Click here to go back

PRESS RELEASE Contact: Carmon Cunningham (617) 728-4446 ccunningham@jff.org     TWO IN FIVE NEW ENGLAND ADULTS LACK SKILLS NEEDED TO SUCCEED IN TODAY'S SOCIETY   JFF Finds Progress, Remaining Hurdles in Adult Basic Education   Boston, MA, April 18, 2003    A report from Jobs for the Future finds that 41% of all adults in New England are unprepared to succeed in today's knowledge-based society. Updating a 2002 report on literacy in the region, the second edition of Rising to the Literacy Challenge indicates some progress: New England states and communities and the federal government all increased the resources they devoted to adult basic education. Yet the need increased even more dramatically. "New England continues to face a major skills crisis," said JFF President Marlene B. Seltzer. "Clearly something has to be done when more than 4.2 million adults lack the literacy skills needed to succeed as workers, parents, and citizens in today's society. This both limits the ability of adults to meet their families' basic needs and threatens the entire region's long-term economic health." Rising to the Literacy Challenge: Building Adult Education Systems in New England, released by JFF and sponsored by the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, the largest public charity in New England devoted exclusively to education, features a regional analysis of the need for adult basic education in New England and the region's capacity to meet it. Based on that analysis, the report makes recommendations designed to transform adult basic education in New England from an inadequately funded, largely stand-alone cottage industry into a more institutionalized, professional delivery system that has effective partnerships with other educational and skills training institutions. Dr. Blenda J. Wilson, President and CEO of the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, said that the Foundation is indebted to JFF's continuing effort to bring broader awareness to New England's adult literacy crisis. "We hope that greater understanding of this issue will help promote dialogue and collaborations among educational and skills training institutions, lawmakers, public agency leaders, employers, and funders to achieve a more literate and skilled workforce." According to Rising to the Literacy Challenge, every New England state devoted more resources to adult basic education in Program Year 2002 than it did in 2001. Region-wide, New England invested over $112 million in adult basic education in 2002, compared to $98 million in 2001 (Table 1). These funds came from local contributions and state and federal allocations. Moreover, each state increased its investment in each student in adult basic literacy programs (Table 2). While a portion of the increase in some states can be attributed to changes in data-reporting methods, the rise was real in every state. Even so, New England's investment in adult basic education fell far short of the need. As an achievable benchmark, the report set 150 hours of instruction for people who actually seek adult basic education. According to the Massachusetts Institute for a New Commonwealth, this amount of instruction is necessary to achieve a significant learning gain. The region-wide shortfall of that benchmark in 2002 was almost $120 million, up over $30 million from the previous year (Table 3). Table 1: Total Public Resources for Adult Basic Education*     2002 2001 Connecticut $37,989,594 $34,647,039 Maine $6,745,235 $3,682,815 Massachusetts $56,129,496 $49,507,121 New Hampshire $3,308,241 $2,729,016 Rhode Island $3,932,545 $3,914,974 Vermont $4,123,335 $3,756,053 Total $112,228,446 $98,287,018   * See Rising to the Literacy Challenge for sources and notes.    Table 2: Average Expenditures Per Enrolled Student*   2002 2001 Connecticut $1,170 $1,126 Maine $607 $376 Massachusetts $2,292 $1,784 New Hampshire $489 $466 Rhode Island $751 $700 Vermont $3,539 $720 * See Rising to the Literacy Challenge for sources and notes. Vermont instituted a new data-reporting system for 2002.   Table 3: Additional Public Resouces Needed* Table 3: Additional Public Resouces Needed*   2002 2001 Connecticut $5,681,336 $13,598,961 Maine $11,020,619 $8,509,185 Massachusetts $54,811,008 $34,510,879 New Hampshire $4,147,005 $3,915,773 Rhode Island $13,079,904 $11,085,026 Vermont $30,544,420 $16,811,947 Total $119,284,292 $88,431,771 * See Rising to the Literacy Challenge for sources and notes. * See Rising to the Literacy Challenge for sources and notes.     ###   The Nellie Mae Education Foundation provides grants and other support to education programs in New England that help improve academic achievement and access to higher education for low-income and under-served students. In 2003, the Foundation will provide more than $10 million to non-profit organizations in New England. Between 1998 and 2002, the Foundation distributed $33.8 million in grants and other support to more than 130 education programs in the six New England states. The Foundation also funds research that examines critical educational opportunity issues that affect New England students, families, and adults, and convenes educators, policymakers, and community members to discuss and influence pivotal education issues. www.nmefdn.org Jobs for the Future seeks to accelerate the educational and economic advancement of youth and adults struggling in today's economy. JFF partners with leaders in education, business, government, and communities around the nation to: strengthen opportunities for youth to succeed in postsecondary learning and high-skill careers; increase opportunities for low-income individuals to move into family-supporting careers; and meet the growing economic demand for knowledgeable and skilled workers. For more information about Jobs for the Future, please visit the Web site at www.jff.org.