Focus
group members mentioned Regional Partnership literacy as a hindrance
to growth. The region fairs better than the state in adults at Literacy
Level 1, but the region still has 16% of the adult population at
Literacy Level 1 (this amounts to roughly 48,700 adults in the region).
Secondary data shows that the region is falling behind the state
when it comes to proficiency in basic reading. Between 1998 and
2003, Orange County was the only county in the region to have a
consistently high percentage of students passing the proficiency
exam.
Excellent non-profit institutions have established their organizations
in particular counties to tackle the issue of literacy. However,
literacy remains a problem that keeps people from getting and maintaining
quality jobs, and incumbent workers from retraining and upgrading
their skills. Efforts need to intensify in order to address literacy
issues on a regional level.
Development
of a regional comprehensive literacy initiative.
If illiteracy were a virus, it would already be a pandemic
in the regions.
This problem is the biggest obstacle
to achieving a competitive workforce
advantage. Responding to it will require a strategy
that focuses on making
the connection between the problem of illiteracy and
citizens’ everyday
lives. The objective would be to encourage people to
identify literacy opportunities for their existing philanthropic
projects, and to ask people to give time and dollars
to help strengthen established literacy programs for
adults and children.
Any campaign must be a comprehensive
effort that
encompasses the full developmental range from birth
to adulthood as
intervention at all levels is a critical priority.
Focus
group members mentioned Regional Partnership literacy as a hindrance
to growth. The region fairs better than the state in adults at Literacy
Level 1, but the region still has 16% of the adult population at
Literacy Level 1 (this amounts to roughly 48,700 adults in the region).
Secondary data shows that the region is falling behind the state
when it comes to proficiency in basic reading. Between 1998 and
2003, Orange County was the only county in the region to have a
consistently high percentage of students passing the proficiency
exam.
