A Shorten Labor Government will invest $25 million on a network of digital skills hubs to help boost the digital skills of 500,000 Australians living in our regions.

This election will be a choice between a united Shorten Labor Government which will give our regions the digital infrastructure and skills they need for the jobs of the future, or more of the Liberals cuts and chaos.

The investment is part of Labors $245 million investment to improve regional connectivity.

Businesses and governments are using technology to deliver an ever-increasing range of services, but without the right digital skills, many Australians are locked out from accessing those services.

And the world of work increasingly expects average Australians to have higher levels of digital skills.

The Australian Digital Inclusion Index 2018 shows a significant digital inclusion gap in Australia between the cities and the regions. Under the Liberals the digital CapitalCountry gap is the widest it has ever been.

On top of this, the International Monetary Fund and the OECD have pointed to the need to lift digital skills to boost peoples chances of getting and holding on to jobs into the future.

Making sure we close that gap and boost the digital skills of Australians regardless of where they live is a priority for Labor.

Thats why Labor will invest $25 million to help drive digital skills development in regional Australia, especially by creating regionally based Digital Skills Hubs which will help up to 500,000 Australians.

These Hubs will particularly target groups shown to be digitally excluded, such as older Australians, Indigenous Australians, people living with disability and the long-term unemployed.

Through our investment, we will focus on finding quicker ways of skilling up Australians through a combination of existing and new sites.

We will work with local organisations as hosts and delivery partners who will provide accessible and lasting hubs for regional communities.

The Regional Digital Skills Hubs will create efficiency and longevity by leveraging existing community centres, libraries and other public facilities and create digital partners such as not-for-profit social enterprises.

After six years of LNP cuts and chaos, our united Labor team is ready to step forward with positive policies that will make a difference to average Australians.

End the chaos. Vote for change. Vote Labor.