The May 2009 report Online Learning for Low Skill Adults has been released, authored by Heather McKay at the Rutgers University Center for Women and Work. The report has highlighted the importance of access to high speed Internet connections amongst lower-skilled adults in the U.S.
A recent press release by Communications Workers of America states:
The report finds that there’s no question that “education is the key to moving lower-skilled adults into jobs that pay wages that meet family needs and enable families to be self sufficient.” Yet many educational credential programs don’t take into account the barriers to education and training that many of these adults face: irregular work hours, lack of access to transportation, child care and family responsibilities, and more.
With education and training being the 'key' enablers for lower-skilled adults to progress beyond their current skill set and become eligible for new opportunities, learning online has naturally surfaced as the way to combat the above-mentioned barriers. However, the report found that many people interviewed only had access to dial-up or low quality Internet which proved to inhibit their progress from the outset.
What seems to be a very timely solution to problems highlighted by this report is President Obama’s economic recovery plan which includes $7.2 billion to promote high speed Internet programs that “facilitate access to broadband service by low-income, unemployed, aged, and otherwise vulnerable populations in order to provide educational and employment opportunities to members of such populations.”
It will be interesting to follow the success of these initiatives as they roll out as I'm sure this is a microcosm of a much larger global problem (much like my previous post on the desert communities in Australia).
You can read the full report here
Hello Nicole,
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting article. I have spent the majority of my live working with individuals with disabilities before coming to the field of training and development after recieving a MEd. degree.
My experience within this population is similar to the points made in this article. However, there is an added barrier for this population that includes the need for both assistive technologies AND elearning that uses the tenets of universal design.
Like the low skilled populations mentioned here, there is a need for individuals with disabilities to utilize online education for the same reasons you mentioned. They have added barriers that exceed high speed access but are also important.
Regards,
Tanya