Challenge issues $1.5 million to 10 cities for workforce programs; closing digital skills gap
Tuesday, June 25, 2024 — Cleveland — Comcast Corporation and the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) named Cleveland as one of 10 cities to receive a Talent for Tomorrow: Digital Equity Challenge grant award at USCM’s 92nd Annual Meeting in Kansas City.
A winner in the mid-sized city category, Cleveland was awarded $150,000 for the REC-N-TEC initiative, which aims to uplift residents by equipping them with vital workplace-related digital skills. The REC-N-TEC initiative leverages existing computer labs and their dedicated broadband networks to amplify current programming (e.g., esports, entrepreneurship for teens, STEAM/STEM) as well as enhance and expand the learning and skills training opportunities for residents through newer technologies including virtual and augmented reality.
“Thanks to USCM and Comcast, we have a powerful opportunity to bridge Cleveland’s digital divide by deploying real resources directly to residents through our established network of recreation centers," said Cleveland Mayor Justin M. Bibb. "By reaching residents where they are, we can bolster individualized career pathways, better focus on vulnerable populations, and ensure every resident is ready for 21st century jobs—all at locations already convenient to them."
The Talent for Tomorrow: Digital Equity Challenge is a joint initiative of the USCM and Comcast’s Project UP, and it supports the launch and expansion of local workforce programs designed to grow college and career readiness, close the digital skills gap, advance economic mobility, and lay the foundation for generational wealth in under-resourced communities.
An independent panel of judges selected by USCM reviewed applications and selected winners.
In the small cities category, Kinston, NC; Michigan City, IN; White Plains, NY; and York, PA, will each receive $75,000 grants. In the medium-sized cities category, Cleveland, OH; Little Rock, AR; and Richmond, VA, will receive $150,000 grants for their submitted projects. The cities of Charlotte, NC; Los Angeles, CA; and Portland, OR, in the large cities category, will receive $250,000 grants.
“Mayors are investing in economic development that lifts people up instead of leaving them behind,” said U.S. Conference of Mayors CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran. “The Talent for Tomorrow Challenge grants will allow the ten cities to grow these programs and build on their success. By providing digital access and skills training, we will be able to build a stronger, more diverse, more equitable and inclusive workforce across the country. The Conference is grateful to have a committed partner in Comcast, as we work to create economic opportunity and communities where Americans can thrive.”
“America’s mayors know well that closing the digital divide is intrinsically connected to the economic competitiveness of our cities and towns,” said Dalila Wilson-Scott, Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer of Comcast Corporation & President of the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation. “The Talent for Tomorrow: Digital Equity Challenge will help ensure that more people, especially those most often left out of the digital economy, can take advantage of the opportunities that come with acquiring digital skills. Comcast is proud to deepen our partnership with the U.S. Conference of Mayors through this new initiative that will build on our shared commitment to digital equity by expanding workforce and job training programs for ten winning cities.”
To learn more about the program, visit Comcast Partnership - United States Conference of Mayors (usmayors.org).
