Saturday, October 26, 2002
The elevation of technology in the workplace means that literacy skills are more important than they have ever been. But, according to the National more than 40% of the workers who are currently in the workforce have weak literacy skills. These poor skills translate directly into weaker companies.
In Massachusetts, for example, recent research sshowed that 1 in 3 workers are ill-equipped for the shifting demands of the New Economy. (The report calls for expanded partenrships between community colleges and employers to address this need. Read more.)
The problem in most states is that adult education programs do not meet the need of workplace education.
In Arkansas, a new model "Lunch and Learn" program provides a smaller scale approach that can work in most communities. Lunch and Learn matches tutors with workers. This is the type of initiative that EDPros need to consider for their communities as a critical component of their retention and expansion program. The payoff: higher productivity, lower down time, fewer accidents, lower turnover. Learn more. Go
posted by Ed Morrison |
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Some Background on EDPro Weblog
The purpose of this weblog is to help economic development professionals -- EDPros -- keep up with the changes sweeping our profession. Strap on your goggles. It's a whole new game. There are no experts any more. The only place to learn about economic development is from other EDPros who are doing it.
One other point: the prevaling approach (paradigm, if you like) in economic development is shifting from competition to collaboration. There are a lot of reaasons underlying this shift, but here's the important insight: You, your community, and your region will do better by collaborating and sharing information.
If you are using a news reader, here is the link to syndicate this site:
Here's the link if you are a bloglines subscriber:
Speaking and workshops on Open Source Economic Development
As the idea of Open Source Economic Development starts spreading, more people are asking about it. Visit the I-Open web site to learn more. My colleagues and I are happy to explain the basic concepts in a talk or a workshop. E-mail Susan Alshuler if you'd like to learn more about workshops and speaking.
Background on Ed Morrison
Download some background information on me here.
A new ED initiative: Workplace literacy programs
