How are you reading this article? On your computer at work? Maybe it’s your iPad while you’re sitting on the couch at night? Or your smartphone while you’re waiting to collect the kids from their afternoon activities?
For the majority of Australians, being online everyday is the norm. But according to the Australian Digital Inclusion Index, one in five Australians are digitally excluded. And the impact is significant. As more of life moves online, the consequences of being left out become harder to ignore.
Understanding the digital divide
Digital exclusion has many layers. It can stem from unreliable or unaffordable internet access, limited digital literacy or the lack of a suitable device. These challenges often overlap and their impact flows into almost every part of life. When someone cannot confidently use the tools the rest of us depend on, it becomes harder to access essential services, apply for jobs, succeed at school or stay connected with family and community.
In regional and remote areas, the gap can be even wider. Infrastructure challenges make it difficult to access stable, high-quality connections. Transport and service availability can limit support options. The consequences are significant, particularly for people already facing social or economic barriers. Distance may separate communities, but the digital world shouldn’t.
At VERTO, we see the real-world effects of digital exclusion every day. We meet job seekers who are ready and eager to find work but struggle because the first step – completing an online application – feels overwhelming or impossible. We support parents who want to help with schoolwork but don’t have a functioning device at home. We see older Australians who feel out of their depth navigating online banking or booking a medical appointment. The challenges vary, but the impact is consistent: digital exclusion limits choice, opportunity and confidence.
Why digital access matters more than ever
The shift toward online learning, digital service delivery and technology-driven workplaces has accelerated rapidly over recent years. While these changes have brought innovation and convenience, they’ve also widened the gap for those excluded from the digital world.
Education is a clear example. Today’s classrooms rely heavily on digital tools, from interactive platforms to remote learning systems. Students without reliable access or the skills to navigate these tools can quickly fall behind. The effects ripple into long-term educational outcomes, confidence and future career paths.
Employment is another area where the digital divide is increasingly visible. Job markets now expect digital capability at almost every level. Even roles once considered non-digital often require online rostering systems, digital communication tools or basic data entry. When someone lacks digital confidence, accessing job opportunities becomes harder. And securing long-term employment can feel out of reach.
Technology is also reshaping industries, with emerging technologies like artificial intelligence influencing how Australians learn, work and communicate. While these developments open doors, they also demand a renewed commitment to ensuring that no one is left behind. As digital tools evolve, so must the support systems that help people build the skills to use them.
Beyond education and work, digital access plays an important role in wellbeing. Staying connected with family, engaging in community life, accessing government services and managing personal tasks are all increasingly digital experiences. When people are digitally excluded, they’re at risk of social isolation and find it more difficult to engage fully with the world around them.
How VERTO is helping bridge the gap
Improving digital access requires more than providing devices or internet connections. It’s about building confidence, capability and the freedom to engage in a digital society. VERTO’s work in this space focuses on practical, people-centred support that empowers individuals to use technology to improve their lives.
One example is the Skills for Education and Employment program, which helps people build essential literacy, numeracy and digital skills. Participants not only learn how to operate devices and navigate online systems, they develop lasting confidence that carries into job seeking, further training and everyday communication.
Programs like Tech Savvy Seniors also play a vital role. These initiatives give older Australians a supportive environment where they can learn at their own pace, ask questions without judgment and build the digital skills that keep them connected and independent. Whether it’s learning to send photos to family, managing appointments or understanding online safety, these skills enhance quality of life in ways that are both practical and deeply personal.
Across our employment and training services, digital support is integrated into many of the interactions we have with clients. Sometimes it’s as simple as helping someone complete a form, set up an email address or understand how to use an online portal. Other times, it involves structured training designed to unlock new opportunities. Every step, whether small or significant, contributes to greater digital inclusion.
The role we can all play
Closing the digital gap isn’t just the responsibility of organisations or governments. It’s a collective effort that benefits entire communities.
Helping a family member become more comfortable with their device, offering guidance to someone who feels overwhelmed by online tasks or simply being patient and supportive when a friend asks for help, these moments build digital confidence one experience at a time. Small actions can make a big difference.
For businesses, community groups and individuals, the holiday season presents an opportunity to think differently about giving. Supporting digital access – whether through donating devices, volunteering time or promoting local training programs – can create lasting change that extends well beyond the festive season.
Moving forward with smarter, more inclusive solutions
Addressing digital exclusion requires more than recognising the problem. It asks us to rethink how services, training and support are designed in the first place. As Australia continues to shift toward digital-first systems, we need approaches that are flexible, accessible and built with real people in mind.
This includes designing online processes that are simpler and more intuitive, offering alternatives when digital pathways create barriers and ensuring digital skills training is embedded wherever people study, work or seek support. It also means involving communities directly in shaping solutions, because the challenges faced in a remote town, a regional centre or a metropolitan suburb are not always the same.
VERTO will continue to play a role in this broader picture. Our experience shows that when people receive the right support at the right time, confidence grows quickly and opportunities follow. No single program or organisation can close the digital divide on its own, but collective effort across sectors and across communities can drive meaningful progress.
The digital world will keep evolving. The goal is to ensure everyone has the chance to evolve with it.
