy of Information Technology, bioinformatics, broadband, Broadband Expansion, Bryan Station High School, community, community service, digital, digital divide, economy, education, Fayette County Public Schools East Side Technical School, healthcare, high-speed, hospital, Information Technology, infrastructure, innovation, Internet, IT, Kentucky, Knight, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, Lexington, Lexington-Fayette County, MCTS, Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist, network, partnerships, rural communities, technology classes, Tubby's Clubhouse, workforce development, YouthTech
Posted in Digital news, Knight Center, Knight Center of Digital Excellence | No Comments »
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