Thursday, January 27, 2005
Globalization is focusing a new light on our adult education system. Here's why: As workers are displaced from previously stable companies, they may not have the new basic skills needed for today's employers. A remarkably high proportion of our existing workforce operates at relatively low levels of literacy.
Here's a report to get you up to speed on the issue. Go. You can get estimates on the level of adult literacy in your community from this site.
(Note: Level 1 and Level 2 represent the lowest levels of literacy. Almost all adults in Level 1 can read a little but not well enough to fill out a job application. Adults in Level 2 usually can perform more complex tasks, but they generally do not have adequate reading and problem-solving skills. About 50% of the adult U.S. population fits into Level 1 or 2. Learn more.)
In Louisiana, the governor received a report from her adult education task force. Not surprisingly, the task force found the adult education system to be fragmented and disconnected from employers. Read more. You can download the report here.
posted by Ed Morrison |
links
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.
Louisiana's adult education report
