European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 5, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine shut s  literacy erosion in America by Rick Gladstone associated Pressa Telephone company attempting to recruit workers finds by percent of applicants Tail the entry level test. A congressional study shows most High school tutors in the United states cannot write a simple letter seeding a summer Job a Steelworker disorders $1 million in parts because he cannot read Well. An insurance Stork who does t understand Decimals pays a claimant 12.200 instead ois32. Illiteracy caused by poor education has become an economic Lime bomb threatening both the Quality of Iho american Oil Force and the nation s ability la compete on world markets. The de Pailman of education estimates More than 27 million americans older than 17 cannot ind or write Well enough so perform  requirements of everyday Lile anti he 15 million Are considered Bailly competent in Basic skills. That Means Mart than 72 million americans one Cut of three adults May tack the Reading and willing skills they need to find work Tod the number is growing annually by More than 2 million these Federal Siahs hcs coincide with a surge in demand for workers who not Only can read and wite. But who also can use computers understand technological concepts and think independently in an Economy that is shifting to services and information and away from manufacturing. Moreover this erosion of worker literacy comes at a time when America s competitors in Asia and Europe Are forging ahead with educated work forces that May come to dominate the High technology business of the 21st Century we need to determine what to do with the substantial fraction of our population that s ill equipped to compote in a global Economy urges Lawrence Mikulecky. A professor at Indiana University a slutty commissioned by the department of labor tiled workforce 2000, published last june estimated thai Between now and Ida end of the Century Lor the first Lime in . History a majority of Olf new jobs will require pos secondary education this pros ocl presents a great risk to min Only workers who historically have lacked Iho schooling and skills needed to opioid Job opportunities said the study conducted by the Hudson inst Ute a Pavale research organization. Ii that pattern persists according to the study by the year 2000, the problems o minority unemployment crime and dependency will be worse than they Are today. Without substantial adjustments Blacks and hispanics will have a smaller fraction of the jobs of the year 2000 than they have today while their share of those seeking work will have  the problem is compounded by a declining number of people entering the labor Pool a consequence of the Sharp drop off in birth rates that followed the postwar baby Boom. Some personnel executives say the literacy crisis already has Hurt them. New York Telephone co. Discovered last Yea that 84 percent of 113 new York City applicants flunked the company s entry level exam which included Basic questions on vocabulary and numerical relationships. The Butl Neu Council Tor effective literacy a corporals sponsored group has documented instances in which employees mls ordered millions of dollars in parts overpaid Bills and endangered work place safety. In one Case a face doll operator who misread a Label killed a pen full of cattle by giving them Poison instead of Grain foreign companies building factories in tile United slates Alio i Avo been rudely awakened at Toyota Mold corp s us. Manufacturing operations for Lampto personnel managers now isl the educational level of All prospective employ cer they re not just assuming thai because someone comos in with a High school diploma he s going to be  said Paul Jurmo program associate a the business Council for effective literacy. Definitions of literacy vary greatly bul some tells have served As important s in idh5, fur a Impi Iho department of Era Calron a Skoal 3.-100 people Arjad 20 and older to answer at least 20 of 26 simple questions can cutly nearly 13 percent tailed other measurements recon id Perl equally discouraging a b Udy mandated by Congress in 19m land thai lower than 400 of 2,000 Ullh grades could adequately write a note applying for a summer Job at a swimming poo College Board Lesl scores have Lalicin about 8 percent Over Iho past 20 years while 1esl performance abroad has risen in an inner National calculus and algebra test done a few years ago the Best us 12th-Gradcrs came in last among students from the most developed countries japanese finished firm estimates on the Cost of workplace illiteracy also vary bul it is believed to be in the Hundred re of billions of dollars. The  the study of adult literacy at Penn state University has Sake the Cost is at least $225 billion per year just in terms of lost productivity welfare and related crime and prison expenses. In addition at least $25 billion is spent by companies and private groups to upgrade worker education bul most of this Effort reaches Only a Small fraction o those who need it most says David Harman a Columbia University professor who has done extensive research in the area. A great Deal of illiteracy remains obscured  because Many older employees Are sensitive about their Lack of skills fearing they could a fired or lace ridicule by seeking help. Some devise elaborate ways to conceal inability to read or write including reigning  or taking Job applications Homo to have spouses Complete them said he Zal of Culive director of literacy volunteers of new York City inc., a non Roll group that organizes classes for adults. There Are Tome encouraging signs. Millions of illiterate or barely literate adults arc starting to Lake advantage of a growing Range of educational programs offered not Only by voluntary and government groups but labor unions and employers themselves. The federally funded adult Basic education program the largest single literacy Ellort in the untied slates enrolled 3.1 million people in 1966, up from 2.6 million in 19fh. Many Large companies have started contributing Money to Community Elloris. Drafted tutors to help disadvantaged workers and organized schools of last resort to provide Basic instruction. General motors corp and International business machines corp. Lor example together spend at Lossl 1700 million annually on adult education other companies such As Polaroid clip land and Oil co. Ford motor co and Liberty Mutual insurance group of Flor remedial classes in plants and of pcs part o this corporate Effort arises irom a gradual re Algol Ion among executives that it s in their Long term interest to have on adaptable and educated work Lorec but Many in business still May nol appreciate the magnitude of the crisis according to Robert w. Goddart publication director is Liberty Mutual insurance who wrote on the subject in 3 recent Issue of personnel journal Magazine the major inca driving corporate America to attack illiteracy is Tea same one that United the colonies zoo Yeai s either hang together on this Issue or hang  said Goddard. Tuesday april 5,1988 the stars and stripes Page 13