ASHEBORO — The new Randolph County Agricultural Center has a digital skills lab.
The lab is designed to enhance digital literacy and skills in the community.
Hannah Bradley-Cobb, a digital skills agent with the cooperative extension, is involved as the hands-on coordinator for these programs.
“My role is to help people when they need assistance with technology,” she said. “Anybody who is struggling with technology or anyone looking to enhance their skills might be a fit for this.”
The lab is located in the Allen Ray McNeill Education & Resource Center at the agricultural center’s campus on U.S. 64.
Bradley-Cobb said the lab is a good fit for the new agricultural center.
“Technology is very important to agriculture right now,” she said.
The lab can be suitable for people with a variety of interests. Those might include farmers, senior citizens, job seekers and small business owners, Bradley-Cobb said.
Randolph County manager Zeb Holden said programming in the digital skills lab has involved Randolph County 4-H and a workshop teaching Google apps and tools to residents.
“What is offered in this lab spans many generations, and we are so excited about the possibilities,” Holden said.
This winter, the county announced that Randolph Communications is the official sponsor of the lab.
Kimberly Garner, CEO/general manager of Randolph Communications said the company’s involvement comes in an effort “to inspire and equip individuals with the skills necessary to thrive in the digital age.”
Bradley-Cobb holds weekly classes on various topics at senior centers and libraries. Those tend to be heavy with the senior population.
The new agricultural center has provided a nice set-up with plenty of visibility for the digital lab.
“It has been really great,” Bradley-Cobb said. “We’re definitely nonstop busy.”
The agricultural center’s facility has made the instruction more practical for the visitors.
“I can have people come in and do hands-on,” Bradley-Cobb said.
For many of the topics, seniors make up a large percentage of the attendees.
“There’s a digital divide there,” Bradley-Cobb said.
Bradley-Cobb said programs designed to provide a better understanding of artificial intelligence have created widespread interest.
“I’ve seen a lot of interest from people still in the workforce,” she said.
Plus, the lab will hold weekly free one-on-one tech sessions for any county resident seeking assistance with a phone, tablet or laptop. Those sessions can be booked by calling (336) 318-6002.
