Why should we care? What can we achieve together? Work-based Literacy Summit Anson Green Coordinator, Workbased English Solutions Economic and Workforce.

Why should we care? Why should we care? What can we achieve What can we achieve together?together?

Work-based Literacy Summit

Anson GreenCoordinator, Workbased English SolutionsEconomic and Workforce DevelopmentAlamo Community Colleges

Changing work, Changing workers

Changing workChanging work

Source - U.S. Department of Commerce - 21st. Century Skills for 21st. Century Jobs

In 1950

20% Professional 60% Unskilled 20% Skilled

I

In 2000

20% Professional 15% Unskilled 65% Skilled

In 2006

20% Professional 5% Unskilled 75% Skilled

Changing WorkChanging Work

21st Century Jobs21st Century Jobs

Source - U.S. Department of Commerce - 21st. Century Skills for 21st. Century Jobs

Changing Work Changing Work

High demand for culturally High demand for culturally and linguistically competent and linguistically competent workersworkers

36% of Texans are Hispanic, yet Hispanics are severely underrepresented in Health Services: 9% RNs 7% Nurse Practitioners 11% Physician Assistants

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2003). Border County Health Workforce Profiles: Texas

Changing Work Changing Work

Customer Service Customer Service ExpectationExpectationss

Frontline employees with limited English are often a direct link to customers.

Poor communication skills can have an indelible impression, impacting customers’ overall perception of the quality of a company’s offerings.

Source: Levenson, A. 2001

Changing Work Changing Work

Frontline CommunicationFrontline Communication

• Widespread integration of electronic communication into the everyday workflow has increased the need for good reading skills among frontline workers.

• Many companies have eliminated middle management and devolved responsibility to frontline workers.

Source: Levenson, A. 2001

Changing workforceChanging workforce

Changing WorkforceChanging Workforce News We Must Act OnNews We Must Act On

First and second-generation immigrants together are projected to account for all U.S. labor force growth between 2010 and 2030. Lowell, B., Gelatt,

J., Batalova, J., 2006

Changing WorkforceChanging Workforce

Labor PoolLabor PoolImmigrants in the U.S. labor force reached

an historic high in 2005 (14.7%). In Texas, 15.9%. Migration Policy Institute, 2006

Changing WorkforceChanging Workforce

The Elevator SpeechThe Elevator Speech

The New Texas Challenge, Steve Murdock et al. 2003.

Changing Workforce Changing Workforce

Workforce DiversityWorkforce Diversity

Example: San Antonio Workforce 220,000 San Antonio area residents are LEP.

(U.S. Census Bureau, 2006)

16.4 % growth in the Hispanic population in Bexar County from 2000 to 2006. (U.S. Census Bureau, 2008)

San Antonio boasts a higher percentage LEP residents with bachelor degrees than the state average.

This segment as grown 52% since 2000.(Migration Policy Institute, 2008)

Changing Workforce Changing Workforce

ExampleExampleLEP Residents with Bachelor LEP Residents with Bachelor DegreesDegrees

Bachelor's Degree or Higher for Certain Language Groups in 2006

Language Texas San Antonio

•Spanish 426,926 (10.4%) 44,520 (17%)•Other Indo-European Languages

153,790 (49.5%) 6,244 (52%)

•Speak Asian and Languages

174,758 (47.5%) 4,925 (51%)

•Speak Other Languages 38,625 (45.8%) 794 (68%)

Texas State Demographer, Karl Eshenbach, personal communication.

Changing Workforce Changing Workforce

Change PerceptionsChange Perceptions

LEP

Skilled and Degreed

Professionals

While most LEP in Texas have limited education from their home country, many have marketable skills and degrees.

Low Educational Attainment

Changing WorkforceChanging Workforce The FutureThe Future In 2005–2006, almost half of the Texas public school

population were Hispanic. Over 34 percent of these students were LEP. Texas Education Agency, n.d.

Changing Workforce Changing Workforce

The FutureThe Future In 2006, only 12 percent of LEP students in the

twelfth grade passed the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test and only 8 percent of tenth graders passed all TAKS standards. Scharrer, 2007

What can we achieve What can we achieve together?together?

Why should we Why should we care? care?

Anson GreenCoordinator, Workbased English SolutionsEconomic and Workforce DevelopmentAlamo Community Colleges