Workforce Development - A Good Investment?

What Should We Expect as Basic Administrative Skills?

When I interact with small business owners, I am appalled to hear the difficulty that they are having finding workers with the most basic administrative skills.  I recently spoke to a client who advertised a entry level sales position, got over 2,000 responses, and after sorting out the candidates, was left with only one (1) that demonstrated the attitude,, work ethic and technical skills that he required.

When I asked what he was looking for, he gave me his list. 
It looked like this:

• Familiarity with desktop operating systems (Apple OS, Windows)
• Ability to access files - understand the concept of connectivity - storage
• Perform basic word processing
• Operate E-mail, calendar, address book
• Able to perform data entry and chart preparation
• Create a brief informational presentation
• Ability to safeguard confidential information
• High-school graduate (not GED)
• Able to pass a drug test
• Valid active in-state drivers license

Note that sales experience was NOT one of his requirements.  He was prepared to train the new hire in his products / services and how to sell.

Is this indicative of what the "available" workforce looks like?

Looked at the 2008 Federal Budget Lately?

I recently took a closer look at the 2008 Federal Budget.  What I saw troubled me - a lot.

It cuts funding for career and technical education in half, and job training programs by $1 billion.

These programs are critical if we are going to continue to prepare workers to meet the demands of the 21st century workforce. Job Corps is reduced by $55 million, or 3.5 percent. It also would cut Head Start by $100 million.

As we enter a time of increasingly sophisticated skills being needed in order to meet the workforce needs of today and tomorrow, doesn't this seem a bit strange to you?

Launch of www.Skills2Compete.org with resources for advancing a 21st-century skill guarantee

 

Reminder!  Register by Thursday, Nov. 8th A 21st-Century Vision for Opportunity and Innovation Launch of the Skills2Compete Campaign A National Webinar Monday, November 12, 2007 at 12:00 p.m. EST To register, email carlam@workforcealliance.or Learn About the Research Harry J. Holzer Professor of Public Policy, Georgetown University Visiting Fellow, Urban Institute will talk about the campaign report, America's Forgotten Middle-Skill Jobs by Holzer and Robert Lerman.. Hear from Representatives of Endorsing Organizations National Association of Manufacturers Phyllis Eisen, Vice President, The Manufacturing Institute & Executive Director, Center for Workforce Success International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers R. Thomas Buffenbarger, International President Kentucky Community and Technical College System Dr. Keith Bird, Chancellor Training, Inc. National Elsa Bengel, Vice President, Boston YMCA Education & Training The Workforce Alliance Andy Van Kleunen, Executive Director See the Resources Launch of www.Skills2Compete.org with resources for advancing a 21st-century skill guarantee. Register now for the national launch of the Skills2Compete campaign by emailing carlam@workforcealliance.org. Those who register will receive dial-in information one prior to the event.  Learn more about the campaign and endorse at our temporary campaign website at www.workforcealliance.org/endorseS2C.           The Skills2Compete Vision: Every U.S. worker should have access to the equivalent of at least two years of education or training past high school—leading to a vocational credential, industry certification, or one's first two years of college—to be pursued at whatever point and pace makes sense for individual workers and industries. Every person must also have the opportunity to obtain the basic skills needed to pursue such education.

Visit our temporary campaign website at www.WorkforceAlliance.org/S2C

Is Fraud or Incompetence Now a Skillset?

I am an avid reader of CFO magazine, an award-winning Economist Group publication, dedicated to providing relevant insights to senior financial executives around the world. Reaching an international audience of over one million corporate decision makers each month through specialized events, conferences and research, it is a highly credible "microscope" into the complex world of corporate finance.

Just for grins, I went back into the first three (3) weeks of headlines for September 2007 and discovered the following:

• Apple's Jobs Was Subpoenaed, Report Says
• Ex-CFO Says He Won't Be the "Fall Guy"
• Del. Court Slaps Staples on Backdating
• Retiree Miscount Leads to Restatement
• Quest's Quest for More Backdating Errors
• German conglomerate, embroiled in scandal
• Wachovia Sued over Drink Company's Spill
• Dynegy Settles Charges with Pensioners
• UTStarcom to Redo China Revenue Report
• Mentor to Fraud? Two Former Execs Settle
• SEC Charges Hedge Fund Head over PIPEs
• SEC Aims to Clean Up Grocery Spill
• Dried Dough: Krispy Kreme's Woes
• Fairchild Dumps KPMG
• CTRL-ALT-DELETE: Dell Frozen, Restarting
• Former HealthSouth CFO Back in Court
• Grand Theft Auto, for Real
• The Morality Play
• Shareholders Cry Foul in Calpine Plan
• Former CFO of a high-end car dealer is accused of embezzlement
• Ex-Controller Settles Fraud Case
• Unregistered Auditors Busted by SEC
• SEC Takes Aim at Ex-Nortel Finance Execs
• CFOs' Optimism Plummets to Six-Year Low
• CSC Tax Review Uncovers Years of Errors
• Wireless Company's CFO Takes a Leap
• Ace Discovers $154M Inventory Error
• Finite-risk Probe Halts Assurant Buyback
• Couple Guilty in "Pillow-talk" Case
• Top Exec Steps Down from FASB Parent
• Macau Gambling Plan Loses $1B in Loans
• Saks Settles SEC Vendor-Allowance Suit
• Motive Inc. Restates, Looks for Auditor
• Did Fake Purchase Orders Oust CFO?
• Overhill Farms CFO Goes over the Fence
• Internal Probe Stalls Retailer's Filings
• CEO Put on Leave Following Audit
• Uncollectibles Force SEC Settlement
• Internal Probe Stalls Children's Place Filings

I couldn't believe it - almost 40 headlines IN 21 DAYS showcasing matters relating to corporate fraud or incompetence (or both).

Makes me wonder?  Is fraud or mismanagement of company assets becoming a "corporate value?"  The headlines over three weeks would seem to indicate that is the case?  Has greed overtaken "core values" as being more desirable for workers than working hard, protecting company assets and keeping the customer satisfied?

Is the "I got mine" mentality, where managers and executives put their own self interest ahead of the employees, customers and shareholders leading to higher levels of frustration in the business world resulting in the attitude of "what the hell, everybody else is doing it?"

If this phenomenon is occurring on an increasingly widespread basis, what effect does this have on Workforce Development?  Do frustrated competent and honest workers leave for places they perceive as better or more ethical?  Does it become harder to attract and recruit top talent, when a cloud (either publicized or not) hangs over the business/organization?  Or do the "opportunists" flock to the firms being investigated in the hopes that they can profit from the "birds of a feather" mentality?

Readers - what do you say?

Stopping the Evaporation of Graduate Women Engineers

There's a wealth of information and resources that are available to facilitate young women that are seeking to enter the engineering discipline.

The following is a partial list of sources you may wish to investigate:


    Women in Engineering Programs and Advocates Network (WEPAN):

The mission of WEPAN is to be a “catalyst, advocate, and leading resource for institutional and national change that will result in the full participation of women in engineering”.

Society of Women Engineers (SWE): 

The mission of SWE is to “stimulate women to achieve full potential in careers as engineers and leaders, expand the image of the engineering profession as a positive force in improving the quality of life, and demonstrate the value of diversity.”

Yearly women in engineering literature reviews available

Assessing Women and Men in Engineering

Excellent annotated bibliographies, literature overviews

American Society for Engineering Education

Publishes Journal of Engineering Education, Prism Magazine, Engineering Colleges Profiles and Statistics, ASEE conference proceedings

Frontiers in Education conference proceedings

MentorNet: national electronic mentoring program

I've personally interacted with most of these organizations and can vouch for their passion and understanding of how to get more graduate engineers out of the "engineer pipeline"

Check them out!

Does Playing Games Make You Smarter?

Games may be crucial to ensure the skilled talent pool we need now and in the years ahead...

According to a 2002 study by Gentile & Walsh, American children aged 2-7 play computer games an average of 43 min/day, children aged 8-12 play an average of 56 min/day, and children aged 13-17 play an average of 78 min/day.

Our youth are accustomed to learning through games.  In fact, games are largely responsible for the use of the computer.  According to a national survey conducted by the National Institute on Media and the Family, 92% of kids age 2-17 play video and computer games.  Michigan State University also conducted a longitudinal study of 140 low-income children and their Internet use at home; participants reported game play as their primary reason for using their computers.

For most of you, learning was chiefly considered fun during your stint in grade school when learning games were commonplace. However, once you hit junior high and then high school, learning seemed to be required and was not necessarily fun anymore. Games were no longer commonplace, long lectures, extensive reading assignments and homework became the routine.

 

No matter what your age, games are fun and naturally give people enjoyment and pleasure. Whether it’s a board game, computer game, video game or basketball game, most involve people, inspire interaction, offer challenges, stir a competitive spirit and of course, provide satisfaction. Simply put, games engage people.

 

That’s why corporate learning organizations worldwide increasingly develop and implement learning games and simulations for their employees. Learning games and simulations, much like the ones that were played during grade school, can improve learner engagement, learner participation and comprehension, retention and more.

So should we be focusing our attention on Educational Games?  Consider what's at risk.

• U.S. workforce must raise skills to compete in global labor markets
• U.S. workforce must raise skills to support an innovation based economy
• U.S. workforce must be ready for new jobs created by technological advancements
• Digital media the medium of attention for youth
• Schools must become high-performance organizations

What does this suggest to you?

Getting to the Starting Block

Many seeking employment today (in any industry) require a High School diploma or a GED.  Without this credential, more often than not, workers are relegated to the lower paid job classifications.

If an applicant hasn't completed High School with a diploma, the GED offers to the roughly 500,000 dropouts per year, a way to get back into better paying jobs in the workforce.

Depending upon how long it has been since the school days, there is increasing resistance with age to get back into self-education.  Online educational opportunities exist to help the dropout who has committed to obtaining their GED.

There's a good bit of discussion about the value and importance of the GED in today's marketplace.  MIT published Who Benefits from Obtaining a GED? Evidence from High School and beyond by Richard J. Murnane, John B. Willett, and John H. Tyler
The Review of Economics and Statistics,        Vol. 82,        No. 1 (Feb., 2000),                   pp. 23-37, a 15 page research paper on the multiple aspects of the value of the GED.  You'll find it an interesting read (I've provided a synosis here)

Leonard Williams, an e-learning instructor, recently published a great article entitled  "Planning, Perseverance and Motivation for the GED Test" that looks int this option and how e-learning can benefit the GED aspirant.  it's well thought out and Williams provides a sound proposal.  Check it out and let me know what you think.

The Fastest Growing Top 10 Middle Class Jobs

As a person about to enter the workforce or someone who is simply trying to hang onto your job, the middle class has become a worrisome place for many. If you aren’t laid off you might soon become outdated.

If you are going to work you might as well work for the most money you can. You might not be aware of the highest paying middle class jobs and

read more | digg story

The competency framework - where do competencies fit?

Sometimes there is confusion between competencies and skills in the workplace.  I hope to be able to shed some light on the subject. 

To begin with competencies are the successful combination and application of experience, skills, knowledge and temperment. 

Competencies are characteristics which drive outstanding performance in a given job, role or function. A competency model refers to a group of competencies required in a particular job and usually number 7 to 9 in total.

The number and type of competencies in a model will depend upon the nature and complexity of work along with the culture and values of the organisation in which the work takes place.

For almose 3 decades, leading organizations have been using competencies to help recruit, select and manage their outstanding performers after Dr. David McClelland, a Harvard Business School Professor of Psychology, found that traditional tests such as academic aptitude and knowledge tests, did not predict success in the job.

Thus, the use of competency definitions may be more appropriate to creating a high-performance team than the more narrow definition of skills needed to perform on the job.

Plain Language - an unappreciated skillset

Doublespeak is language deliberately constructed to disguise or distort its actual meaning, often resulting in a communication bypass. Such language is often associated with governmental, military, and corporate institutions and its deliberate use by these is what distinguishes it from other euphemisms. Doublespeak may be in the form of bald euphemisms ("downsizing" for "firing of many employees") or deliberately ambiguous phrases ("wet work" for "assassination", "take out" for "destroy").

Workplace literacy is not only about improving the skills and abilities of your employees. It is also about effectively and clearly communicating with them. Plain language is defined as straightforward expression, using only as many words as are necessary. It is language that avoids obscurity, inflated vocabulary and convoluted sentence construction. Using plain language principles in information bulletins, health and safety manuals, forms and other modes of communications saves time, money and lives

• readers understand documents better
• readers locate information faster
• documents are easier to update
• it is easier to train people
• documents are more cost-effective

Plain language (also called Plain English) is communication your audience can understand the first time they read or hear it. Language that is plain to one set of readers may not be plain to others. Written material is in plain language if your audience can:

• Find what they need;
• Understand what they find;      and
• Use what they find to meet      their needs.

There are many writing techniques that can help you achieve this goal. Among the most common are:

• Logical organization with the      reader in mind
• "You" and other      pronouns
• Active voice
• Short sentences
• Common, everyday words
• Easy-to-read design features

No one technique defines plain language. Rather, plain language is defined by results—it is easy to read, understand, and use.  Does your organization engage reward doublespeak or plain language?  Moreover, what form of communication style do you screen for?

 

Blog :Global Labor Strategies

Global Labor Strategies an advocacy blog containing both accepted as well as highly controversial discussion of ideas and resources for the global labor movement caught my attention recently.  It is an excellent resource on what's happening in the organized labor community, and provides good insights on policies and activities of "players" in the global labor marketplace.  Stuff that we all need to stay on top of.

The authors include Tim Costello who has over 40 years of work and union experience in the area. He helped organize and served as Coordinator of the Boston based North American Alliance for Fair Employment, Brendan Smith is a legal expert (J.D. Cornell University Law School) specializing in national and international labor law and policy.  He is currently co-director of the UCLA Law School Globalization and Labor Standards Project, Jeremy Brecher a leading labor historian, writer, and documentary script writer who has for more than two decades collaborated with Costello in research and publishing numerous books about labor and globalization, and Claudia Torrelli of Montevideo, Uruguay. who handles GLS’s Latin American network, an activist the in labor—community based Hemispheric Social Alliance, and in other social movement organizations in Latin America.

In this blog, you will find insights not readily available elsewhere.  For example, a recent article "Why Labor Can and Should Lead a Reassessment of Approaches to China"  examines the role of the U.S. labor movement in the reassessment of approaches to China.

Great blog and excellent overall resource on this important aspect of todays global workforce.

Literacy and Workplace Skills: How to Assess Levels

Thomas Phillips, Ph.D., an economist, writing for the Ontario Workforce Development Board writes "Our economy has entered a new era. Those with strong communications skills – reading, writing, and speaking – and more particularly those who have the ability to thoughtfully analyze information are the most valued people in our labor market. They are the ones who have more job opportunities, higher pay, and are less often without work than any other group. The ability to communicate and analyze are the keystones of a knowledge economy

Literacy is often considered an either/or issue; one can read and write and do basic math or not. The continuum of literacy and basic skills is becoming increasingly better understood, however, to mean the degree to which people can communicate, learn, adapt to change and deal with complex problems.

Minimum literacy skills for the current economy have been benchmarked and a study of 23,000 working-age Canadians found that 40 percent have marginal to poor skills1. These categories include those at levels one, two and the bottom of level three. The levels are described as:

Level 1: It identifies people who can read, but test poorly. They may have developed coping skills to manage everyday literacy demands but their low level of proficiency makes it difficult for them to face novel demands, such as learning new job skills

Level 2: People can only deal with material that is simple, clearly laid out, and in which the tasks involved are not too complex. It denotes a weak level of skill, but more hidden than Level 1. At this level, people have developed coping skills to manage everyday literacy demands but face difficulty earning new job skills.

Level 3: The minimum skill level suitable for coping with the demands of everyday life and work in a complex, advanced society. It denotes roughly the skill level required for successful secondary school completion and college entry. Like higher levels, it requires the ability to integrate several sources of information and solve more complex problems.

Levels 4/5: It represents people who demonstrate command of higher-order information processing skills. 

21st Century Skills : Do you Have Them?

Because the world of work is changing, the U.S. Departments of Labor and Education formed the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) to study the kinds of competencies and skills that workers must have to succeed in today's workplace.  The results of the study were published in a document entitled What Work Requires of Schools: A SCANS Report for America 2000.  A summary of the findings are provided in the tables below.

 

Table 1: SCANS' Five Competencies

Resources: Identifies, organizes, plans, and allocates resources

 

• Time - selects goal-relevant activities, ranks them, allocates time, and prepares and follows schedules
• Money - uses or prepares budgets, makes forecasts, keeps records, and makes adjustments to meet objectives
• Material and facilities - acquires, stores, allocates, and uses materials or space efficiently
• Human resources - assesses skills and distributes work accordingly, evaluates performance and provides feedback

Interpersonal: Works with others

• Participates as member of a team - contributes to group effort
• Teaches others new skills
• Services clients/customers - works to satisfy customers expectations
• Exercises leadership - communicates ideas to justify position, persuades and convinces others, responsibly challenges existing procedures and policies
• Negotiates - works toward agreements involving exchange of resources, resolves divergent interests
• Works with diversity - works well with men and women from diverse backgrounds

Information: Acquires and evaluates information

• Acquires and evaluates information
• Organizes and maintains information
• Interprets and communicates information
• Uses computers to process information

Systems: Understands complex interrelationships

• Understands systems - knows how social, organizational, and technological systems work and operates effectively with them
• Monitors and corrects performance - distinguishes trends, predicts impacts on system operations, diagnoses deviations in systems performance and corrects malfunctions
• Improves or designs systems - suggests modifications to existing systems and develops new or alternative systems to improve performance

Technology: Works with a variety of technologies

• Selects technology - chooses procedures, tools, or equipment including computers and related technologies
• Applies technology to task - understands intent and proper procedures for setup and operation of equipment
• Maintains and troubleshoots equipment - prevents, identifies, or solves problems with equipment, including computers and other technologies

---

Table 2:  A Three-Part Foundation of SCANS Skills and Personal Qualities

Basic Skills: Reads, writes, performs arithmetic and mathematical operations, listens, and speaks

• Reading - locates, understands, and interprets written information in prose and in documents such as manuals, graphs, and schedules
• Writing - communicates thoughts, ideas, information, and messages in writing; and creates documents such as letters, directions, manuals, reports, graphs, and flow charts
• Arithmetic/mathematics - performs basic computations and approaches practical problems by choosing appropriately from a variety of mathematical techniques
• Listening - receives, attends to, interprets, and responds to verbal messages and other cues
• Speaking - organizes ideas and communicates orally

Thinking Skills: Thinks creatively, makes decisions, solves problems, visualizes, knows how to learn, and reasons

• Creative thinking - generates new ideas
• Decision making - specifies goals and constraints, generates alternatives, considers risks, and evaluates and chooses best alternatives
• Problem solving - recognizes problems and devises and implements plan of action
• Visualizing - organizes and processes symbols
• Knowing how to learn - uses efficient learning techniques to acquire and apply new knowledge and skills
• Reasoning - discovers a rule or principle underlying the relationship between two or more objects and applies it when solving a problem

Personal Qualities: Responsibility, self-esteem, sociability, self-management, integrity, and honesty

• Responsibility - exerts a high level of effort and perseveres towards goal attainment
• Self-esteem - believes in own self-worth and maintains a positive view of self
• Sociability - demonstrates understanding, friendliness, adaptability, empathy, and politeness in group settings
• Self-management - assesses self accurately, sets personal goals, monitors progress, and exhibits self-control
• Integrity/honesty - chooses ethical courses of action

Blogging and Workforce Development

Bronwyn Mauldin, a colleague over at Workforce Developments recently produced a great piece "Podcast from the CWA blogging workshop" that gets into the "meat" of how blogs can be used effectively to enhance workforce development.  Besides the mp3 you can download (approx 1 hour play time), there are handouts and discussion materials on a linked page containing materials to help you start your blog.

Use of blogging to help spur new workforce development initiatives is just starting to take off. 
Also check out the comments foe important details including those from Michelle Martin who runs the Bamboo Project, an important initiative that I've referenced previously on this "workforce development"

The Hard Truth about Soft Skills

According to results of the latest global  Workforce Profile, the more valuable employee is one who can grow and learn as the business changes.

Soft skills “are as important, if not more important, than traditional hard skills to an employer looking to hire — regardless of industry or job type. This could offer a major breakthrough as educators and training providers seek to develop and cluster training courses to fit business and industry needs.”

Top 60 soft skills:

The Workforce Profile defined about 60 “soft skills”, which employers seek. They are applicable to any field of work, according to the study, and are the “personal traits and skills that employers state are the most important when selecting employees for jobs of any type.”

1. Math.
2. Safety.
3. Courtesy.
4. Honesty.
5. Grammar.
6. Reliability.
7. Flexibility.
8. Team skills.
9. Eye contact.
10. Cooperation.
11. Adaptability.
12. Follow rules.
13. Self-directed.
14 Good attitude.
15. Writing skills.
16. Driver’s license.
17. Dependability.
18. Advanced math.
19. Self-supervising.
20. Good references.
21. Being drug free.
22. Good attendance.
23. Personal energy.
24. Work experience.
25. Ability to measure.
26. Personal integrity.
27. Good work history.
28. Positive work ethic.
29. Interpersonal skills.
30. Motivational skills.
31. Valuing education.
32. Personal chemistry.
33. Willingness to learn.
34. Common sense.
35. Critical thinking skills.
36. Knowledge of fractions.
37. Reporting to work on time.
38. Use of rulers and calculators.
39. Good personal appearance.
40. Wanting to do a good job.
41. Basic spelling and grammar.
42. Reading and comprehension.
43. Ability to follow regulations.
44. Willingness to be accountable.
45. Ability to fill out a job application.
46. Ability to make production quotas.
47. Basic manufacturing skills training.
48. Awareness of how business works.
49. Staying on the job until it is finished.
50. Ability to read and follow instructions.
51. Willingness to work second and third shifts.
52. Caring about seeing the company succeed.
53. Understanding what the world is all about.
54. Ability to listen and document what you have heard.
55. Commitment to continued training and learning.
56. Willingness to take instruction and responsibility.
57. Ability to relate to coworkers in a close environment.
58. Not expecting to become a supervisor in the first six months.
59. Willingness to be a good worker and go beyond the traditional eight-hour day.
60. Communication skills with public, fellow employees, supervisors, and customers.

Why Some Mediations Fail

The AEC Sector blog which provides timely information and news on architecture, engineering and construction topics posted an article entitled "Why Some Mediations Fail." 
While most mediations result in a settlement, some do not. A major cause of a failed mediation is that the participants approach mediation as informal, adversarial litigation. A party or attorney acting in this manner will address his or her remarks solely to the mediator, as if the mediator were a judge. Despite the mediator's efforts, the party refuses to have a dialogue with the opposing party and does not make a good faith effort to engage in settlement discussions. The mediation fails because the mediation process has never actually begun.
The post cites a number of online courses available from online education provider RedVector that can help people enhance their skills in this critical area. 
At the end of the article, the author provides links to three excellent online resources:

• Construction Mediation: An Introduction - Beginner
• Construction Mediation: Participating Effectively as a Party - Intermediate
• Construction Mediation: Participating Effectively as a Party - Advanced

It's definitely important to check this out, as mediation skills are essential, not just in Construction but in ANY profession.

We Can Educate Better In House...

Here's another clear indication that companies lack confidence in U.S higher education. Some 1,600+ company-specific “universities” operate in the United States. Apparently, those companies believe that they can do a better job educating their employees than America’s colleges can.

But is it really better, or just more cost-effective?

When tough economic times slash or burn your training budget, that doesn't mean you stop training. It means you work harder to keep training.  Often that means putting your staff to work training each other.  Does this work?  Apparently, almost 2,000 companies think so.

What do you, readers, think?  Is it more education, more value, or just more convenient?

Slackers, take note: Workers who know science, math are in demand

We're going to get blunt here about why it's dumb to blow off school.

read more | digg story

Distance Learning Alternatives for Engineers

Staying on top of your game in Engineering today demands a multi-dimensional approach.  For licensed engineers, having sources of ongoing continuing education sources that are fresh, and relevant is essential.  Many engineers I speak with complain about having the "same old stuff" as far as curriculum through their local schools and engineering societies.

There's some new alter5natives that you should be aware of that may be helpful. 

Learnon.org looks like a good place to look for Engineering programs, especially if you're interested in distance learning programs. The courses they display run from seminars and single classes, to certification programs, to 2 and 4 year degree programs.

Another excellent source is RedVector.com, which has over 900 "fully accredited" online courses in technical areas (mostly related to architecture, construction) and "soft skills" (all disciplines) that provide cost effective learner-paced education for engineers.  It's top quality education when you want to do it, where you want to do it.

It's increasingly difficult to find time to travel to conferences and seminars.  Besides the lost billable time you may incur, consider the lost travel time to/from.  Online education is increasingly popular as a way to go.  Try it out and let me know your experiences.

Where Are All The Workers?

Companies worldwide are suddenly scrambling to manage a labor crunch.  this article, which suggests there's actually an ongoing global labor shortage.  Michigan desperately needs to diversify its economy away from manufacturing and do all it can to take advantage of this situation.  But it needs a labor force capable of stepping up to the plate, and with nearly half of Detroit functionally illiterate, education reform has got to happen. 

Consider this article, which suggests there's actually an ongoing global labor shortage. Michigan desperately needs to diversify its economy away from manufacturing and do all it can to take advantage of this situation. But it needs a labor force capable of stepping up to the plate, and with nearly half of Detroit functionally illiterate, education reform has got to happen.  I think would-be edureformers need to better acknowledge the close ties between urban renewal and education reform--it can help explain why people and organizations with no apparent connection to education become interested in change.

Thanks to our friends over at Edspresso who offer the best in information and insight into the much needed area of Education Reform. For as we preach in this space, if we don't quickly bring about needed reforms in our country, its all over.
read more | digg story

America's Dirty Little Secret

Tom from Convergence has published a report that was sent through the Indiana Chamber of Commerce that we've discussed a lot on this blog - that even some well-paid workers - do not possess basic workplace literacy skills.  Citing the recent report “A Demand-Side Strategy to Meet Indiana’s Workforce Basic Skills Challenge” , Tom shares an excerpt of some of the skills we may have taken for granted, but that often cannot be demonstrated by candidates:

Skills Needed to Get a Job

• Read a want ad and complete a written application
• Talk about skills, abilities, accomplishments, likes and dislikes
• Answer and ask questions

Skills Needed to Survive on a Job

• Follow oral and written directions, ask for clarification or reasoning, and make small talk
• Locate written information, facts or specifications
• Understand technical vocabulary and the enabling words attached to them; for example, “pour the pellets into the extruder”
• Understand and use charts, diagrams and illustrations

Skills Needed to Thrive on a Job

• Give as well as follow instructions
• Participate in group discussions
• Teach others
• Predict outcomes
• State a position
• Express an opinion
• Access and use information from diverse sources

Read the report - you'll find it VERY eye-opening !

EVIDENCE: "Is Our Children Learning?"

The president's infamous statement made at the 2001 Washington TV/Radio Correspondents dinner, "Rarely is the question asked, . . . is our children learning?" isn't just unfortunate, it's pathetic. 

We as business people understand far too well the implications of a literate workforce.  This blog has posted many articles and identified numerous resources geared to helping amplify the understanding of the depth and breadth of the workforce literacy problem, how our educational systems and institutions need to improve, and the consequences of what happens when we aren't able to maintain a workforce with an adequate level of literacy.

I recently discovered a new blog, Illiterate Business that is devoted to showcasing business communications and signs that have punctuation, spelling and/or grammatical errors.    The site asks a basic and very valid question: How hard is it to find someone with good English grammar skills to spend 30 seconds proof-reading a sign? And why aren't the companies that print these signs offering that service as a courtesy to their clients?

It is however a good indication of the fact that there is evidence of failing to have a literate or attentive workforce that are popping up all over our society. Maria Ford, the bloghost, is the owner of "straight to the point" a marketing communications firm that is focused on helping private businesses to effectively communicate to their target audiences.  It really does boil down to the "basics" doesn't it?

Are the "three R's" still "foundation skills"?

It seems these days, especially with most Americans having access to computers, that the traditional "three R's (Reading wRiting, aRithmetic) have been recast into "Reading, Writing, Rebooting".

At a time when due to the "talent wars", that it appears that employers are willing to consider anyone that can "fog a mirror", you have to ask yourself if the following areas that employers want, should be "non-negotiables" for job applicants:

• Listening
• Speaking
• Reading
• Writing
• Math

Bear in mind that we are talking about "skilled" versus general labor.

The Test of Adult Basic Education test (TABE), is designed to test your ability to learn.  It basically         checks to make sure you have a minimum competency level to protect the integrity of the testing process.        

In other words, it's more about your ability to learn and process new information than what you know.  This is good news for those willing to work hard, because it boils down to a very simple strategy:

With information changing so rapidly and the ability to access new information quickly, is it more important to you as an employer to determine if a worker can remember a set of information about a particular subject, or to deduce what information is relevant and useful to their job.  TABE provides a means to make such a determination.

Additionally, new skills are appearing in each "traditional" area.  For example, what employer would not want to increase the skills of their workforce that can write with confidence, communicate message professionally in a useable and readable fashion, and avoid common writing mistakes that distract from the message?  Ans save training dollars at the same time?

An online program by RedVector called Quick Writing Tips authored by Edward P. Shanahan helps people develop a new writing style that's particularly useful for workers in business. We know that effective business writing is a vital professional skill. Successfully getting your message across is fundamental whether you are simply writing short memos and letters, or multi-page reports and proposals. Written communication is often used to convey information to coordinate operations, perform tasks, answer questions, make decisions, or solve problems. To communicate effectively, a writer must know the intended audience and write specifically to that person or group.

So there you have it.  New approaches to testing adult ability to learn, and a new twist on how your people can learn a new style of business writing.  How does that sound for a new start?

Mayoral Candidate Promises to Expand Workforce Development In Targeted Industries

A mayoral candidate in Philadelphia has committed to a specific program to help the building construction sector.

If elected to Mayor, Chaka Fattah has said he will Expand Access to Apprenticeships in the Building Trades. Building trades provide good-paying jobs without requiring a college degree, but recent studies have shown that minorities and women encounter extensive barriers to entering apprenticeship programs, costing minority communities billions on lost wages. Historically, graduates of the largely minority School District of Philadelphia are underrepresented in the local construction trades. The recent partnership established between the School District of Philadelphia and the Building and Construction Trades Council to provide apprenticeship opportunities for Philadelphia public school graduates is an innovative way to expand opportunities in the trades for more Philadelphia public school graduates. In Chicago, local unions have partnered with Community Colleges of Chicago to offer dual apprenticeship/degree programs in particularly trades as well as apprenticeship prep and skills training courses. As Mayor, Chaka Fattah will work with the Community College of Philadelphia and the building trade unions to create these dual apprenticeship/degree programs to enhance minority access to building trade apprenticeships.

Fattah brings considerable experience to this campaign.  He has been instrumental in a number of programs in his years as a congressman:

• GEAR UP
• Homeowners Emergency Mortgage Assistance Act
• Fattah Higher Education Conference
• Reverse Commuting
• CORE Philly
• CORE Philly Endowment
• Hope VI
• School District Funding
• Workforce Investment Partnership Act
• Healthcare Access Assurance Act
• Healthier Blood for Africa and the African Institute of Health
• Transform America Transaction Fee
• Student Bill Of Rights
• Help America Vote Act
• William Gray III College Completion Challenge Grant Program
• American Cities Investment Act
• District of Columbia Financial and Management Assistance Act

Some of these initiatives have been tried before, so it will be interesting to see what the candidate's program will do differently.  I applaud this man for bringing this issue in a tangible way to the forefront.  It is an area where help in needed.  According to the Department of Labor, the building construction sector will have a skilled labor shortage of approximately 1 million workers by 2015.  We cannot defer on action to start addressing this need.

Is this "politics" as usual, or does Mr Fattah have a new approach in mind?

Exciting news regarding the Hispanic Workforce

A new self-paced learning program is now available to help the home building industry’s 2.5 million Hispanic workers learn English.  Sed de Saber™-Construction Edition, sponsored by Lowe’s, was custom-created by the Home Builders Institute (HBI), the workforce development arm of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), to address job site communication challenges presented by the language barrier.

Thanks to Dave Seitter over at the Midwest Construction Law blog for putting us onto this.  Dave is a highly regarded legal professional who stays on top of the most pressing issues in construction as evidenced by his article entitled "HBI, NAHB and Lowe’s Unveil Sed de Saber™-Construction Edition at the International Builders’ Show"

The implications of this program are very significant and any contractor looking to find an increase in productivity and efficiency will likely benefit from this program.

Inter-generational and inter-cultural communications are the two big management challenges contractors struggle with today.  This is definitely a step in the right direction.

So you cannot read, eh?

Which of the following statements are true?

1. Four in ten Canadians do not have the literacy skills needed to meet increasing demands of modern life and economy.
2. Average literacy scores have not improved significantly in the past decade even though educational attainment has improved.
3. Ontarians scored significantly lower in a 2003 adult literacy study than Canadians from      Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon.

Answer: All of them.

And, in case you haven't been paying attention, this is also a major issue "South of the Border" (And we're not talking about Mexico)

The battle is on! The Workforce Development Board and Literacy Ontario Central South are teaming up to help fight for literacy in the workplace.

You see, literacy is not an either/or issue. Many people think that one can either read and write and do basic math, or they cannot. It’s not that simple.

In a 2003 adult literacy study, 23,000 Canadians were tested. It was discovered that 42% of Ontarians, representing almost 3.5 million people, scored below adequate literacy levels. And 50% of Ontarians, representing over 4.1 million people, scored below adequate levels in numeracy. It was also found that the largest proportion of workers with level 1 proficiency, that is the lowest level of proficiency, are in the manufacturing,construction, transportation, gas and electricity industries. 

You may be thinking, who cares? Why is this my problem? The truth is, workplace literacy doesn’t just affect workers. It affects the employer and the economy as well. Employees today are expected to play a broader, more responsible and self-directed role than ever before in the workplace, and thus literacy and basic skills are critical to the success of every business.

Ontario businesses wanting to gain “the competitive edge” should begin by demonstrating a strong commitment to literacy in the workplace.

For more information on workplace literacy, click the following link
Download Celebrating_Literacy_Resource_Manual_2007.pdf

 

Can we assume literacy?

    The recent increased interest in apprenticeships has led to most training providers and colleges being oversubscribed, particularly in mechanical, electrical, carpentry and plumbing trades. The main constraints on meeting the demand appear to be the lack of workshop capacity in community colleges, and some trade schools and the difficulties in recruiting skilled craft teachers. 
    Some colleges have particularly impressive accommodation for practical hands-on training, which closely resembles construction work environments. Such workshops provide controlled and safe conditions in which learners can practice aspects of their crafts and increase their skills.  Tradespersons-in-training can be given close supervision and support. The transition from training environment to work can be eased.
    There is often more opportunity in these workshops and practical project areas to develop learners’ skills incrementally than there would be in an actual working environment.  Sometimes community colleges have to turn away prospective learners because of insufficient workshop accommodation and staff shortages.
    Thus arises a question as to what can be done to help increase the number and quality of educational resources for those people seeking entry into the trades.  Learning resources for literacy, numeracy and language development vary considerably from facility to facility. The better education providers have sufficient up-to-date textbooks, and equipment.
    What is needed however are resources to assist those who are not literate enough to handle the "standard" educational format provided.  It may be necessary to provide "readers" to help those with poor reading skills.  Likewise, it is not uncommon for app0licants to have less than adequate arithmetic skills.  Thus todays trade learning center should be equipped with the personnel and training aids to assist those who require "extra" assistance.
    Are these "learning centers" equipped to handle these challenges?  Are additional resources needed to handle these remedial skills development areas?   Many education providers today do not have enough appropriately qualified staff to support the number of construction learners who experience literacy and basic math difficulties. But there is hope as initiatives to provide skills training are raising awareness of this problem.
    This may not be a problem for providers that utilize online education, since computer savvy learners tend to be more literate than those that are not.  Still, is it safe to assume in an e-learning environment, that the learner has basic reading and math skills?  What are the areas you've found this phenomenon to be most commonplace?  Are there any gleaming examples of learning centers that you have found that are "getting it right?"

         

Literacy Crisis - This time in the UK? Whats' Happening Here?

More than 20% of boys and 13% of girls are leaving primary school without being able to read properly.

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