Anna London is director of talent development at Charlotte Works, an organization that prepares people for education and available careers, while connecting businesses to skilled workers.
How is digital literacy important?
Digital literacy is extremely important. It is important to have access to devices, but then also be able to use them. Starting as early as elementary school, being able to use a device for research, submitting homework assignments and then being able to apply for college. Whether it’s two-year school, four-year school, a short-term training program, or being able to apply for a job, everything is online now. You need to be able to use that device to be competitive with education and/or employment.
How would you expand digital literacy?
If given the opportunity, I would make sure that everyone in our community has access and has the opportunity to participate in digital literacy training. I know that that is something Digital Charlotte is doing and they’ve been doing for a few months now. I think that that is something that’s extremely important for certain communities, certain zip codes here in Charlotte, and even individuals that have significant barriers to employment. It is important that we make that training and those opportunities available to everyone in our community.
What role does technology play for North Carolinians?
Technology plays a huge role in the lives of people in North Carolina, similar to how I said digital literacy and technology plays a huge role in my everyday life. In a professional setting, no matter what your job is, it’s important that you know how to use a device. A majority of jobs these days require you to know how to use Excel and you need to be familiar with the various tools on the internet. It’s extremely important that someone has access to that technology.