Montreal – As our daily lives move increasingly online, Canada’s digital divide becomes ever more obvious. But that divide is about more than just internet access: it relates to the benefits that users get from online services, resources and networks and whether they have the necessary skills to navigate the digital world.

In their new IRPP paper, policy expert Christine Pinsent-Johnson and education researcher Matthias Sturm argue that Canada’s adult education and skills development system should have a more prominent role in bridging the divide between those who have the necessary digital skills to thrive in the modern economy and those who don’t.

“Canada’s adult education programs are well positioned to offer essential digital learning opportunities but are currently excluded from the digital learning conversation,” explains Pinsent-Johnson.

“We advocate for sustained core funding for adult education programs and establishing a national platform for resource sharing. We also call for connecting community-level adult education with broader digital literacy efforts through a cross-sectoral network to ensure equitable access to digital resources and support,” she says.

In the paper, Pinsent-Johnson and Sturm urge Employment and Social Development Canada to work with provincial and territorial governments to:

• Ensure the provision of sustained core funding to provincial and territorial adult education programs to stabilize operations, facilitate long-term planning and reduce administrative redundancies, particularly by ensuring predictable support for equipment purchases, IT infrastructure and software licensing. They also recommend the creation of a national platform for educators to share learning materials and best practices.
• Connect community-level adult education initiatives with broader digital literacy efforts to co-ordinate programs aimed at enhancing digital skills and access for underserved communities. By leveraging existing partnerships and forging new collaborations, such initiatives can serve as hubs for integrating informal and formal learning, thereby ensuring equitable access to digital resources and learning opportunities across diverse Canadian communities.

“We are now at a pivotal moment. During the pandemic, we saw the digital divide for what it was — a complex issue that cannot be solved by ramping up technological solutions without considering underlying social inequalities of digital access and their harmful impact on every facet of our lives. To bridge the gap, we need a comprehensive, co-ordinated and sustainable approach to keep up with the relentless pace of technological change. And we need it now,” says Sturm.

Adult Education: The Missing Piece to Bridging the Digital Divide can be downloaded from the IRPP’s website (irpp.org).