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CenterFuse Broadband Feasibility Report The historical solution to lack of computers was to put computers in libraries and public places. However, numerous studies have shown that computers in the home are better than computers in libraries and have a huge positive impact on students compared to any other alternative. Computers have the biggest positive impact on students when they are part of daily life and convenient to use when needed. We can't forget that computers aren't only for students. Adults need computers today just to participate in the modern world. Computers are needed to hunt for a job. Computers are needed to pursue online training and education. Computers are needed to consider jobs that all employees to work from home. Computers are needed today to interface with many government programs. There are a number of different approaches that communities have tried to solve the computer gap that will be discussed below in the section talking about solutions for the digital divide. There is no easy way to quantify the number of homes in Ellensburg that don't have a computer. For example, a home might buy broadband to watch Netflix and otherwise only use a cellphone connected to the broadband. We did learn from the schools that they didn't have to hand out very many computers to students during the pandemic. The Digital Literacy Gap The current US job market appeared to be robust before the pandemic due an unemployment rate which was low by historic standards. However, a closer look at the statistics tells a different story. Workers with upper-income jobs have fared extremely well. For example, starting jobs for new computer, engineering, and similar tech graduates have been at an all-time high. It's a good time to be a high-tech worker. However, over half of all job openings in the country are classified as middle-skill jobs (with the three categories being high-skilled jobs, middle-skill jobs, and unskilled jobs). These jobs generally don't require a college degree. However, an analysis by the Benton Foundation a few years ago showed that over 80% of middle-skill jobs require some degree of digital literacy. Unfortunately, a lot of people seeking middle-skill jobs lack the digital skills needed to land these jobs. This lack of sufficient digital literacy to find middle-skill jobs is perhaps the best way to describe the broadband skills gap. These are not jobs that need coders, but rather they need people with basic computer skills like knowing how to use Microsoft Word or Excel. It means being able to type fast enough to do data entry, write-emails, or perform other expected tasks in the average workplace. In the early days of the computer age the federal government operated many training programs that taught the basic computer skills. Today it seems to be assumed that students graduate from high school with these skills. However, a student who has never had a home broadband connection or a computer and who only did homework on a cellphone probably doesn't have the needed digital skills. Since the federal and most state governments don't offer any significant training programs in computer literacy, it's up to local communities to find their own solutions. An example of a non-profit that has tackled this issue is the Enterprise Center in Chattanooga Tennessee. This is a non-profit that is looking for ways to solve the digital divide in the city. Chattanooga is a city that has invested in broadband and offers gigabit broadband on fiber to every Page 49