Indigenous youth face ‘digital divide’

The number of Indigenous youth is growing at four times’ the rate of Canada’s non-indigenous population, representing the country’s fastest-growing cohort and a crucial part of the future workforce. But many feel they lack the digital skills needed to succeed in the country’s rapidly changing economy, according to a new report from RBC Economics.

The report, released Tuesday, called for a national digital skills strategy to prepare Indigenous youth for the jobs of the future. This is particularly important as nearly two-thirds of jobs held by Indigenous people are at risk of what RBC called a “skills overhaul,” as data, robotics, automation and other technologies transform sectors such as the skilled trades, mining and forestry.

“As we looked at employment for Indigenous Canadians and youth, it was concerning how many were in or connected to areas that were starting to undergo significant disruption in terms of technology,” said John Stackhouse, senior vice-president at RBC, in an interview. “(They) are going to need a lot of skills that are not widely available right now.”

The report highlighted a “digital divide” between Indigenous and non-indigenous youth. Just over 50 per cent of Indigenous youth surveyed by RBC said they felt confident in their digital literacy, 13-per-cent below non-indigenous youth. Digital literacy, Stackhouse said, is a term that encompasses workplace technology skills such as building websites, navigating e-commerce as a supplier or entrepreneur, and being able to code.

However, Indigenous youth surveyed felt highly confident in their foundational human-centric skills such as problem-solving, collaboration and creativity, in line with their non-indigenous peers. RBC said these skills are also key to thriving in the workplaces of the future.

One “fundamental challenge” in improving Indigenous youth’s digital literacy was access to quality highspeed internet, Stackhouse said. Currently, only 24 per cent of households in Indigenous communities have access to it, although the federal government has committed to connecting 98 per cent of the country to highspeed internet by 2026, and all Canadians by 2030.

The report noted Indigenous youth were more confident in their digital skills depending on where they lived. More than 75 per cent of those living in urban or suburban areas rated their digital skills highly, in comparison to more than 60 per cent living in rural or remote areas, and around 30 per cent of those who lived on First Nations reserves.

The report also called on more funding for digital devices and technology courses in primary and secondary schools, both on-reserve and off, and expanding academic bridging programs at colleges, universities and apprenticeship programs.