Remote and Hybrid Work Drive Equity in Alaska Workforce

We’ve heard a lot over the past two years about the ways in which the shift to remote work and school really exposed the digital divide. Those who could easily connect to high-speed Internet have generally fared better since early 2020 than those who could not. What has been less discussed, however, are ways remote work has improved digital equity. At the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) annual conference, Alaska CIO Bill Smith talked about how remote work has advanced digital equity goals for the state workforce. People who live in farther-flung regions of the large state were previously excluded from state government work because it meant relocating to more populous areas. Now, Smith said, that’s changing, and Alaska is able to recruit from a wider pool of talent and add more diverse voices to its staff. While the state is just beginning to feel the real impact of that shift, he explained, “We’ve got the enduring tools now to start to see that on a larger scale.”