Conference Press
Coalition seeks state aid for literacy
Saturday, March 08, 2008
By JIM KINNEY
jkinney@repub.com
SPRINGFIELD - Rosa Sanchez came to Holyoke six years ago from Puerto Rico with two children, a bachelor's degree in business administration and no English skills.
"I couldn't have a conversation," she said yesterday at a legislative breakfast aimed at reaping more state money for all levels of education.
The event was hosted by the Building a Better Workforce Coalition.
The breakfast was served at the TD Banknorth conference center in downtown Springfield.
Sanchez attended the Community Education Program in Holyoke, and is now a career counselor at CareerPoint, also in Holyoke. English-as-a-second language programs are among the programs the Building a Better Workforce Coalition pitched to state lawmakers from around the area.
The coalition is asking for $109.5 million worth of funding across the state for educational programs ranging from early childhood and pre-kindergarten programs to learning opportunities aimed at adults and people with high school diplomas.
William Ward, executive director of the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County, said that workers unready to take their place in the working world is a major problem for the area.
"We have thousands of jobs, good jobs, going begging," he said.
As an example, he said that Tell-Tool Inc. of Westfield had to turn down $1 million worth of business because it could not find enough qualified people to do the work. Health-care providers also have trouble finding enough nurses and technicians, he noted.
"It's a huge problem," Ward said.
Read the full article at masslive.com.
Education funding will aid economy
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
With a high school graduation rate of only 53.8 percent in Springfield, the region's employers have a right to be worried about where they will find skilled workers for jobs in what has increasingly become a knowledge-based economy.
The alarmingly low graduation rate in the region's largest city is a troubling sign for the entire Western Massachusetts economy and, if the trend continues, the future is not particularly bright. Without a stronger educational system, where will the region's future nurses, accountants, teachers and computer savvy technicians come from? And who would want to move to such a place?
Western Massachusetts education advocates believe it's possible to reverse the current trend with a number of educational programs aimed at preschoolers as well as adult learners.
Members of the local group Building a Better Workforce Coalition met with state legislators in Springfield last week to lobby for $109.5 million worth of funding across the state for the educational initiatives - starting with money to help the youngest citizens of the commonwealth get up to speed when they enter grade school.
Programs for adults including English as a second language are also needed to ensure that the region's workforce is up to the challenges posed by a global economy. The $109.5 million sought is a small sum considering the cost of not funding these important initiatives - increased poverty, rising crime and an ill-equipped workforce.
The funding request includes $50 million for universal pre-kindergarten, which would be a $42.8 million increase compared with this year's funding. The balance of the funding would go to youth development and after-school activities, school-to-career options and adult basic education.
We applaud members of the coalition for their dedication to this cause. The cost of an illiterate workforce is a cost the commonwealth can't afford to shoulder.
View the full article at masslive.com.