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Hispanic Federation and Comcast NBCUniversal Announce New Partnership to Advance Digital Equity Among Latino Communities Nationwide

By: 3BL Media

May 11, 2022 at 09:10 AM EDT

SOURCE: Comcast Corporation

SUMMARY:

$635K in total grants will be distributed to 20 organizations to support digital skills training and prepare thousands of Latinos for the workforce of tomorrow.
As part of the initiative, the Hispanic Federation will develop a Latino Center of Digital Skills Excellence.
Through the Latino Digital Equity Centers initiative, Hispanic Federation and Comcast NBCUniversal aim to train more than 6,000 Latinos over a one-year period.

DESCRIPTION:

Today, the Hispanic Federation (HF), in partnership with Comcast NBCUniversal Telemundo, announced the launch of the Latino Digital Equity Centers Initiative to strengthen workforce development and digital training programs in the Latino community.

This will help increase digital equity for thousands of Latinos, who make up 14% of the workforce yet represent 35% of workers with no digital skills.

Through this partnership, 20 Latino-led and serving nonprofit organizations across the country will receive grants totaling $635,000 to provide access to digital skills learning in Latino communities. The initiative will also work closely with grantees to create a first-of-its-kind Digital Accelerator training program designed for the Latino-led grantee nonprofits to strengthen their organizational capacity, programmatic offerings and reach in the digital workforce development space. Grantees will also launch Digital Career Centers that will offer both online and in-person trainings to community members seeking to increase their digital skills, and help community members get connected to employment opportunities that leverage those skills.

As part of the initiative, the Hispanic Federation will develop a Latino Center of Digital Skills Excellence, a long-term, bilingual capability center on best practices for digital skills training that will conduct research, develop curriculum, and disseminate lessons learned to nonprofits providing digital workforce development for Latinos. The center will be available to all Latino and non-Latino workforce development agencies across the continental U.S. and Puerto Rico.

“Everyone should have the opportunity to participate in today's increasingly digital economy. Bridging the digital divide that disproportionately impacts Latinos is key to creating economic opportunity in the Latino community and a more equitable society,” said Frankie Miranda, President and CEO of the Hispanic Federation. “We’re excited to partner with Comcast NBCUniversal to equip Latinos with the skills they need to thrive in the workforce of tomorrow.”

“As automation and demand for digital skills continues to reshape the workforce, for far too many Latinos technology remains out of reach, leaving them shut out of opportunity,” said Juan Otero, Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Comcast Corporation.

Our partnership with the Hispanic Federation will provide thousands of Latinos with skill development and training they need to better compete and pursue true economic mobility.
JUAN OTERO

Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Comcast Corporation

Over the next decade, 50% of tasks across all industries are expected to go digital, eliminating as many as 39 million jobs—and by 2030, at least two-thirds of jobs will require some level of digital skills. Latino workers are 14% of overall workers but represent 35% of workers with no digital skills and 20% of those with limited digital skills.

Since Latino workers tend to work in less digital-facing fields, they are at higher risk for future under- and unemployment. Through the Latino Digital Equity Centers initiative, Hispanic Federation and Comcast NBCUniversal Telemundo aim to train more than 6,000 Latinos over a one-year period and open doors to digital services, business creation and community level opportunities.

In selecting grantees for the Latino Digital Equity Centers Program, Hispanic Federation prioritized Latino-led and serving 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations with a demonstrated track record providing workforce development to Latino communities and commitment to enhance or expand a digital skills training program.

The full list of grant recipients follows.