Report from the Roundtable on Workforce Literacy: Aligning Literacy and Skills Training for Better Family Economic Outcomes.

On Thursday July 1, 2010, a group of nearly 20 representatives from local government, community colleges, nonprofit organizations and key thought leaders and policy stakeholders attended the first Roundtable on Workforce Literacy: Aligning Literacy and Skills Training for Better Family Economic Outcomes.

Convened by the Greater Washington Workforce Development Collaborative – an initiative of The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region – and hosted by the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, participants enjoyed a rich conversation on workforce literacy and engaged in brainstorming around opportunities for regional collaboration.

GWWDC’s primary reason for bringing together the convening lies in the near universal calls around an increasing demand locally for Adult Literacy services connected these to workforce and skills training to help low-income workers advance economically and provide employers with needed skilled workers to be economically developed.

Looking at reports provided from The Georgetown University Center on Education and Workforce on MD, DC, VA, the increase of jobs that will require some postsecondary credential is significant, demonstrating the need in making connections to additional training for both unemployed and incumbent workers. GWWDC’s desire it to learn about what is going on in the region around workforce literacy, including potential opportunities and challenges, and envision next steps for strengthening the sector.

Opening remarks from Gloria Mwase of Jobs for the Future, provided participants with a national context, noting challenges and trends and offering clear promising practices. Peer discussion led to the articulation of a regional vision for workforce literacy which included regional alignment, streamlining process, and community engagement.

To learn how you can support this effort, please contact Sarah Oldmixon, Director of Workforce Initiatives at The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region, 202-955-5890 ext. 160 or SOldmixon@cfncr.org for more information.

Roundtable on Workforce Literacy: Aligning Literacy and Skills Training for Better Family Economic Outcomes participants included:

Dr Ryan Monroe and Aracelly Watts, Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School; Edith Westfall, Community College of DC; Jeff Carter, DC Learns and ProLiteracy; Trang Montgomery, Fairfax SkillSource; Rachel Glass, Montgomery Coalition for Adult English Literacy; Donna Kinerney, Montgomery College; Barbara Kaufmann, Montgomery County Department of Economic Development; Bill Browning and Esther Perantoni, Northern Virginia Community College; Stacey Downey, Office of State Superintendent for Education; Barbara Denman, Prince George’s County Community College; Taneika Tukan, Prince George’s Literacy Council