DOCUMENT RESUME

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AUTHOR Caldwell, Melissa B.TITLE Report from the National Conference on Collaborative

Approaches to Serving Adult Learners (Racine,Wisconsin, April 29-May 1, 1984).

INSTITUTION Johnson Foundation, Inc., Racine, Wis.; KelloggFoundation, Battle Creek, Mich.; National Inst. forWork and Learning, Washington, D.C.

PUB DATE 84NOTE 17p.; Photographs may not reproduce clearly.AVAILABLE FROM National Institute for Work and Learning, 1200-18th

St., N.W., Suite 316, Washington, DC 20036($3.00).

PUB TYPE Collected Works - Conference Proceedings (021) --Viewpoints (120) -- Reports - Descriptive (141)

EDRS PRICE MF01 Plus Postage. PC Not Available from EDRS.DESCRIPTORS *Adult Education; *Adult Programs; Career

Development; *Cooperative Planning; *CooperativePrograms; Coordination; Delivery Systems; DislocatedWorkers; Educational Cooperation; EducationalLegislation; Federal Legislation; Financial Support;Illiteracy; *National Organizations; PolicyFormation; Postsecondary Education; ProgramDescriptions; Retraining; *School BusinessRelationship; Skill Obsolescence; Training;Unemployment

IDENTIFIERS Job Training Partnership Act 1982

ABSTRACTThis report summarizes a national invitational

conference at which 36 representatives from business, industry,education, and government addressed the ways in which the issues ofskill obsolescence, unemployment, illiteracy, displacement, andfinance of career development affect adult learners, employers, andproviders of education and training. The first section lists theconference objectives. Reported next are the opening remarksdelivered by Toni Carnevale, an economist who spoke of the naturaltension between U.S. educational and other (especially economic)institutions. The next section includes brief descriptions andcontact persons of 32 exemplary collaborative projects and nationalresource organizations serving adult clients including the following:Arizona Business-Industry-Education Council Career AdvancementProject; Boston College Worker Education for the 1980s; CareerDevelopment Council Worker Retraining Project; Compact for LifelongEducational Opportunities Educational Maintenance Organization;Tuition Aid Project of the Industry Education Council of Contra CostaCounty, California; Public Investment in Higher Education project ofthe New England Board of Higher Education; Job Training PartnershipAct (JTPA)-Adult Basic Education project of Rio Salado CommunityCollege; Rural Educational Adult Development in Idaho (READI)Project; National Committee for Reschooling the Adult Worker; andHuman Resources Development Institute of the American Federation ofLabor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). The finalsection of the report summarizes the closing remarks, which weredelivered by Arlon Elser. (MN)

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In Ju'y of 1983, NIWL proposed to the JohnsonFoundation, Inc. that they h..st a small national im ita-bonal conference at Wingspread, the purposes of whichwere to address the increasingly timely issues offacilitating the education and training/retraining needsof adult learners (dislocated, at-risk, unemployed) andexamining exemplary programs and projects, either ac-tive in meeting these needs or proposing to do so.Wingspread is the last and largest of Frank LloydWright's "prairie houses." This architectural landmarkis located in the Village of Wind Point, just north ofRacine, Wisconsin. Over the years, conferees have foundWingspread to be a supportive setting for discussions,one which has repeatedly elicited creative responses tothe problems or issues addressed.

The Johnson Foundation agreed to host the NationalInstitute's conference on "Collaborative Approaches toServing Adult Learners," which was subsequently heldfrom April 29 through May 1, 1984.

Conference Purposes:Collaborative Approaches ToServing Adult Learners

Thirty-six representatives from business, industry,labor, education, and government from across the coun-try, including those directly involved in designing and im-plementing collaborative programs for adult learners,met at Wingspread from April 29-May 1. They address-ed the issues of skill obsolescence, unemployment, il-literacy, displacement, and financing career develop-ment as they affect adult learners, employers, and theproviders of education and training.

The participants were brought together to:

develop strategies for expanding local collabora-tion among employers, educators, unions,government agencies, and other communityorganizations to serve adult learners;explore resources and opportunities through thenew Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA);

exchange information and ideas about exemplar,collaborative programs for serving adult learnersand assess the element of successful collabora-tion;propose other policies that wou'd lead to morefrequent and effective collaboration; andexplore how collaborative programs can effec-tively serve adult learners in light of a changingeconomy and future employment market.

For the last four years, the National Institute forWork and Learning has been working under a grantfrom the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to mobilize com-munity sectors to work collaboratively and creatively toexpand adults' education, training, retraining, andemployment opportunities. The conference on "Col-laborative Approaches to Serving Adult Learners" wasdesigned to bring together both the community work-education councils funded under the grant and selectedrepresentatives of business, industry, labor, education,and government involved in similar exemplary col-laborative projects and national resource organizations.

"Education in our socialsystem serves polity, cultureand economy, not theeconomy alone."

Tony Carnevale

Tony Carnevale, a Washington, D.C.-basedeconomist, brought focus to the opening session ofthe Wingspread Conference by addressing theeconomic, demographic, and political events thathave shifted over the past 25 years and havedramatically affected the relationship betweeneducation and most of the other social institutions inthis country. What follow are several of Mr.Carnevale's major points.

He stated that there is a natura! tension betweenU.S. educational and other institutions (especiallyeconomic institutions), which he attributed to the

fact that "education has three masters, not one.Education in our social system serves polit!':ultur:, and economy not the economy alone."He cited education as a very important political andsocial tool because it provides all citizens with somecommon experience and sense of community.

Carnevale discussed the natural tension or discon-tinuity that exists when a culture emphasizes in-dividualism; a political system emphasizes par-ticipation as its operating mode; z n educationsystem purports to provide for a stron, *dualsense of self and mastery, as well as encot. ,ventto people who see themselves as autonomo,..., and in-dependent in their participation in the political andcommunity processes; and an economic system pro-duces products in the manner of an industrialmanufacturing operation.

According to Carnevale. "Democracy and pro-ductivity often do not go hand in hand. It is theAmerican's ability to bargain, not cooperate, thatmust be examined when thinking in terms ofcooperation, whether among individual sectors ofthis social system or among education, labor,government, and industry; or when thinking ;nterms of retraining processes and organizationals}stems.' He stated that, "In order to cooperatemore effectively, ... we need to bargain out the goalsbefore we begin the cooperation."

Politics and economics have taken turns as actorsin the development of training, retraining, andeducational policies and directions for adultlearners. Initially, there was a feeling that Americaninstitutions had fa'ied; largely industrial institutionscould not properly supply employment or pricestability. There was good reason for more publicand political intervention in the industrial processes.Later, there was a feeling that one could ensure fullemployment and price stability by manipulatingoverall economic aggregates.

Carnevale noted that, "The politics of that ac-commodation remained with employers. Basically,employers were left with the prerogative to decidewhom to hire and fire, when and how to allocatefunds, and whom to trai. . The government neverreally got involved in adult employee, employment,or training decisions or in the allocation of capital."Now, Carnevale said, adult education, employer-based training, and adult training, in general, havebeen given a "breath of life" from the government'sinterest in the performance of the mainstreameconomy and the productivity performance ofmainstream workers.

Carnevale believes that, "Involvement in adulttraining and retraining and education must be donein conjunction with kinds or demands in theworkplace. The workplace, itself, ought to drive thecontent and need for training. The workplace set-ting is where economic change felt most, first byindividual employers and individual employees whosee that their skills are deficient or we find that thereare new requirements to be met in order to keep ajob or to get a new job

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"In most cases, if we are to be successful in usingadult training and retraining to improve productivi-ty, we need to do it as close to the point of produc-tion as possible and as much in conjunction withproduction as possible. Taking people away fromthe workplace or work processes or the purposes ofwork and training and educating them is, in general,a less efficient way to train and retrain in the contextof specific jobs and job tasks. The essential infor-mality of the American system is what dominatesthat process."

Carnevale believes that it is a good idea to let theprocesses of production and the demands of theemployee and the employer drive training pro-grams. "Customized training," . stated, "is theorder of the day."

As he continued, Carnevale stated that, "Train-ing does not create jobs; jobs create training. If youcan find a job that you can put somebody into, youcan then worry about providing the training or inmany cases the training will naturally follow. Youcannot solve unemployment ;problems by trainingand educating people. I think one of the sad politicalfacts of our current political situation is that we areoperating under the illusion in many cases that train-ing and education will create jobs, largely becausewe do not have the know how or the politicalwherewithal to cope v ith --olicies that will, in fact,create sufficient dental- t on th, job to drive trainingand the need for ad' It education and training.

"The basic difficulty in the American sy tern atthe moment and sip.:e the late 1960s has been infla-tion, which h' Jan the public policy priority ofAmerican governn nit from the top down. It hasbeen the f;-,t -Priority of macroeconomic policy;what we have i.:rne, to put it simply, is put peopleout of w irk. 1 hat is 'Jill the policy, I think, in mostmacroect torn.c thinking these days on both sidesof the aisle.

"United States economic policy is motivated byan intent to control inflation by reducing output,slowig growth, and kecp.ng unemploymentrelatively high. As long as there is a labor surplusand unemployment is high, the demand for educa-tion and training w ill he do,tn and the effectivenessof education and training in terms of providingmeaningful work for people will he reduced great-ly.

"There is a real incentk .! in most employer set-tings these days to In% est in technology thatsubstitutes for wage costs and Increases outputin other words, to invest in technologies thatsubstitute for inch% iduar workers. In such a setting,there is very little demand for Increased educationand training, and all the investment incentives arewrong. If you build a tax system that releases hugeincentives and amounts of money for reinvestmentpurposes and at the same time through the FederalReserve Board 'ou hold down overall economicgrowth, you have that is essentially a humanresources pressure cooker. You take jobs away onthe investment side, and you don't allow theoverall economy to grow to create additional jobsto substitute for those that are lost I think that isthe ultimate enemy of education and retraining."

Carnevale noted that it was easy to criticize anti-inflation policies, but difficult to come up with aneasy answer. He did state, however, that one thingis clear. "We may not know how to make in-dustries grow in terms of the industrial policydebates of those people who have been involved inthem, and we have no set formula or way to iden-tify growth industries versus no-growth industries.We can't pick losers or winners very well or veryeasily. But it is pretty clear which are the losers andwhich are the winners on inflation.

"We know precisely where inflation comesfron. It comes from war (hot and cold wars); itcomes from food, it comes from energy, it comesfrom construction, it comes from health care. If wecould build industrial policies in those areas thatwere anti-inflation oriented, we might be able todrive the unemployment rate down five or six per-cent. And in that event, the value of individual per-sons in the labor market would go up greatly andthe overall momentum behind education, training,and retraining in the American system would in-crease."

Carnevale believes that at this point, the demandfor well-qualified workers and the demand for newpr..5duction modes and products would take off.Training requirements that we have all heardrumors about over the past several years would berealized.

Anthony Carnevale is especially well-qualified tospeak to the economic dimension of humanresource and employment issues. His experienceand education demonstrate both a practical andtheoretical involvement with the human resourceaspect of the nation's overall economic perform-

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ance. Carnevale is currently researching anhistorical view of distressed workers and labormarket theories.

The following are brief descriptions and contact per-sons for selected initiatives addressing the needs ofadult learners. Representatives of these EX-EMPLARY COLLABORATIVE PROJECTSAND NATIONAL RESOURCE ORGANIZA-TIONS participated in the Wingspread Conference.

Exemplary CollaborativeProjects

Arizona Business- lndustrr- Education until:Career Advancement Project

The Career Advancement Project is being im-plemented within the Phoenix Metropolitan areathrough the Arizona Business-Industry-EducationCouncil (ABIEC), with the cooperation of Lie MaricopaCounty Community College District (MCCCD). Its pur-poses are to aid employees in their career developmentthrough the use of community college and companyresources; to enhance the productivity of local firms byaiding promotional procedures and training; and to fur-ther develop the tuition-aid program for all employeesincluding minority, handicapped, and other disadvan-taged persons. Contact: Janet Beauchamp, ExecutiveDirector, ABIEC, 2346 North Central Avenue,Phoenix, AZ 85004, (602) 252-1769.

Boston College:Worker Education for the 1980s

"Worker Education for the 1980s" is a three-yearproject funded by FIPSE of the U.S. Department of

Education. It represents a collaborative effort betweenBoston College and the Massachusetts AFL /CIO Theproject is working with nine unions whose members havebeen severely affected by the recession and declining in-dustry. Educating workers about the structure of theirindustry, prospects for retraining in their jobs, and op-portunities for reskilhng and multiskilling are paramountobjectives.

Activities include compiling educational directones,conducting educational forums and workshops forworkers and union officials, and consulting with laborand management around innovative proposals for jobcreation and preservation. Contact: Paul Gray,Associate Professor, Chief Consultant, or CharlesDeber, Assistant Professor, Department of Souology,Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02 : 67,(617) 552-4048.

Career Development Council:if oiler Retraining Project

The Career Development Council, Inc., (CDC) ofCorning, NY recognized a number of related needs in thecommunity. Blue-collar workers needed planning andself-as- _ssment materials designed especially for themThe community needed collaborative mechanisms toprovide continuing coordination of retraining initiatives.Business managers and others needed motivationalmaterials to use in getting the attention of "at-risk"workers. The Council has successfully identified a"case" that has provided a model for private industrycouncil training; developed personalized retraining in-itiatives for "at-risk" employees (a training referralbooklet distributed through employers, agencies, andunions); and is in the process of developing community -wide proposals to improve collaborative efforts address-ing "at-nsk" employee needs.

The final activity carried out under this project was thedevelopment of a proposa! to establish a three-countytraining information and referral system that will includea hotline and automated bulletin board listing of currentand upcoming training opportunities. Contact: David\ oust, Executive Director, Career Development Coun-cil, Inc., 201 Cantigny Street, Corning, NY 14830,(607) 962-3601.

Compact for Lifelong Educational Opportunities:Educational Maintenance Organization

The Compact for Lifelong Opportunity (CLEO), aconsortium of 34 postsecondary institutions in SoutheastPennsylvania, building upon its core of adult learner ser-vices and its experience in brokering educational servicesto i network of major companies, labo; unions, andpublic sector agencies is developing three EducationalMaintenance Organization (EMO) models one in anindustrial park (Great Valley Corporate Center); one in asingle major company (Scott Paper Company); and onewith a major association such as the Chamber of Com-merce in a central city area.

ELch of the EMO sites will provide on a continuingbasis a complete package of services to employees/

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workers. HOTLINE information on all courses and pro-grams in the Delaware Valley, academic and careercounseling, and assessment of prior learning, as well asopening up the resources of CLEO's member collegesand universities to employers, for consultation, broker-ing for courses, seminars, degree programs, andresearch, among other things.

1 he facility at Great Valley Corporate Center present-ly provides these services for employees in addition to aneducational and career source library, telecourse infor-mation and registration, and brown-bag lunch discus-sion. For the companies, the EMO provides, amongother services, specialized course development, access tointerns and cooperative education students, humanresource development and unemployment workshops,consultation on company financial aid and tuition reim-bursement, and facilitation of special interest networkinggroups. Contact: Pamela Tate, Associate Director,Compact for Lifelong Educational Opportunity(CLEO), 37 South 16th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102,(215) 864-0775.

Corning Glass An Orientation Systemthat Builds Productivity

In response to an unusually high turnover rateand need for improved productivity, Corning Classset in motion an operation system designed not on-ly to imprcve productivity, but also to decreasesuccessfully the turnover by improving the transi-tion into Corning and the community. Threefeatures make this system unique and successful:The system is an orientation process, not a pro-gram; it is based on gin:led selflearning; and it islong-term (15-18 months) and in-depth.

This orientation has become a cornerstone ofCorning's overall productivity strategy. Contact:John D. Lesser, Quality College Instructor, Corn-ing Glass Works, MP -51 -2, Corning, NY 14831,(607) 974-7450.

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The Industry Education Council of ContraCosta County, C1: Tuition-Aid Project

In the midst of economic expansion and occupa-tional change in their county, the Industry Educa-tion Council of California in Contra Costa Countyrecognized a strong interest by empioyers, unions,and educators in expanding opportunities foreducation and training of adults. Businessrepresentatives were viewing employment-basedtuition assistance as a major benefit to their com-pany and to their employees, but many wereperplexed by its underutilization.

Representatives from postsecondary educationbelieved that they had academic and counselingresources and programs available to meet the needsof business and industry in Contra Costa County.Unions were also ready to collaborate in order toensure that their members received the benefits ofany opportunity to imnrove their employmentcapability. The Industry Education Council design-ed a comprehensive program to assist business, in-dustry, education, and unions to collaborate inmaking employment-based tuition-aid resourcesbetter known and more effective throughout thecounty. Contact Dalton Walton, Project Director,Industry Education Council of Contra CostaCounty, 200 Hainet Drive, Pleasant Hill, CA94523, (a 15) 860-8744.

The Metropolitan ti.ashington Council ofGovernments' Work Education Council:High Technology Project

The Metropolitan Work Education Council ofWashington, D.C. addressed the problem ofpotential structural unemployment resulting froma shift in the metropolitan area to a high-techeconomy. The Council was concerned that adultsin the region would not be able to compete for newdeveloping employment opportunities. The High/Technology Project has worked to develop a com-prehensive regional approach to exploring suchissues as employers' best choices to meeting their"mployee training needs universities and col-leges, corporate in-house, or training institutions),the impact of high-technology on the metropolitanWashington area's service industries, and locatingexisting linkages among educators, industry, andeconomic development.

The Council's conference on "The Challenge ofChanging Technology" in ate spring of 1984brought together representatives of business, in-dustry, education, training, and economic develop-ment to discuss these issues and mobilize col-laborative activities between the sectors in order tomeet their various needs. Contact: Shirley Fox,Metropolitan Washington Council of Govern-ments, Work Education Council, 1875 Eye Street,N.W., Suite 200, Washington, D.C. 20006,(202) 223-6800.

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Loretto Heights College: Mountain Bell Program

Loretto Heights College is a small, independent,coeducational, liberal arts college for students ofall ages. Evidence of the College's commitment toprovide innovative programs was apparent in theearly sixtie- when Loretto Heights established theResearch Center on Women, before other institu-tions had such programs. In 19/1, one of the firstuniversity-withoui-walls programs was established.The innovative program enables non-traditionalstudents of all ages to earn a Loretto Heights Col-lege degree.

The Loretto Heights College Degree Program atMountain Bell, established in 1979, serves workingadults in the metropolitan Denver area. At weMountain Bell Denver Service Center in downtownDenver, Loretto Heights lege offers a com-prehensive academic program for Mountain Belland AT&T employees. At the Mountain Bell Train-ing and Education Center in Southwest Denver,Arapahoe Community Co:lege and LorettoHeights College offer a collaborative educationalprogram for Mountain Bell and Martin MariettaDenver Aerospace employees.

In 1982, the College acknowledged the growingneed for educational opportunities for adultlearners by establishing the Office of Adult Educa-tion and Public Service. Contact: Carolyn J.Doherty, On-site Coordinator, Mountain Bell Pro-gram, Loretto Heights College, 3001 South FederalBoulevard, Denver, CO 80236, (303) 936-8441 Ext.#281.

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New England Board of higher Education(A EBIIE): Public Investment in Higher Education

The New England Board of Higher Educationreceived a three-year grant award from the nationalFund for the Improvement of PostsecondaryEclu.:ation (FIPSE) for a regional economicdevelopment project focused on the public invest-ment in higher education. The program grows outof the work of the New England Commission onHigher Education and the Economy and its 1982report and recommendations, A Threat to Ex-cellence. Based on three years of research andanalyses and on this publication, the NEBHEbelieves that a more complete understanding is re-quired by the legislators in the six states of the rela-tionship between the quality of the region's educa-tional system and the performance of the region'seconomy.

The Board is now working with regionallegislative leaders to develop state policy im-plementing the recommendations on pubic financ-ing of higher education proposed by the Commis-sion on Higher Education and the Economy ofNew England. This project is designed specificallyto promote more enlightened financial policies thatwill result in improved instruction for students andbetter preparation for carers relevant to the newlyemerging economy. Contact: Melvin Bernstein,Vice President, NEBHE, 9 School St., Wenham,MA 01984, (617) 468-7341.

Rio Salado Community College:JTP4-Adult Basic Education

Rio Salado Community College, a collegewithout walls, utilizes a variety of instructionaldelivery systems to ensure that it meets the needs ofthe community in Maricopa County Arizona.Three JTPA instructional centers encompass east,west, and central Phoenix. Durango CorrectionCenter, in central Phoenix, works with minimumsecurity inmates during the last two months of theirsentence to acquire their G.E.D. Job Search andMotivational Training is also included in the cur-culuiii. The Eastern and Western TrainingCenters have classes in English as a SecondLanguage (ESL), Graduate Equivalency Diploma(GED), and Adult Basic Education (ABE), givingclients employable skills and other training oppor-tunities.

Rio Salado Community College, through a grantaward from the na ,a1 Fund for the Improve-ment of Postsecondary Education, is also design-ing a one-year A.A. degree curriculum in twotechnical areas within the electronics industry.Learners will be chiefly adult women andminorities at Motorola, Inc. in Phoenix. Contact:Toni Cloud, Coordinator, JTPA-Adult BasicEducation, RSCC, 135 North Second Avenue,Phoenix, AZ 85003, (602) 256-7722.

Industry Education Council of San Mateo County:Workers in Transition

The "Workers in Transition" project on the In-dustry Education Council of San Mateo Countyaims to produce a model for linking education andindustry in an effort to increase the productivework life for individuals. Primarily directing its ef-forts toward workers transitioning in the later por-tion of their work lives, the plan is to providecounseling and information, as y ell as retraining.The project is currently serving older people withfour types of instructional activities: (1) retrainingof unemployed auto workers; (2) career planningdevelopment for recently retired workers fromselected industries; (3) lecture program for retiredpeople; and (4) micro-computer-video interactivelearning systems provided in industry for workerswho need retraining in conjunction with communi-ty college programs. Contact: Robert L. Bennet,San Mateo County Industry Education Council, 53Condon Court, San Mateo, CA 94403, (415)345-1904.

St. Louis, Missouri: MetropolitanRe-Employment Project

The Metropolitan Re-Employment Project is anoutplacement program funded by FIPSE anddesigned to assist employees and employerspresently affected by the structural changes takingplace in the metropolitan economy of St. Louis.Recognition by community leaders of the demandfor services designed to assist these displacedworkers gain new employment led to the develop-ment of the project.

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The services available through the project arenumerous. Excellent counseling services areavailable to aid the former employee with informa-tion about job openings, job placement, retrainingopportunities, and strategies for career change.The project also provides employers with acustomized program of outplacement by initiating,developing, and delivering exclusive plant- orindustry-centered job workshops. Contact:Michael Maguire, Project Director, MetropolitanRe-Employment Project, 5600 Oakland Avenue,St. Louis, MO 63110, (314) 694-9142.

Technology krchange Center (TEO

In response to the issues of training, retraining,and upgrade training in Orange County, C A.,renresentatives from busines, industry, education,and government collaborated in the developmentof the new TEC. The TEC has taken the respon-sibility for meeting the respective labor trainingconcerns of industry, education, government, andorganized labor in the areas where overlappingneeds occur and where a collective/collaborativeapproach is required.

In order to achieve this mission, the TechnologyExchange Center is structured to provide thefollowing services: (1) brokering, to coordinatetraining resources to meet emerging labor needs tonew industries; (2) brokering, to determine pocketsof excess labor and coordinate the upgrading orretraining of groups of workers to high demandjob positions; (3) cle-ringhouse, for informationabout Orange County area employment and train-ing needs and assistance in matching those needswith existing training and educational programs;and (4) resource center, for the development andupgrading of training and educational curricula toassure they are meeting industries' needs in this

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area. Contact: Kathy Lusk, Dean, OccupationalEducation/Special Projects, Santa Ana CollegeRancho and Santiago Community College District,17th at Bristol Streets, Santa Ana, CA 92706, (714)667-3495.

United Auto WorltersGeneral %16torsPlacement and Training Program

Developments in manufacturing and technologyare increasingly changing the demand for skilledworkers in American industry. Workers ;n theautomobile industry have been especially affectedby increased automation, and shifts in Americancar-buying habits have produced plant closings,layoffs, ana the prospect of additional displace-ment for members of America's most skilledworkforce.

In response to these needs, a jointly administeredUAW-GM Placement and Training Program hasbeen established in Flint, Ml, serving UAW RegionI-C. This Placement and Training ProgramP.A.T. for short has been staffed and financedto serve the needs of laid-off workers and workerswho face potential layoffs as a result of changingsituations in the auto industry. At the beginning of1984, there were over 9,000 laid-off UAW-GMemployees in the Flint area.

This program is an innovative model of coc pera-tion between labo. and management. By activelylinking workers with community resources andenhancing their potential for re-employment, it ad-dresses the changing demand for skilled workersthroughout the automotive and other industries.Contact: Charles E. Black, Assistant Director,Joint Programs and Special Projects, GeneralMotors Corporation, 3044 West Grand Boulevard,Detroit, MI 58202, (313) 556-4932 or Carl Bramlet,Internatior al Representative, UAW, Region I-C,1940 West Atherton Road, Flint, MI 48047, (313)767-0910.

University of Idaho: Project REAM

The READI Project (Rural Educational AdultDevelopment in Idaho) is funded by FIPSE todevelop computer literacy opportunities for ruraladults. Curriculum developed by the project em-phasizes basic skills, problem solving, and goal set-ting, as well as computer awareness and literacyskills. The project is working with the IdahoCooperative Extension Service to pilot the programand to design an effective and appropriate deliverysystem.

While the goal of the project is to bring com-puter literacy to the more isolated rural com-

munities, the project is also concerned witheconomic development. Since many rural com-munities are undergoing rapid economic change asthe wood product and mining industries change,rur II people have to develop new sources of incomeif they are to survive. The READI Project will pro-ide training and resources to facilitat- these

changes Contact: Mary Emery, Director, READI,University of Idaho, College of Agriculture,Moscow, 83843, (208) 885-7984.

I nivPrsits of South Carolina at liken

In the recent past, two statewide efforts to ad-dress professional development needs of educatorsand to explore new partnerships between theUniversity of South Carolina and other entitieswere initiated. The "Special Services to SchoolsProgram'' of the University of South Carolinafocused on making the total resources of theUniversity available to school districts in uniqueways, both for credit-bearing and non-credit ex-periences. The School Advisory Council AssistanceProject is another effort to develop skills amongbuilding-IPvel principals, teachers, parents, andlocal citizens who are trying to implement effectivecouncils at every school in the state Contact:Thomas Hallman, Assistant to the Chancello:,University of South Carolina, Aiken, 171 Universi-ty Parkway, Aiken, SC 29801, (803) 648-6851.

National ResourceOrganizations

National Committee for Keschoolingthe Adult Worker

The intent of the National Committee forReschooling the Adult Worker is to create a forumthat will promote accessibility of postsecondaryeducation for the non-traditional student. Of par-

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ticular concern to the Committee is the improved ac-cess that the unemployed and underemployedworker has to programs of quality education. Thisforum will aid member organizations it the follow-ing: action research appropriate for legislative andpolicy applications; development and analysis ofcurricula and programs for non-t-aditionalstudents; and the exchange of inf qmation on alter-native quality postsecondary education at nationaland state levels.

The goals of the committee include: raising thelevel of awareness as to the potential college studentpopulation in the 1980s; utilizing legislative actionfor support of institutional change in publicpostsecondary education in relation to social andeconomic renewal; collaborating with membergroups in the development of model program designto change the delivery system for non-traditionalpostsecondary students; and promoting thedevelopment of efforts at both state and nationalevels for maximum effectiveness in the allocatioof educational resources for non-traditionstudents. Contact: Nancy B. Blackman, NationCommittee for Reschooling the Adult WorkeP.O. Box 236, Kingston, RI 02881, (401) 789-829

AFL-CIO/Department of Education

The AFL-CIO Department of Educatiprimary responsibilities are to support and cdinate labor education programs offered by 1unions and universities and to develop testirand legislative proposals in the area of peducation.

The AFL-CIO has provided a number ograms involved in the area of adult learninretraining. In September 1982, the AFEducation Department conducted a pilot prentitled the "Education and Life Planninferetice." Representatives of the CompLifelong Educational Opportunities' (CLEducted the program, which intended tounion education staff with experience i

change or career assessment programs. Thment has also worked with a wide varietytraditional education programs, suchEducate the People Consortium" witState University.

In addition, the AFL-CIO DeparEducation functions as a liaison to theCouncil on Education, the American Aof Junior and Community Colleges, thAssociation of Adult Continuing Eduthe Coalition of Adult Education OrContact: Fd Czarnecki, AssistantDepartment of Education, AFL-CIOStreet, N.W., Washington, D.C.637-5000.

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An-CIO/Human ResourcesDevelopment Institute (HRDI)

HRDI is the employment and training arm of theAFL -CIO. Since 1968, HRDI has been working tobring the resources of the American labor move-ment to bear in reducing unemployment and ex-tending job and training opportunities. HRDIoperates under a convention mandate from theAFL-CIO. Its charge is to strengthen this nation'semployment and training programs for theunemployed and the disadvantaged.

The Institute's mandate translates the deeplyrooted commitments of the labor movemen* intoacion to bring us closer to the day when tveryAmerican will hale a chance to work at a decentjob. The Institute offers technical services to labororganizations across the country to help themassume a strong partnership role in the design andoperation of training programs for jobless persons.

The enactment of the Job Training PartnershipAct of 1982 (JTPA) has heightened the importanceof effective labor participation in training pro-grams at the state and local level. HRDI is workingto help labor make the most of its opportunitiesunder the new act, so that labor groups can helpshape the training programs in their communities.HRDI recognizes that labor has traditionally per-formed a central role in preparing workers for jobsin the private sector. With JTPA's emphasis onprivate sector employment, HRDI is seeking toassure that labor resources are appropriately usedin training programs established under JTPA.Contact: Michael M. Arnold, Executive Director,Human Resource Development Institute (HRDI),AFL-CIO, 815 16th Street, N.W., Washington,D.C. 20006, (202) 638-3912.

American -1 t sociat;on of Retired Persons (.1 A RP)

AARP serves a membership of more than 15million persons age 50 and over and is dedicated tohelping older persons achieve lives of in-dependence, purpose, and dignity. AARP hascreated the Institute for Lifetime Learning as acontinuing education service to its membership.

The Institute promotes opportunities for olderpersons to continue to learn, to prepare for newjobs and careers, and to become involved in mediaand new technologies. As a resource center oflifetime learning and aging, it publishes materialsrelated to education for older persons, conductssurveys, initiates workshops, and providestechnical assistance to organizations interested indeveloping education and training programs forolder persons.

The Institute also provides informative pam-phlets and technical assistance to individualsand/or organizations that need information re-garding employment of older people. To monitor

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and advocate for national policy related to educa-tion, training, and employment programs, the In-stitute works closely with AARP's legislativedepartment. Contact: Dr. Sandra Timmerman,Head, Institute of Lifetime Learning, AmericanAssociation of Retired Persons, 1909 K Street,N.W. Washington, D.C. 20049, (202) 728-4666.

America, Can Company Foundation

Founded in 1960, the American Can CompanyFoundation has a long history of corporate socialresponsibility. In 24 years of operation, it has con-tributed more than $24 million to institutions,charities, and non-profit organizations. Roughlyone-third of the foundation's 1984 $3 millionbudget will be applied to education.

The Foundation's charter establishes a programof contributions for the purpose of supporting awide variety of individuals and organizations work-ing to improve the overall quality of our society.Three issues are addressed by the new NationalTheme Program: (1) corpora;. role in publiceducation, (2) hunger and nutrition, and (3)economic transition.

The Foundation's efforts in the public educationarea will emphasize improving the quality ofeducation for all students, increasing the programof young people who complete high school, andsupporting talented teachers. Contact: Ray Reistcr,Manager, American Can Company FoundationAmerican Lane, P.O. Box 3610, Greenwich, CT06836, (203) 552-2989.

The Fund for the Improvement ofPostsecondary Education (FIPS)

The Fund for the Improvement of Postsecon-dary Education (FIPSE) is a small program Ni 'thinthe U.S. Department of Education. Its legislativ emission is "to improve postsecondary education"across a broad range of concerns. The Fund sup-ports, through annual gram competitions, localimprovern.:nts that address nationally significantproblems or opportunities in postsecondary educa-tion.

The Fund defines postsecondary educationbroadly to include all agencies and institutions of-fering education after high school, such as collegesand universities (public and private, two- or four-year), technical and business schools, testing agen-cies, professional associations, employers andunions, state and local education agencies, studentsorganizations, cultural institutions, and communi-ty groups. Under the current annual budget ofnearly $12 million, approximately 70-100 new pro-jects from over 200 proposals) and an equalnumber of continuing projects are supported eachyear. Created in 1972, the Fund has invested $117million in over 900 separate projects during thepast 11 years.

Adult learning and worker retraining have beencontinuing concerns at the Fund. Ty,)es of projectssupported have included adult information andguidance centers; assessment of college creditpotential in noncollegiate educational experiences;distance learning via telecommunications; cur-ricula based on adult development theory; and col-laborative programs among colleges, unions, andbusiness.

The current Fund priority areas include: impor-tant and difficult learning; access and completion;education for a changing economy; uses and im-plications of electronic technologies; reform ofgraduate and professional education; teachereducation and cooperation between colleges andschools; and the organizational capacity to im-prove education. Contact: Russell Y. Garth, Ac-ting Deputy Director, Fund for the Improvementof Postsecondary Education, 7th and D Streets,S.W., Room 3102, Washington, D.C. 20203, (2C2)245-8091.

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ational ssociation of PrivateIndustry Councils ( NAPIC)

The Association provides a mechanism for PICmembers and private employers to discuss and ex-change ideas for planning and implementingemployment and training policies in the context ofeconomic development and education. It bringstogether the leaders in the Job Training Partner-ship Act to: establish a forum for local PICs toshare their program experience with Congressionaland executive branch policy makers; have localPICs share experiences in strategic and operationalplanning, program development and management,system design, and project evaluation; and conductlegislative and regulatory analysis and comment onthe Job Training Partnership Act and relatedpolicy initiatives.

NAPIC in cooperation with the National In-stitute for Work and Learning is presently engagedin a two-year demonstration project linking theneeds and resources of postsecondary educationalinstitutions with those of Private Industry Coun-cils. The purpose of the project is to foster partner-ship between PICs and postsecondary education sothat higher education plays a visible and importantroie in JTPA through involvement on the localplanning and implementing of job training pro-grams, especially in the retraining of dislocatedworkers. Contact: Robert Knight, Executive Direc-tor, National Association of Private IndustryCouncils (NAPIC), 2001 South Street, N.W., Suite500, Washington, D.C. 20009, (202) 223-5640.

National Center for EducationalBrokering (NCER)

The National Center for Educational Brokering(NCEB), a part of the Association for HumanisticPsychology, is a non-profit educational organiza-tion designed to promote educational brokeringthrough technical assistance, publications, andpublic policy studies and recommendations.

The Center is presently involved in two projectsunder a grant through the National Institute forWork and Learning from the W.K. Kellogg Foun-dation. The NCEB Bulletin is are only publicationexclusively devoted to technical assistance informa-tion for and about educational and careercounselors for adults. It is a major linking devicefor practitioners and functions as a major means ofdisseminating a number of demonstration projects.

The second project, the NCEB CounselorDevelopment Program, aims to improve the quali-ty of information counseling and management insupport centers for adults. The project is highlyleveraged in that it trains trainers and consultants.They act as statewide teams of three or four with a

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leader who is placed in a state agency where he orshe can publicize the team's services and providelogistical research for the team's work. Contact:Fran Niacy, Executive Director, National Centerfor Educational Brokering, Association forHumanistic Psychology, 325 Ninth Street, SanFrancisco, CA 94103, (415) 626-2378.

The Minnesota Job Skills Part.iership

The Minnesota job Skills Partnership is a stateagency governed by a 21-member Board of Direc-tors, which represents the employment interests ofMinnesota business, labor, government, and skilltraining organizations.

The Partnership is a commitment by the State ofMinnesota to extend the education and trainingresources of the state to provide Minnesotaemployers with a well-trained and skilledworkforce. The Partnership was created to act as acatalyst to bring together employers with specifictraining needs with educational or other nonprofitinstitutions that can design programs to fill thoseneeds.

Partnership programs funded through matchinggrants are intended to fulfill short- and long-termobjectives. In the short term, employers experienc-ing skill shortages will be able to employ workerstrained to meet those needs. In '' ',^ng term, it isthe goal of the Partnership to promote theeconomic interests of Minnesota citizens throughclose- cooperation between the state's businessesand the education, employment, and trainingsystems of the state.

Grants to support skills training will be made t3education and training agencies that developcustomized programs to meet specific employerneeds. A matching contribution from theemployer, either monetary or "in-kind," is re-quired. Contact: Monica Manning, ExecutiveDirector of the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership,406 Capital Square, 550 Cedar Street, St. Paul,MN 55101, (612) 297-4660.

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11111M.The ,Vational Institute /or ;I orlsand Learning (VIII)

The National Institute for Work and Learning isa private, tax exempt, not-for-profit corporation,which rece;ves its principal financial support fromfoundations, corporations, and government grantsand contracts. The Institute's agenda is to improvethe relationships between school and work foryouth and between work and school for adults andto bring the supply ,4 and demand for critical skillsinto better balance. The means to the e ends havetaken a variety of forms during the last decade, in-cluding: action experiments and pilot programs;case studies of successful practices; policy studiesthat synthesize r ,-earch results for action uses;research studies, when found to be a necessary stepbefore action; and establishment of informationnetworks.

While the means vary, a common thread runsthrough all NIWL undertakings: the pursuit of col-laborative efforts among employers, educators,unions, service organizations, and (where ap-propriate) government to resolve work and learn-ing problems and to help the collaboratisc ap-proach operate at the local and state levels. Thecollaborative process has been a consistent focussince the creation of the Institute. Contact:Richard A. Ungerer, Executive Vice President, Na-tional Institute for Work and Learning, 1302 18thStreet, N.W., Suite 501, Washington, D.C. 20036,(202) 887-6800.

The Office of Technology Assessment (07A)

The Office of Technology Assessment (a part ofthe U.S. Congress) has recently initiated a study of"Technology and Structural Unemployment:Retraining Displaced Adult Workers." This study,requested by the Senate Finance Committee, isscheduled to cover a period of 18 months, fromOctober 1983 through March 1985. An advisorypanel has been selected, which includes employ-ment generalists, private industry trainers, andtechnologists aware of the impacts of technologyon employment. The study is focusing primarily onthose workers whose educational background crjot-specific skills makes them most susceptible todisplacement and will examine trends in employ-ment over the next 10-15 years.

The study team is operating on the thesis thatdisplacement due to changing technology and in-creased foreign competition is a significant andgrowing problem. Given this thesis, about half ofthe assessment effort will be devoted to in-vestigating possible federal roles in retraining and

other forms of assistance to displaced workers. Theproject staff will summarize literature on per-formance measurement of retraining programs, ex-amine past successes and failures (MDTA, CETA,JTPA), and conduct field studies of private,public, and union-sponsored retraining programs.The study team will also examine various deliverysystems presently available to adult workers (col-leges, vocational education institutions, junior col-leges, employer-sponsored training) for retrainingand identify how accessible and useful they are.

OTA staff are also inv-..stigatirg retraining pro-grams in West Germany, Sweden, and Japan toidentify elements that could be transferred to theUnited States. Finally, the assessment will addressvarious approaches to avoiding displacementproblems, including redistributing work, avertingplant closings, and using job design to avoidlayoffs and improve the variety of richness of jobs.Contact: Julie Gorte, Project Director, 1TE Pro-gram, Office of Technology Assessment, UnitedStates Congress, Washington, D.C. 20510, (202)226-2205.

Service Employees International Union (SEIU)

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The SEIU, the fourth largest union in the AFL-CIO, represents workers in a variety of occupa-tions, from entry level to professional, in the wide-working service sector industries. SEIU, inresponse to an apparent lack of access to trainingin higher - skilled jobs, established a NationalCareer Development Program the LifelongEducation and Development Project (LEAD).Since the late 1970s, LEAD has worked to improvethe quality of members' lives both on and off thejob, by their job or careers, while maintaining theiremployment. Wherever possible, LEAD works iicooperation with employees to develop programsthat link training to jobs on the worksite, thussatisfying the members' desire for career mobility

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and job security, while meeting the employers'need for qualified personnel.

LEAD staff also assist lc,a;,-; to respond tomembers' educational 'weds through a variety ofactivities including career and job market counsel-ing, basic educational service, displaced workerprograms, collective bargaining assistance andeducation, and employment and training ser. ices.Contact: Debora;, Ness, National Director,Lifelong Educat,in and Development Project(LEAD), Servic Employees international Union,AFL-CIO, Inc., 2020 K Street, N.W., Washington,D.C. 20006, (202) 452-8750.

70001, Ltd.

One of the nation's largest employment trainingorganizations, 70001 Ltd. is a nonprofit public ser-vice corporation preparing thousands ofeconomically disadvantaged citizens each year forthe world of work and placing them into job, withprivate employers. Founded in 1969 with a grantfrom the Thorn McAn Company, 70001 has growninto a national network of some 51 programs in 16states. The majority of sites are locally funded andadministered, with 70001 providing training,technical assistance, and performance monitoring.Most program participants, called "'Associates,"are high school dropouts ages 16-22, althoughseveral programs serve adults as well.

Core program services co Jist of highly struc-tured work-readiness training, educationalupgrading, motivational activities, and job place-ment assistance. Associates are not paid for theirparticipation in the program, which averages fourmonths. The Seventy Thousand One CareerAssociation (2EVCA), a national organization forrchool dropouts, serves to build self-confidence,leadership skills, competitive spirit, and motivationthrough civic, social, and professional activitiescarried out in a structured peer group environment.Training is provided in coping skills, valuesclarification, constructive confrontation, com-munication skills, decision making, problem solv-ing, and assertiveness training. The end result is anemployee who has an improved self-awareness andself-concept, which facilitate job retention andcareer mobility. Contact: Jeffrey M. Johnson, VicePresident for Development, 70001, Ltd., 600Maryland Avenue, S.W., West Wing 300,Washington, D.C. 20004, (202) 484-0103.

R'. K. Kellogg Foundation

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation's intecest in adultcontinuing education is to expand knowledge,understanding, and skills through lifelong learn-ing. Achievement of this goal requires: (1)modification of the continuing educational system

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to achieve greater flexibility in meeting the learningneeds of adults; (2) expansion and application ofthe knowledge base specific to adult learning; any(3) development and implementation of policies tosupport adult continuing education as an integralcomponent of a lifelong comprehensive educa-tional system.

Specific programming inteiests include aid forcomprehensive approaches to assist adult learnersin mak.ng decisions concerning their education andcareer and to gain access to appropriate educa-tional resources and institutions to complete a planof study. Innovative educational programs foradult learners at community colleges, publiclibraries, and residential centers "or continuingeducation which, because of ti sir distinctivecharactei 'sties, will be assisted to become more ef-fective educational influences for adults.

The Foundation will assist collaborative continu-ing professional educational efforts among thepractitioners and scholars in universities, hospitals,professional associations, or multiple professionsin comprehensive university programs. Severalcenters that promise to add to the intellectual foun-dations of adult learning and continuing educationand significant ney applications of the theories toimprove adult learning will be aided. Programsthat prepare teachers and administrators who canprovide for a broad array of adult continuingeducation programs will also receive Foundationattention. Finally, national, regional, and stateorganizations that play important roles in thepolicies influencing the improvement of adult con-tinuing education will be considered for Founda-tion grantmaking. Contact ')r. Arlon E. Elser,Program Director, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, 400North Avenue, Battle Creek, MI 49016, (616)968-1611.

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"We are about the businessof building regionalnetworks." Arlon Elser

Arlon Elser, program director for the W.K.Kellogg Foundation, stated in his closing remarksthat building regional networks to meet adultlearner needs involves several things: (1) assessmentof individual needs; (2) identification of educa-tional esources and existing linkages among in-dustry, educators and trainers, and the communi-ty; (3) flexible long-range programming (e.g., in-tercompany agreements to recognize employeetraining needs); and (4) counseling and support ser-vices. innovative educational programs at com-munity colleges and public libraries are the key tothe success of this model.

These settings have the resources to drovide"guidance counseling, referral and support ser-vices, articulated educational programs, personaldevelopment programs, and preparation of citizensfor ccmmunity life." As Elser noted, moreliterature on intellectual foundations is needed tobuild on adult learner programs ("the literature isthin"). Continued preparation of administratorsand organizers of adult continuing education isalso needed, as are national, regional, and statepolicies that bring the system of training andeducation around to meet the new demands ofadult learners in this changing economy.

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"It is not enough to focus on 14skill development, job place-ment strategies, retraining,and retooling of the adultlearner. Consideration of theself-esteem and psy-chological needs ofdislocated, unemployed, andat-risk workers is needed torespond fully to the needs ofthese people." Pam Tate

In capturing some of the highlights of the con-ference conversation, Pam Tate, associate directorof the Philadelphia-based Compact for LifelongEducational Opportunity, brought to light duringthe closing session of the conference several recurr-ing innovative phrases and statements that shebelieved needed further investigation; for example,"toxic envy," a perceived threat on the part of in-stitutions toward collaborative education/trainingefforts by other groups; "QL" as opposed to"QWL," emphasizing the relationship between theoverall quality of life and its impact on the qualityof work life; "jobs first strategy," as opposed to"training strategy" (which comes first: training tofit the job or jobs to fit the training); and th° no-tions of "feminization of poverty" and "mas-culinization of work."

The notion that higher education cannot be trueto itself without fostering both economic and socialrenewal was a concern that Tate brought forth.Collaborative efforts must consider the symbioticrelationship among these three entities in order tobe successful.

Tate noted the concern for the question ofuniversities' roles as extensions of corporations:who/what determines university curricula? Thisthought later developed into the notion of colleges"delivering education in rew ways to meet thechanging needs of technology and keeping up withthe needs of society."

Tate expressed concern that the focus on adultlearner skill development, job placement strategies,retraining, and retooling is not enough. She sug-gested that considering self-esteem andpsy ;holoj ;ical needs of dislocated, unemployed,and at-risk workers is needed in order to respondfully to the needs of these people.

Several main points were highlighted as nt xtsteps in the collaborative efforts of the organiza-tions present. She sees the tendency in today's cor-porate world to focus on quick-fix job skills and

customized training and technology abandoningbroader areas of adult learning (the non-careerareas). "These are the ones for which there arefewer dollars and less attention, but there is just asgreat a need for education for citizenship, forpublic service, for leadership, for empowerment ofindividuals, for critical examination of society, andfor problem-solving capability." Tate stated thatshe would like to see an examination of highereducation's role in economic and social develop-ment and not to lose the broader focus as we pur-sue funding sources.

She also focused on what appears to be a lack ofunderstanding of the corporate world amongeducators like the lack of comprehensiveunderstanding of the culture of higher education inthe corporate world. "We really don't knowenough about each other. We keep talking aboutcollaboration but we don't have the knowledgebase to undergird a lot of those collaborative ef-forts." Successful collaborative ventures rely on athorough understanding and acknowledgment ofthe objectives and culture of each in turn.

Understanding the economy, its effects onpolarization, employment abroad, the numbers ofjobs and where they are, and where new jobs arelikely to be is critical to making efficient decisionsabout training and education. As Tate pointed out,"... we in education don't know enough about theeconomy itself to make these decisions as effective-ly as we could " She went on to say that, "We needto argue that if higher education has a role ineconomic development, then we have to under-stand the economy better and where we fit in. OurJack of knowledge and focus on the corporate sec-tor, the union sector, and the economy itself hasresulted in a weakness in the collaborative ventures

we undertake. The importance of all of this tests inbeing able to convince policy maker, that educa-tion is indeed an economic resource."

In pointing out the apparent lack of attention inthe vested interests of business and higher educa-tion, Tate quoted Gerard Gold (of the National In-stitute for Work and Learning) who said, "Wehave not yet reached the point where theenrollments in higher education on the one hand,or the profits of the corporation on the other, havebeen tied to direct planning ,ind action. In otherwords, the vested interests arc not engaged oneither side .... Nor have we reached a point whetthe benefits and costs of collaborative planningand action have been clearly stated. We're not at apoint where they've been placed in proportion tothe overall mission of the two and used to developconcensus on the future distribution of educationand training." Tate emphasized that in order tomoe forward on collaborative efforts, we mustaddress the issue of the \ eqed interests of these twosectors.

Tate also expressed a need for national policyconcerning human resource development, a policythat is lexible and pays attention to regional andlocal differences (affected by the new Job TrainingPartnership Act, the revision of the Higher Educa-tion Act, and the effects of burgeoning hightechnology). She expressed the concerns of otherconferees. -As those w:io are involved at the levelof knowing what the impact is on adult learners,we should be influencing national policy at thegrass roots level to bring about the recognition thatlearning is a national issue and national problem.We need support from funding sources other thanconcerned privat foundations and FIPSE.

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"The networking among our project,: and thedissemination of ideas that happen at meetings likethis need to be done in a more systematic way withresources. We need a national funding source thatsees the need for this network and tries to help fundits activities on an ongoing basis. This sourceshould not call us together just to talk about ourprograms like we have here, but on that funds usto del, elop policy papers and recommend tuition-aid revisions for corporations. We need peopleworking on these issues, not doing it out of theirback pocket while they are trying to run programson the side." She emphasized the desperate needfor funding for networking support, dissemina-tion, and prod am and policy development.

Before closing, Tate stressed concern about cor-porations assuming the roles of educators in orderto meet their needs, needs that tcnd to be a reflec-tion of the state of the economy, and concernabout the declining role of education in meetingtraining needs. "I want to make a case that highereducation should have a piece of the education andtraining world, not all of it, but an importantpiece. and that we have a chance to maintain thatmarket and share that market."

Lastly, through reflections from Michael Katz(an educatioral and social policy historian), Tatespoke of the assumptions she believes underly ourcollaboiative efforts and need to be cratcally ex-attuned:

The belief that harmony is possible insociety and that confliLts of interest betweenclasses and groups are not inevitable andsomehow they can be overcome. (Katz ques-tions whether this assumption is really oneon which we should operate.)

The emphasis on the equality of opportun-ity for individuals rather than on equality ofresources for all groups.

A top-down approach to solving socialproblems; people with resources at the toptrying to fashion solutions and imposingsolutions at bottom.

Education is the answer to problems )r animportant answer. The more educatedpeople there are, the better the society wewill have. Education is the answer to eco-nomic renewal and growth; that leads irloietraining as an answer as well. Enlighten-ment does it all for us.

Paying attention to the cyclical nature of thereforms we introduce at one phase leads tothe need for these things to be reformed atanother time. The band-.id approach tosocial policy or social problem solation.

At the national level, the assumption thatsocial science or formal analytically depriv-ed knowledge should be used to inform de-cisions at a social policy level and will in-crease dependence on social science and ex-pertise at that level.

Diagosis of the problem will imply the treat-ment for the problem -- the medical model.Emphasis on diagnosis and the energy thatgoes into diagnosis and analysis and verylittle energy going to implement treatmentfor the patient.

In conclusion, Pala fate stated that, "Optimismis the strength that we especially need in a timewhen we don't have the national leadership thatwe've had in the past, ... a time when all of us arestruggling to survive with the concerns of servingadult learners."

Next Steps ...

At the beginning of the Wingspread Conference,the goals of "improving the relationship betwe,._work and learning institutions and examining ex-emplary collaborative programs serving adult

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learners" sounded ern academic to the par-ticipant,. \lost agreed, however, that these goalshad been addressed b, the time the Conference hadcome to a close. In the final work,hop, the par-ticipants w era: asked to recommend nest steps forNIWL in this general arca of collaboration andadult laming.

First, NIWL was directed to address the felt needfor increased communications and networkingamong those persons specifically involved in col-laborative protects serving adult learners. One im-mediate outcome of the conference was the start ofa monthly informal newsletter, which will includeanalyses of current and developing adult educa-tion/training policies, publications and resources,notices of upcoming meetings, and descriptions ofexemplary collaborative programs.

Initially, the newsletter will be mailed to theWingspread Conference participants, the FIPSEcluster of proi,- (s concerned with "Education andthe Economy," the CAEL Cluster Direc-tors/Regional ManageN involved with ProjectLEARN, and select others. Later this summer.NIA/ L will be seeking guidance about future furia-;rig (or subscription fees) to continue the newsletterafter current resources are exhausted.

Second, a major interest of participants was forthem to become more involved in the analysis and,when necessary, formulation of policies related toadult learning and retraining issues. Third, par-ticipants recommended that more opportunities beorganized for ongoing profes-,lonal developmentand leadership training of those involved in design-ing collaborative projects.

NIWL in coming months will be exploring thebest vehicles to address these concerns. Please letus hear from you if you would like to be involved!

Richard Ungerer

1C=1 r=11C=01

This conference report was prepared by Me:issaB. Caldwell. Further information can be ob-tained by contacting Richard A. Ungerer, Ex-ecutive Vice President, National Institute forWork and Learning, 1302 18th Street, N.W.,Suite 501, Washington, D.C. 20036, (202)887-6800.

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