Building the Future of L.A.

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Building the Future of L.A.

• The L.A. Workforce Literacy Project

November 7, 2003 Joy Chen, Deputy Mayor, City of
Los Angeles 213-978-1965 jchen_at_mayor.lacity.org
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The importance of human capital

• Human capital accounts for over 70 of the
  worlds wealth.

--1992 Nobel Laureate Gary S. Becker
3
USA increasingly white-collar
Employment by Occupation - Percent of Total
Non-Farm Labor Force 1940 - 2001
Source Employment Policy Foundation
tabulations of Census data and Current Population
Survey data, March Annual Demographic and Income
Supplement.
4
Most new jobs require college
Employment Increase by Education Level Age 25 ,
1996-2001
Million
Source Employment Policy Foundation
Tabulations of Bureau of Labor Statistics/Census
Current Population Survey Data.
5
L.A. Children Living In Poverty
Youths Ages 0-17 Living Below 200 of the Federal
Poverty Line, City of L.A., 1999
Council Districts
200 of the Federal Poverty Line equals
34,000 for a family of four. Source Los
Angeles City Commission on Children, Youth and
Their Families, 2003
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Education Ticket from Poverty
Adults Age 20 Working Full-Time, California,
2000 Source Census 2000 Public Use Microdata
for California.

• Best predictor of a persons income his/her
  education rate

• Top predictor of a persons education parents
  education

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Greatest resource educated workforce

• Keep your tax incentives
• and highway interchanges. We will go where the
  highly skilled people are.

--HP CEO Carly Fiorina, National Governors
Association
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How Los Angeles Measures Up
Adults Age 20, December 2001
Source Employment Policy Foundation
Tabulations of Bureau of Labor Statistics/Census
Current Population Survey Data.
9
Learning levels in Los Angeles
Adults Age 20-64, March 2001
Source US Current Population Survey, March
2001, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of
Commerce.
10
Learning levels in Los Angeles
Latinos Age 20-64, March 2001
Source US Current Population Survey, March
2001, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of
Commerce.
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The Impacts of Low Literacy
on the economy, health, and public safety

• Poverty is directly correlated with low literacy
• 70 of adults who are poor have low literacy
• Of adults with strong literacy skills, under 5
  live in poverty
• Childrens health status is tied to parents
  education
• Family head gtHS 2 of kids in poor health, 62
  in excellent health
• Family head ltHS 16 of kids in poor health, 37
  in excellent health
• People without skills to succeed in mainstream
  society have a higher propensity to turn to crime
• Over 70 of adult inmates have limited literacy
  skills
• 25-40 of U.S. adults suffer from low literacy
• Only 10 of adults with literacy needs are served
• 50 of participants drop out within three weeks

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Workforce Literacy Project

• Workforce literacy the basic skills needed to
  secure, maintain, and progress in careers in a
  changing economy

• First annual report on the state of adult
  literacy in L.A.
• First-ever baseline analysis of extent and
  location of literacy needs by neighborhood
• Action plan for workforce literacy with
  measurable targets
• Including federal, state, private funding stream
  analysis and plan for leveraging funds
• Outreach campaign for low-literacy populations
  with personal success stories and where to get
  help
• Implementation of action plan resulting in
  increased wages and productivity
• Rigorous program evaluation led by USC School of
  Education

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A City of Learners

• Partnership Members (partial list)
• City of Los Angeles
• Literacy Network of Greater Los Angeles
• United Way of Greater Los Angeles
• Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce
• AFL-CIO Member Unions
• Los Angeles Workforce Investment Board
• Los Angeles Unified School District
• Los Angeles Community Colleges District
• University of Southern California

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Building the future for L.A.

• LA has enormous assets
• Courageous, energetic, workforce from all over
  the world to make a better life
• The potential in our workforce and our children
  can be unleashed by expanding access to education
  and skills
• L.A.s future is a community project
• Requires a New Partnership of leaders from
  business, labor, education, non-profits, and
  government
• A strong, flexible workforce is central to LAs
  growth strategy
• higher incomes ? higher disposable incomes ?
  creation of dynamic, sustainable communities