More than 50,000 unemployment insurance checks were issued during the week of August
16, 2008, 39% more than were issued during the same week in 2007.
Throughout our nation, people are experiencing the hardship of job loss or the uncertainty
of continued employment.
Imagine trying to search the web and complete an on-line job application if your
literacy skills were minimal. To whom would you admit your dilemma and where would
you turn for help?
Illiteracy in Baltimore City is a crisis for its residents and its employers. 31%
of the city’s adult population doesn’t have a high school credential and about 16%
lack even the most basic prose literacy skills. The high school graduation rate is
only 54%, compared with a statewide 85%.
Yet, only 3-5% of the demand for adult basic education and English Second Language
(ESL) learning is currently being met statewide. Maryland spends far less on adult
education than states of comparable wealth. With so little investment in adult education
and literacy programs, functionally illiterate adults in Baltimore City have few
educational opportunities and many are unemployed or under-employed despite their
keen desire to improve their lives. The problem extends to the growing immigrant
population, who, even though they are often highly-educated, work in jobs far below
their skill levels due to limited English skills.
