Hartford Public Library

The pandemic has exposed the fact that U.S. industries are lacking in employing adequate numbers of skilled workers able to respond to the high demand for services and goods related to keeping healthcare workers, patients and the general public, healthy and secure. The Hartford Public Library will join the effort to create and advance programs that expand economic opportunities for workers and their families while boosting local businesses' capacity. The library will create a virtual framework that identifies skills that are most valuable for the future, the businesses that will need them the most, the people who need work and can gain such skills, and the training and technology-enabled learning that addresses the unique challenges experienced by underserved segments of the population. In Hartford, the digital divide continues to be a pervasive issue. At least 20,000 households are without internet access. The library will deliver integrated digital and industry-certificate training focused on low-income adults enrolled or enrolling in a high school diploma or certificate training program. It will prioritize individuals residing in HartFord's federally designated Promise Zone, which encompasses one of the highest rates of poverty and digital exclusion in the region and nation.