Training that works

To prepare young people to succeed, we need to dispel myths about employment

By Arnold Packer

September 4, 2009

The U.S. is investing money and hope in an attempt to build a work force that can successfully compete for good jobs in a global economy. High schools and community colleges are undertaking career-oriented reforms, while the federal Workforce Investment Act is funding expanded programs for young people and for workers dislocated by economic change.

It sounds good, but unfortunately, much of the money and hope will be wasted - unless current myths are replaced with facts and common sense.

Myth #1: "We are headed for an hourglass economy, with all scientists, mathematicians and software designers at the top end and hamburger flippers and the homeless at the bottom." True, technology and international trade will continue to diminish routine jobs. But Harry Holzer of Georgetown University and Bob Lerman of American University have found that "roughly half of all employment today is still in the middle-skill occupations" - in areas such as health, construction, police and environmental work.

One adverse result of myth #1 has been the elimination of math applied to these and other middle-skill occupations in community colleges; it has been replaced by abstract math that many students fail as a prelude to dropping out.

Myth #2: "Lack of knowledge of academic content is the biggest barrier to earning a decent living." This view ignores the common-sense observation that relationships between individuals and their bosses and teachers play a large role in success on the job and in school. Those setting national school standards should be aware that successful entrepreneurs are disproportionately learning disabled and likely to do poorly on tests.

Myth #3: "'Soft skills' cannot be taught and assessed." In fact, 13 community-based organizations (CBOs) have successfully tested a process to teach, assess and award a certificate, called a "verified resume," under a recent Kellogg Foundation grant designed to help CBOs issue alternative credentials. One of the CBOs was Wide Angle here in Baltimore, where 27 students improved their performance by 28 percent in behaviors such as responsibility and skills such as interpreting information. Employers almost universally deem such "noncognitive" skills as critical, and most Baltimore employers surveyed in a small sample think that youths who have a verified resume attesting to these behaviors and skills will have a leg up in getting a job interview.

Myth #4: "Only skills matter in hiring decisions." Getting a good job often requires "connections" who serve as gatekeepers for opportunities. Success at keeping and growing in a job depends on having the knowledge, skills and abilities, and behaviors that are relevant to success: what you know and are able to do. Skills like listening, acquiring, evaluating and interpreting information count a lot to employers. These are the behaviors and skills certified by a verified resume (which is signed by a mentor, essentially functioning as a recommendation).

Of course, potential employers may worry about the reliability of the mentors' assessments. They also express concern about predictive validity: Does responsible behavior in a fun experience like video-making predict responsibility in a real job? Answering these questions requires dealing with two more myths:

Myth #5: "Subjective assessments of performance can't work." Try telling that to music and art teachers, sports coaches, movie reviewers or wine tasters.

Myth #6: "System accountability can come from inside the system." We learned recently (and painfully) that the American financial system could not hold itself accountable. Similarly, the education and training system cannot hold itself accountable for producing competitive workers. Only employers can.

Building a world-class work force development system requires dispelling these myths. But it also requires taking the following steps:

1. Imparting the behaviors and skills - including but not limited to cognitive skills such as math, reading and writing - that youngsters truly need for success in school and at work.

2. Providing a document like a verified resume for youth to use as a letter of recommendation and certification of their performance.

3. Establishing real feedback from work to schools and training organizations by connecting faculty, teachers and mentors with immediate work supervisors who directly observe the students on the job.

Creating a world-class work force takes more than money and hope. It requires fresh thinking about learning and assessing meaningful skills and behaviors.

Arnold Packer was a Senior Fellow at the Johns Hopkins University's Institute for Policy Studies and was assistant secretary of Labor in the Carter administration. His e-mail is arnoldpacker@verizon.net.

Comments?   www.thedoylereport.com