Canada Invests in Digital Literacy
$17.6 million investment will see 23 organizations teaching digital literacy skills to ensure no Canadian gets left behind in this digital era, announced the government of Canada in a press release.
March 13, 2023 – Ottawa, Ontario
The government of Canada believes that digital literacy skills “are essential” in today’s daily life and all Canadians “need to be able to “use the Internet safely, securely and effectively.”
To drive innovation and technology, digital skills are key. Acquiring the skills will reduce barriers and enable opportunities for all Canadians to succeed in everyday life.
On March 13, the Honorable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced that 23 not-for-profit organizations in communities across the country will receive funding as part of a $17.6 million investment in the second phase of the Digital Literacy Exchange Program (DLEP).
This significant investment will support the organizations in teaching digital literacy skills to those who need it most.
“Our government knows that Canada thrives when no one gets left behind. In today’s reality, understanding digital technology and being able to use the Internet are vital, which is why we are committed to ensuring that all Canadians have the skills to access information and opportunities online. Through initiatives supported by the Digital Literacy Exchange Program, thousands more Canadians will be equipped with the necessary skills to use computers, mobile devices and the Internet safely and securely.”– The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
The DLEP aligns with the Universal Access principle of the government’s Digital Charter, as it is part of a bundle of digital skills programs offered by the Government of Canada that seek to bridge the digital divide and help all Canadians access digital technology and develop the skills they need to use it.
Launched in 2018, the Digital Literacy Exchange Program (DLEP) aims to equip Canadians with the necessary skills to engage with computers, mobile devices and the Internet safely, securely and effectively, and it is designed to be inclusive by reaching out to those who are not online or are still learning how to use digital technologies.
The Government of Canada is investing $17.6 million over three years, starting in 2022–23, to help 100,000 Canadians gain the skills they need to participate in the digital economy.
In its first phase, the DLEP supported training of more than 400,000 participants from under-represented groups.
The State of Digital Literacy Among Immigrants in Canada
Investment in digital literacy among the newest Canadians will empower their daily lives as well as their career and professional prospects. According to CIC News, some immigrant groups originate from countries where digital literacy “is not as big of a focus as it is in Canada.”
Seven of Canada’s top ten recent immigrant source countries (between 2016 and 2021, via the 2021 census) rank below 45th place for “digital skills among population,” reports CIC News. For reference, Canada ranks 19th according to Wiley’s DSGI.
Canadian Immigrant’s Digital Rankings
CIC News outlines where those seven countries place on the Wiley’s DSGI ranks.
India, the source country of 18.6% of Canadian immigrants between 2016 and 2021, was ranked 59th by Wiley.
China – the birthplace of 8.9% of Canada’s immigrants in those five years – was ranked 46th.
Syria (4.8%) – Unranked
Nigeria (3.0%) – 119th
Pakistan (2.7%) – 77th
France (2.0%) – 54th
Iran (1.9%) – 79th
CIC News reports that the other three nations in Canada’s top 10 immigrant source countries all ranked inside the top 30 of Wiley’s rankings.
The Philippines, from which 11.4% of Canada’s immigrants arrived between 2016 and 2021, was ranked 21st. The United States (3.0% of Canadian immigrants) ranked 12th. Finally, the United Kingdom (1.7%) ranked 29th.
Left Behind
Before bridging the digital divide, access is vital. Canada’s National Post has been reporting on the series, Left Behind, by Jessica Mundie. The reporter writes about Canadian communities that lack access to “even the most basic internet services.”
From rural and Indigenous Canadians suffering from a lack of infrastructure and low-income people struggling to afford high prices, to digital illiteracy and people with disabilities unable to navigate the internet, Jessica Mundie reports on the Canadians who have been Left Behind.
Internet Access in rural areas
“Canadians living in rural areas have long been some of the least connected to reliable and affordable high-speed internet service,” writes Mundie, “They suffer some of the slowest speeds, faultiest connections and highest prices,” she reports.
As part of her story, Mundie interviewed a woman who lives in a rural Canadian town who was challenged to find internet service. “The only company she found that provides reliable service in her area: Starlink, a United States-based satellite internet provider operated by SpaceX….” Stories like this one are not rare, tells Mundie. “There can be a lengthy wait time to get Starlink — some customers wait weeks while others wait months depending on their location,” Mundie writes.
Internet access in indigenous communities
“For 1,600 people living in Cree communities in Northern Quebec, their lifeline to the internet is 3,000-kilometres of fibre optic cables strung up on poles, buried underground, and submerged underwater,” reports Mundie.
“Lack of adequate technology, faulty connections, and underfunded broadband projects contributed to the 65.2 per cent of households in First Nations reserves that did not have access to the universal service objective of 50 megabits per second (Mbps) download and 10 Mbps upload internet speeds in 2019, according to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). Many Indigenous communities across the country still remain unconnected,” details Mundie.
More than internet access is needed
There is a need to deliver fundamental digital skills training to seniors, newcomers to Canada, Indigenous and First Nations communities, and youth, says Mundie. Training will help these groups increase and benefit from participation in the digital economy.
It goes beyond internet access, says Mundie. Teaching users how to use the internet safely and how to protect themselves from online scams is equally important. The reporter states that since the pandemic, online scams have been on the rise.
Mundie reports the findings from a Statistics Canada’s Internet Use Survey, in 2020, where 58 per cent of Canadians reported a cyber security incident. This was up six per cent from 2018.
Ending the Digital Divide, Globally
Forbes writes that the digital divide creates digital “haves” and “have-nots,” and in “modern society, that’s simply not fair. It’s also unnecessary.”
The American business magazine points to global goals and solutions. “The good news is that the public and private sectors are already working hard to accomplish this goal. UNESCO and the ITU’s Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development have set an ambitious target of connecting 75% of the world’s population to fast internet via cable or wireless by 2025.”
Dr. Soledad Quartucci | Founder
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