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EDUCATION, CONVERSATION, MOTIVATION, CONSULTATION, RECREATION,
ETIQUETTE & NETIQUETTE: Dr. V. is Worth your Weight in Gold! |
New
Skills for a New Economy This summary focuses on the skills required by information age employers, skills held by the labor force in Massachusetts, and MassInc's six smart ways to improve adult education. What do employers want? In 1995, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published the results of an international adult literacy survey (IALS) in the report, "Literacy Skills for the Knowledge Society." The study compared adult literacy skills in twelve countries, including the English-speaking nations of Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. IALS examined three types of literacy: Prose - the ability to understand and use information from texts such as editorials, news stories, poems and fiction. Document - the ability to understand and use information in various formats, including job applications, payroll forms, transportation schedules, maps, tables and graphics. Quantitative - the ability to apply arithmetic operations in activities such as balancing a chequebook, calculating a tip or determining interest on a loan. Survey participants were graded on a five level scale: Level 1 - very low level literacy - may not be able to determine an appropriate dose of medication from its label. Level 2 - low level literacy - can perform simple tasks using material that is simple and clearly laid out. Level 3 - basic literacy - the minimum desirable level by employers in most countries. Levels 4 and 5 - high literacy - able to integrate several sources of information and solve complex problems. Factors such as computerization, technological change and global competition have led to greater demands upon employees. Employers increasingly demand minimum literacy levels of 3 or higher from their workers. Study Findings MassINC found that 1.1 of Massachusetts' 3.2 million working age adults lack the skills and education necessary to succeed in the new economy. This skills deficient group can be divided into three categories: 195,000 immigrants with limited English skills - Without new immigrants, Massachusetts' labor force would have shrunk in the 1990s. 280,000 adults lacking a high school credential - Workers lacking a high school diploma or equivalent have been the hardest hit by labor market changes in the past twenty years. 667,000 high school graduates whose literacy skills have slipped below level 3 - Studies have shown that when it comes to literacy skills, individuals must "use it or lose it." Employees who finished high school and worked for years in jobs requiring literacy levels of only 1 or 2 have now lost their ability to function at level 3 or higher. Adult Basic Education MassINC examined Adult Basic Education (ABE) in Massachusetts. This includes classes in basic literacy, General Educational Development (GED) preparation (high school equivalency), and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). * ABE students increased from 14,557 in 1994 to 24,581 in 2000 * the demand for ABE classes exceeds supply, based on ABE waiting lists * over 50% of ABE participants showed learning gains * almost 1/3 gained more than two grade levels Mass INC concluded that the state's programs were well-positioned, effective, and deserving of further funding. Six
Smart Ways to Improve Adult Education 1. Offer weekend classes- while a significant number of Adult Basic Education (ABE) class registrants indicate a preference for studying on Saturdays, less than two percent of ABE classes are currently offered on that day. There are no classes offered on Sundays, and registrants are not asked whether they would like to study on Sundays. 2. Retain experienced full-time teachers - although full-time teachers are signficant determiners of program quality, just over one-third of Massachusetts' ABE teachers work full-time. Attrition in ABE is high - almost three-quarters of the ABE teachers have been with their programs for less than three years. 3. Technology and distance learning - increase the availability of these flexible learning options. 4. Funding - most ABE funds are presently granted to community-based private providers who arrange classrooms and hiring on a class-by-class basis. MassINC argues that this arrangement makes the system more fragile than if the funds were directed at institutions with permanent staff and infrastructures. 5. Intensity of instruction - short, intensive classes appear to yield better results than brief periods of instruction conducted over a long period of time. 6.
Link ABE to the workplace - offer classes in workplaces, with
employers paying employees to attend at least half of the class. |
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