The National Urban League (NUL) recently released a report showing that the broadband access gap is narrowing between African Americans and white Americans. NUL hosts a panel discussion on the report, titled "Connecting the Dots," which targets ways to link broadband access with job training and job creation.
According to the report, the gap between African Americans and White Americans who used broadband at home fell by 8 percentage points, from 19 percentage points in 2009 to 11 percentage points in 2010.
The report makes a number of recommendations to connect broadband with employment, including partnering with broadband businesses to tie job training with job placement.
Among the NUL success stories, the report highlights the Center for Workforce Innovation Job Training Program of the Central Florida Urban League. 70% to 80% of the students put in apprenticeship-styled job placements find work at the end of the program. Allie Braswell, CEO of Central Florida Urban League, takes part in the panel discussion.
Other panelists include: Julius Genachowski, Federal Communications Commission Chairman, and two other FCC commissioners; Former FCC Chairman Michael Powell, now President/CEO of National Cable and Telecommunications Association; and NUL President & CEO, Marc Morial, and other NUL officers.