Kansas Governor Kelly Announces $2.3 Million for Digital Skills Programs to Drive Workforce Readiness

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly announced a $2.3 million investment in digital skills training and workforce readiness programs that will target nearly 50,000 Kansans. Through the Digital Opportunities to Connect Kansans program, the Kansas Office of Broadband Development will partner with 13 organizations to ensure residents can maximize what the availability of high-speed internet across the state has to offer. The DOCK program expands access to necessary digital tools and opportunities to upskill the workforce. Examples of what various organizations intend to deliver in their communities include:     

• Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas will create a pilot digital literacy program to address the area’s documented need for digital opportunity and extend access to critical digital education.   
• Tree Top Security in northwest Kansas will provide cybersecurity and digital skills training to small businesses, empowering them to protect data, prevent cyber threats, and enhance their operations using modern digital tools.  
• Eagle Nest’s “Digital Skills Launching Pad” will offer digital literacy training to justice-involved women, survivors of domestic violence, and women facing generational poverty in Cowley County. Training will focus on skills such as online safety, job readiness, and internet navigation.   
• The Liberal Area Coalition for Families in southwest Kansas will educate parents on digital safety in order to prepare children for a digital world. Parents will gain crucial skills to monitor their children’s online activities and ensure safe internet use, promoting better family communication and involvement in their children’s education.