ALBANY, GEORGIA - National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week is September 22–28, 2019. The goal is to heighten public awareness, strengthen alliances, leverage resources, and increase the number of people who understand the vital role adult education and family literacy plays in our communities. This week is important because the Adult Education Program at Albany Technical College is specifically designed to assist Adults in basic academic skills offering workplace literacy programs, English Literacy (ELP), family literacy, job readiness and life skills classes.
The month of September has become a national awareness campaign. Approximately 32 million Americans cannot read or write and roughly 1.1 million adults over the age of 18 have not completed a high school or GED program. Governor Brian Kemp delivered a proclamation earlier in the month emphasizing the importance of adult education and family literacy which will translate into a better Georgia.
This all comes on the cusp of Albany Technical College President, Dr. Anthony O. Parker, recently delivering the annual State of the College address where he stated "Albany Tech's single most important program is adult education. If our community is going to be successful, if our region is going to continue to grow, our 20- to 40-year-olds must be retrained for these jobs."
Parker went on to say that each year, employers request job applicants for between 300 to 600 jobs that Albany Tech can't supply. More adults must get a GED and continue their education to fill those jobs, he said. During the speech, ATC President Dr. Anthony Parker introduced Cayanna Good, Assistant Commissioner for Adult Education at the Technical College System of Georgia. Good will assist the school in implementing a program designed to explore alternatives outside of earning a GED.
"We're interested in exploring opportunities for some of those individuals who have been out of a classroom for a decade or more. The idea of taking four different, very rigorous test (GED) might be a barrier. We know that we can provide a college credit that will allow them to demonstrate mastery and competency and they can move on," stated Good.
There is a correlation between a low literacy rate and a low paycheck.
- Just 35 percent of individuals with below-basic skills are employed full time, while 64 percent in the proficient category have full-time jobs.
- The salaries of adults with below-basic literacy skills are, on average, $28,000 less than salaries of adults with proficient skills.
- Women with low literacy are twice as likely as men to be in the lowest earnings category of $300 a week or less.
- Minimum wage workers increased wages by 18 to 25 percent within 18 months of exiting an adult education program.
About Albany Technical College
A public postsecondary institution of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), Albany Technical College provides technical education and training support for the evolving workforce needs of Southwest Georgia through traditional and online classroom settings. Albany Tech is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS/COC). For more information about Albany Tech, go to www.albanytech.edu or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AlbanyTech or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AlbanyTech. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel by visiting www.youtube.com/albanytech1 .