Rol Fessenden wrote:
> I enthuiastically second this suggestion. Can we define the essential
> characteristics of a life-long learner? Can we develop an educational
> program that would reliably produce one? How could we test it? This has
> to be THE single most important issue facing us, not only in the
> workplace, but also in the realm of good, informed citizenship.
Exactly. I've been on this track for at least 15 years. I first
encountered the term "life-long learning" in the 1970's as the name of a
college or somesuch educational institution in Chicago or Detroit. (I
can't remember.) It was called the "College of Life-long Learning."
The impact of that concept didn't hit me until the 1980's when I
was fighting an uphill battle to deliver new skills to employees at GM who
were now being required to do things like keep statistical charts and meet
together in groups. It's only been reinforced since.
When the governor gave me a chance at an appointment as trustee
for Ivy Tech State College, I jumped at it in 1986 and have been working
since then from both the industry side and the post-secondary side. We've
expanded the business and industry division of the college to deal with
remediation in the workplace.
At the same time, we are just now implementing "dual credit" for
high school students who choose it. Under that program, certain high
school classes receive not only HS graduation credits, but earn students
credits at Ivy Tech State College as well. Therefore, when a student
graduates high school, there is a greater incentive to finish what has
already been begun.
From 1983 to 1987, I served on the local school board as well.
There, I encouraged the school system to teach "skills" as well as
knowledge so that when we get them in industry, we don't have to train
them as much.
-- @__Roy_J._Winkler,_AAS,_BSM... @__Consultant/Facilitator/Trainer__UAW-GM @__Organization/Human-Resource_Development @__Anderson,_Indiana,__USA__ rwinkler@iquest.net