Recognizing that the digital divide is as much about knowledge as equipment, Silicon Valley firm SmartForce has set up a foundation to make its online computer-literacy courses available to those who would not usually have the opportunity for training, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The SmartForce e-Learning Foundation is a $10 million program that will grant in-kind scholarships for the company's 1,500 available online courses. Pools of scholarships will be awarded to various communities and will be handed out to local residents by both governmental and nonprofit organizations, the Chronicle reports.

The first recipient of a SmartForce grant is the city of Oakland, Calif., which has been focusing its efforts on closing the digital divide in the city. The grant will provide 10,000 Oakland residents with $1 million in scholarships, helping the city's efforts.

"We see Oakland as the next place for digital innovation," Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown told the Chronicle. "I see people getting training and getting better jobs."

The Oakland Unified School District plans to use its portion of the scholarships to help high school students and local residents become better prepared for the working world, the Chronicle reports.

The SmartForce grant is unusual because its concentrates completely on training, Arthur Brodsky -- communications director of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration -- told the Chronicle.

"It's unusual for people to concentrate solely on training. That's the piece of the puzzle that people tend to overlook. It's not enough to plop a computer down on somebody's kitchen table and say, 'Here, you're on your own,'" Brodsky said.

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