A study by a group advocating for broadband internet access has found that many Ohio adults lack the digital skills necessary to be competitive in the job market.
The study by Connect Ohio reports 2.5 million Ohioans do not have broadband access at home. It also finds nearly a quarter of Ohioans have problems searching for jobs online.
Executive director Stu Johnson says the issues also affect who he calls “non-adopters,” or people who may have access but have barriers to using it effectively.
“It is folks with less education, lower income and households with children. That’s crippling,” Johnson said. “That’s a long-term effect that we need to get resolved, so that those kids have the same resources that my kids do to get through school.”
The report says the biggest barrier to broadband adoption is the belief that the service is not relevant. The next biggest barrier is cost.
