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Editorial (untitled)
by Dr. Sylvia Charp
Editor-in-Chief
Today's economy demands workers who are information literate,
creative problem solvers, and can function effectively in a increasingly
technological society. In the 1993 Office of Technology Assessment
report, "Adult Literacy and New Technologies -- Tools for a Lifetime,"
the definition of literacy has expanded. It is the same one appearing in
the national Literacy Act of 1991: "an individual's ability to read, write
and speak in English, and compute and solve problems as levels of
proficiency necessary to function on the job and in society, to achieve
one's goals and develop one's knowledge and potential."
Jobs in some industries that have traditionally been defined as low or
medium skilled are being upgraded as companies adopt new
technologies and work practices. Workers are expected to read,
understand and use facts in order to earn a living. Recording,
processing and communicating information are deemed essential for
everyone in the work force. Skills required are changing as the economy
shifts from manufacturing to a service-based workforce.
A variety of programs are in place; some focus on basic reading and
writing skills, and some see computer literacy as an element of job
training. Workplace literacy programs are upgrading the job-related
basic skills of employees as they also provide training in specific
industries. Employers arealso "providing opportunities" for workers
who are untrained and inexperienced in the use of technology.
For example Ford Motor Co., through its National Education Center in
Dearborn, Michigan, contracts with local schools and community
colleges to provide "skill enhancement" programs at 60 major facilities
throughout the U.S. Also, Milliken and Co., a textile manufacturer offers
self-improvement courses including computer-assisted learning centers
in its 50 plants.
Educators and businesses are cooperating to develop curriculum so that
graduates will be more productive. However, research by the American
Society of Training and Development, of Alexandria, Va., reports:
The average 1.4% of payroll that U.S. companies invest training
reaches only 10% of the workforce;
Japanese and European firms spend 3-5 times more on employee
training than U.S. companies; and
By the year 2000, 1.5 million people in manufacturing firms will
require different skills than they now have.
Rethinking Our Workplace Needs
Questions are being raised concerning the growing economic gap
between those knowledge workers who are familiar and comfortable with
information literacy and those who are uninformed.
