Greater New Bedford Workforce Investment Board - LiteracyWorksJean Fox, LiteracyWorks Entrepreneur for the Greater New Bedford Workforce Investment Board, Inc. recently wrapped up the first year of the initiative by submitting a proposal to the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts to provide program development services for its early literacy efforts. Here’s why.

Fox stated that she has been “ focused on the compelling issues that drive the effort to boost educational attainment, workforce development, and economic development in New Bedford. These include a high drop out rate, a dearth of college-educated residents, low per capita income levels, and the myriad issues surrounding immigrants and their families, many of whom are drawn to New Bedford because of its relatively low housing costs.”

Fox added, “ Where the state has seen an outmigration of educated workers, some of these compelling issues pertain to the Commonwealth as a whole. Others are more germane to the region. One thing is certain: Massachusetts has one natural resource – its people. Here in New Bedford, education, workforce development, and economic development are working collaboratively to tap that resource and build it to its full potential by providing a continuum of education. That means that literacy efforts must begin at birth.”

In an effort to jump-start a local initiative that addresses early literacy, the Community Foundation launched its Early Literacy Consortium last year, bringing educators, providers, workforce development, state agencies, and community organizations to the table. The group has been advising the Foundation’s Acushnet Foundation Fund on ways to empower parents with the tools they need to be effective first teachers to their children and a host of other topics, such as training for providers and teachers, awareness campaigns, streamlined referrals, and funding mechanisms. Acknowledging the link between critically important early literacy programming to workforce development, the LiteracyWorks Entrepreneur has been a Consortium participant since the beginning and learned that the Foundation was seeking program development assistance that will target the development of collaborative literacy programs, a shared data base, pursuit of joint funding opportunities, and efforts to organize early literacy training programs.

There is significant data pointing to the economic and social benefits of preschool. Nationally, children who participate in early literacy programs are 40% less likely to repeat a grade, 30% more likely to graduate from high school, and more than twice as likely to attend college. They develop better language skills, score higher on readiness tests, and have fewer behavioral problems in school. They are much less likely to require costly special education services or go to jail, which now costs an average of $42,000 per inmate per year. Yet, little attention and very few public dollars are being expended on literacy for the very young. Adding insult to injury, Massachusetts is among the nation’s least affordable states for childcare, preschool teachers are not well paid, and the programs are not subject to accreditation.

A July 12, 2007 editorial appearing in The Cape Cod Times notes that the United States has made some excellent investments in the past. The Louisiana Purchase in 1803. The purchase of the Alaska territory from Russia in 1867. The G.I. Bill of 1944. The author insists that there is no doubt about the country’s next greatest investment: early childhood education – from birth to Kindergarten. The Early Literacy Consortium and LiteracyWorks will be working hard to build on Governor Patrick’s recent commitment to continued increases in universal preschool funding by focusing on infants, toddlers, and their families in New Bedford.

Greater New Bedford Workforce Investment Board

The Greater New Bedford Workforce Investment Board

Connecting Employers and Job Seekers
employment - education - training

The Greater New Bedford Workforce Investment Board is a business-led, policy-setting board that oversees workforce development initiatives in the ten-community region stretching from Dartmouth to Wareham, MA. Appointed by New Bedford Mayor Scott W. Lang, the Board is composed of business, civic, education, labor, and community leaders.

Established under federal law, the Board's Chairman is a member of the private sector. The current Chairman is Charles R. Simpson, President and CEO, First Citizens' Federal Credit Union in Fairhaven. Vice-Chairman is David DeJesus, Jr., VP Human Resources, Southcoast Hospitals Group, St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford.

The Board employs a staff of full-time professionals and maintains offices in New Bedford. The Board itself consists entirely of volunteers.

All of the Board's meetings are open to the public.

227 Union Street, Suite 206, New Bedford, MA 02740-5946
PH 508.979.1504 • FAX 508.979.5680
Visit us on the web at: http://www.gnbwib.org

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