Comcast to Announce $110,000 Grant Focused on Creating Digital Equity in Atlanta

Comcast today announced that it will provide $110,000 in grants to two Atlanta nonprofits – Raising Expectations and Inspiredu – to support the launch of Connect 404, a Digital Navigator program. Through Connect 404, the organizations are partnering to hire trusted community members (known as digital navigators) to help residents get connected to the internet and access digital skills training programs to advance digital equity for Georgians. The announcement will take place at Inspiredu’s headquarters, located at 1550 Southland Circle NW at 9:45 a.m. on October 30.

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Comcast to Announce $110,000 Grant Focused on Creating Digital Equity in Atlanta (Photo: Business Wire)

“I applaud Comcast’s commitment to creating stronger digital equity and broadband adoption across greater Atlanta in partnership with Raising Expectations and Inspiredu,” said Atlanta City Councilman Jason Dozier. “Efforts that pair broadband adoption with access to training programs that teach skills necessary to thrive in today’s workforce are requisite to closing the digital divide. This timely investment will help provide more Atlantans with the tools and digital skills they will need to be successful, wherever their journeys take them.”

“It is clear that the workforce in Atlanta and across the state relies heavily on digital adoption and skills training,” said Dalila Wilson-Scott, EVP and Chief Diversity Officer, Comcast Corporation and President, Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation. “Comcast is proud to partner with Raising Expectations and Inspiredu to launch the Connect 404 Digital Navigator program, and better ensure that underserved communities will be able to acquire the tools and training that will accelerate economic mobility and competition in the workforce of today and tomorrow.”

A recent research report by the National Skills Coalition, titled Closing the Digital Skills Divide, analyzed 43 million online job ads and found virtually all of today’s jobs require digital skills including those roles seeking limited education or work experience.

The report showed that those who qualify for jobs that require even one digital skill can earn an average of 23 percent more than those working in jobs requiring no digital skills — an increase of $8,000 per year for an individual full-time worker.

The findings also pointed to four key industries in Georgia that are seeking employees with the following digital skills:

• Finance and insurance: Mobile banking; information security; structured query language; nationwide mortgage licensing system
• Healthcare: Electronic medical records; radiologic technology
• Manufacturing: Enterprise resource planning software; robotics; computer numerical control; programmable logic controller
• Retail: Sales after service retail analytics and consumer goods software; robotics; credit card applications

“We are incredibly grateful to Comcast for their generous donation to our Connect 404 Digital Navigators program,” said Richard Hicks, CEO of Inspiredu. “Comcast has been a great partner in helping to bridge the digital divide here in Atlanta, and we are proud to support their mission.”