Bridging the Digital Divide Crucial to O.C.’s High-Tech Hopes

Is Orange County destined to become the next high-tech mecca? According to a recent report in the Los Angeles Times, perhaps not.

The county appears to have fallen behind in the race for new technology jobs, as software and Internet developers bypass us for destinations such as Los Angeles, San Diego and the Silicon Valley.

No doubt, the county’s future lies in its ability to attract the cutting-edge technology companies that are driving the new economy. So what is holding us back?

On the surface, Orange County appears to be wired for success in the burgeoning high-tech economy.

According to the 2000 Orange County Annual Survey, which we conduct at UC Irvine, people in Orange County are even more likely than other Californians to use computers and the Internet. Three in four local residents say they use computers, two in three use the Internet, and two in three Orange County homes have a personal computer.

Moreover, things appear to be going very well in Orange County right now. Residents give glowing reports to the county’s quality of life and economy, and most are happy with the job market. In fact, residents this year are in one of the most positive moods ever measured in the annual survey.

But behind this rosy picture, Orange County is split by a deep Digital Divide.

A major demographic change is underway in the county, and many in the fastest-growing groups lack the skills and knowledge needed to participate in the high-tech economy.

Specifically, the county’s Latino population is far less likely than whites to use a computer or have access to the Internet. Six in 10 Latino homes do not have a computer, compared with three in 10 whites, and nearly half of Latinos say they never use a computer anywhere.

Consider that Latinos account for nearly a third of the county’s population today and are expected to reach the million mark by 2010. In an industry plagued by a shortage of skilled workers, Orange County is hurting its chances of high-tech success by failing to train and utilize a large proportion of its work force.

In the long term, the Digital Divide can serve only to widen the already large gap between the county’s “haves” and “have-nots.”

As this year’s annual survey finds, the disparity between the rich and poor in Orange County is residents’ top fear for the future, with nearly three in four thinking this problem will grow in the next 20 years.

This concern has contributed to a view of the future that contrasts sharply with today’s upbeat mood. Residents are as likely to think Orange County will be a worse place as a better place to live in 2020.

The effects of the Digital Divide already are being felt.

Those who use a computer often are nearly twice as likely as those who never use one to find themselves better off this year than last.

Frequent computer users are far more likely than non-users to rate the local economy excellent, and express much greater satisfaction with the region’s job opportunities. Indeed, those who frequently use a computer give higher ratings to the county’s quality of life.

While the Digital Divide is an obstacle to Orange County becoming a center for the technology industry, bridging it is a part of the solution.

Increasing computer literacy and access among those on the down side of the Digital Divide will make the county more attractive to companies by providing a good supply of skilled workers. Computer training will increase the local market for high-tech products.

Moreover, some high-tech companies maintain that they choose to locate elsewhere because Orange County’s suburban lifestyle is too staid and their employees refuse to move here. By helping its residents acquire the necessary skills, Orange County will have a solid source of workers who clearly do want to live here.

Other parts of the state are tackling their Digital Divide problems. In Northern California, for instance, the Joint Venture Silicon Valley is bringing schools, high-tech companies, government and nonprofit organizations together to work on raising computer literacy among that region’s large Latino population. Similarly, the Great Valley Center is focusing on computer training for Latinos in California’s economically challenged Central Valley.

Orange County must also draw together partners in business, education and the public and nonprofits sector to provide technology equipment and training to its Latino population. We must make bridging the Digital Divide a top priority, if we hope to gain a major foothold in the new, high-tech economy.