The Center for Digital Government ranked El Paso sixth in the nation for "Digital City Governments." That means the Sun City is being recognized for investing in technology.
"It is becoming so common place in terms of being able to do anything like e-government, applying for job, helping out kids with school assignments. All of those things are just part of what we do in the technology age, and if people don't have those skill-sets they get left behind," El Paso Libraries Director Dionne Mack said.
Mack says El Pasoans we were being left behind about three-years ago. A survey showed few people had access to the internet.
"I think that it is a challenge for a lot of people to afford connectivity at home, and so to be able to come into a library or some other trusted space where they can have the same level of access as other people throughout the country is really, really important," she said.
This year, a grant from the Broadband Technology Opportunity Program helped supply internet access to El Paso. The grant required the city to offer workforce development classes, and as a result 18,000 people are trained for jobs.
"We're on the right path in terms of making sure that an educated workforce is available here for the future of El Paso," Mack said.
Another city-county project called "Digital El Paso" is also in the picture. It has helped supply wireless internet to the downtown area.
"I know from my work that this city is very, very committed to making sure we have the infrastructure in place to be able to continue to be one of these award winning cities for a program like this," she said.
Mack also pointed out that because El Paso is a "digital city," our economy is better off.
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Quelle/Source: News Channel 9 - KTSM, 07.12.2011
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