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WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT-
July 2002 by Ed Ford Sidebar-
But to provide an appropriate workforce for such jobs, Kentucky must cope with
And that’s what the Kentucky Cabinet for Workforce Development (CWD) is doing – coping, making steady improvements and preparing for the future. “We’re very committed to workforce training and education as we feel this is a major key to the economic development and success of the state,” said Allen Rose, CWD secretary. Workforce education and training, Rose points out, is part of the CWD mission, which also includes connecting Kentucky to employment and workforce information. The bottom line, of course, is to place people in jobs, something the department is accomplishing. In the past five years, the total CWD job placement has been 326,011. Organized in 1990 and re-organized three years ago, the Cabinet, through its Department for Employment Services, provides job placement and unemployment insurance services for individuals and assists employers in locating qualified workers. Its Department for Training and ReEmployment administers programs that help individuals acquire skills, update current ones and find new jobs.
“Our philosophy is that we cannot afford to throw anyone away,” Rose stated. That means finding jobs for those who may need very little training to “those who have missed out through a shortcoming or barrier or who, for whatever reason, might not have a high school education.” Rose, Department for Employment Commissioner James Thompson and Dr. Cheryl King, commissioner for Adult Education and Literacy, agree that education is the short- and long-term solution. “The state slogan is that ‘Education Pays,’” Thompson pointed out. “It absolutely does. That’s not a trite statement.” But the other side of the coin is that the lack of education is the biggest barrier to finding jobs for those out of work. Thompson’s department already has found jobs for nearly 270,000 of the overall 326,011 the CWD has placed in positions during the past five years. But, sometimes, the unemployed don’t find a new position paying the same wage. “We’ve had a number of companies going out of business or going south in the past few years,” Thompson said. “Something like 70 companies closed their doors and they were rather sizable employers here in Kentucky.”
“In May 2000, unemployment insurance (in state) began going up,” he added, “and continued like that until the Sept. 11 catastrophe. Unemployment then went up almost like a rocket shot. “There has been improvement in employment since 9-11 and it will continue to improve, but I think its going to be a very slow process.” Most of the lost jobs are in manufacturing, but “the trend shows the service industry is picking up and, of course, in technology – particularly Northern Kentucky.” “I think we have an extraordinary workforce in Kentucky,” Thompson said, noting that such employers as Ford Motor, General Electric and United Parcel Service are very complimentary of their employees. But the new jobs will require improved and additional skills and that, he emphasized, underscores the importance of education. “Without basic skills – basic reading, mathematics, writing, communication, problem solving, team-building skills – people can’t even participate in the technical training that might be available at the community and technical colleges across the state, or participate in training that companies offer,” King commented. “These basics are the foundation for building other skills that lead to good jobs.” And Kentucky is lacking where basic skills are concerned. “The 1997 Kentucky Adult Literacy survey indicated that 40 percent of Kentuckians ages 16 to 64 function at the two lowest levels of literacy,” King said, a percentage that translates to about one million people. “Level one – 14 percent of Kentuckians were at that level – means little or minimal reading skills,” she continued. “Level two, where 26 percent were included, are individuals who can probably can read most of the newspaper, but who would have difficulty in applying that information. They also would have difficulty in reading things like charts and graphs and interpreting what they’re reading.” Multiple approaches are being used to make improvements. “First of all, we have a very extensive workplace education program,” King explained. “At no cost to an employer other than time on the clock for employees to study, we’re offering workplace programs (at the job site) that take the basic skills and put them in context with what the employees are doing on the job. We teach in that way.
“Also, we have learning centers in every county in Kentucky – that’s 120 learning centers. Hopefully, no one is more than 30 or 40 miles from access to a center. “Then, we have a family literacy program connected to school districts across the state. We work with parents and children together in reading and family education activities that can be conducted in the home.” All the services are free to the user, the customer and the student, the commissioner added. Another tool is the use of mobile units equipped with computers, internet access and teachers that can pull up to any company or street corner. “That gives us the ability to hold classes and teach people to use computers and access the internet and, hopefully, to perhaps learn some basic skills along the way,” King commented. A recruiting campaign (currently being conducted in Louisville), civic club speaking engagements, direct marketing to employers and word of mouth all are being used to identify potential adult education students. And, the response is good. Kentuckians participating in adult education programs increased last year 23 percent – from 51,177 to 62,734 – surpassing the first-year goal of 60,000 adult learners. This is the first step by the CWD in reaching a goal of 300,000 adult learners by 2010. Rose points out that another success is the GED (General Education Development) program. Last year, a record year, saw nearly 14,000 receiving their GEDs, a 14 percent increase from 1999-2000. Overall, the number of Kentuckians earning GEDs has climbed 41 percent from 9,876 in 1996-97. “I believe, and I think many people believe, that an educated workforce is the way you recruit companies to Kentucky and grow existing companies,” King stated. “We believe it’s our organization’s responsibility to demonstrate to employers and prospective employers throughout the nation that Kentucky has educated people who are ready for the job. Not just for today, but in the future.” King said she’s proud of the educational improvements that have been made, “but we’re not there yet.” “If we can keep this momentum going for the next five or 10 years, I think Kentucky will be positioned as a leader in the nation in terms of where everybody will want to be in finding that workforce and the quality of life that will come from it. “You mark my words. If we can keep going in all of our educational systems – not just adult education – we’ll be there.”
Ed Ford is a
staff writer for The Lane Report. |
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Copyright 1996-2002, by Kentucky Business Online. All rights reserved. Editorial content
is copyright 2002, Lane Communications Group The Lane Report is a trademark of Lane Communications Group. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. |
More
than 65 percent of Kentucky’s job growth in the next five years
will be in jobs requiring some or extensive postsecondary education
and training, according to the Kentucky Department for Employment Services.
Technical
education opportunities and skills training for secondary students,
adults and employers are provided by its Department for Technical Education.
And, its Department for Adult Education and Literacy offers programs
and services for individuals, families and employers.
Some
of the firms employed as many as 700 or more people, and those employers
were replaced by those hiring 50 or 60, Thompson noted.
“Secondly,
we’re offering basic skills curricula over the internet. We have
tutorial products and basic skills curricula online, so that anyone
with access to the internet can be connected to a teacher by e-mail
and other resources to learning. To the best of my knowledge, Kentucky
is one of the few states – if not the only one – to have such
a program.