Much has been made recently of the state of Social Security. Whether or not individuals should be allowed to invest a portion of their SS contribution in private accounts, the system's long-term solvency, and the implications of its solvency are subjects of intense debate and will be, it appears, for quite some time to come. One point of agreement, though, is that there will be fewer workers paying into the system in the future than do so today.

Lost in the Social Security debate is the implication that a shallower labor pool has for our economic future. Two reports that have crossed my desk recently, one produced by the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) and the other by the Southeastern Council of Foundations, raise some troubling issues regarding our future workforce, its potential readiness to meet employers' needs, and the importance of literacy and adult education.

According to the CLASP study, the boom in workers that our economy has enjoyed - a 44% growth rate over the last 20 years -- appears to be coming to a close. Zero net growth in native born workers is projected over the next 20 years. The majority of the 2020 workforce has already completed or dropped out of K-12 education. Immigrants, who supplied one half of the workforce growth in the 1990s, will account for all of the net growth in the next two decades. Those potential workers with the skill levels of the typical high school dropout will qualify for just 12% of the jobs between 2000 and 2010.

These national numbers don't look much better close to home. The Southeastern Council of Foundations report indicates that the number of prime-age workers (18-44) in the South is projected to decline between 2000 and 2025. Over the same time period, the South's child population is projected to grow at a rate of only 3.5%, while the nation's child population increases by 14.1%. The region's retirement population will offset any increase in young people during the first quarter of the 21st century.

Compounding these statistics, the study asserts, is the fact that more than one half of the persistently poor counties in the United States are located in 11 southern states. Nearly 30% of adults age 25 and older in these states lack a high school diploma. In South Carolina, more than 18% of the population has incomes that are less than 100% of the federal poverty level of $14,348 for a family of three. Nearly 40% (35-39%) have incomes below 200% of the poverty level ($28,696).

Recently-announced plant closings and layoffs in Lancaster and Chester counties will result in the loss of more than 1,000 jobs. Against this backdrop, one federal budget proposal being seriously considered contains a 75% cut in funding for adult education, and states, which must use 25% of their own dollars to receive federal adult education funds, may cut back on their own investments in proportion to federal cuts.

A stagnant or declining pool of workers, many of whom possess less than a basic education or level of skill, points to the importance of educating our adults and to the importance of adult literacy programming in our communities. Over the last three years, the J. Marion Sims Foundation has invested in the start-up of 15 programs that offer adults in Lancaster County, Great Falls and Fort Lawn the opportunity to increase their literacy and basic skill levels. Among these programs are five (listed below) that focus on increasing workplace skill levels. The need for these programs and for adult education is great and, if the studies I've referenced prove correct, the need will continue to be great for a long time to come.

Workplace Literacy Programs

Communities in Schools of Lancaster
"YouthBuild." Contact Max Melton (283-2511)

Chester County Literacy Council
"GAPP" (Guided Academic Preparation Program).
Serves the Great Falls area. Contact Dee Fedrick (581-9324)

Christian Services of Lancaster
"Lit-Up" Workplace and Basic Skills Program. Contact Jody Miles (285-4444)

Lancaster County Literacy Council
"Reading for Workplace Success." Contact Annette Deese (416-8905)

York Technical College Foundation
"BEST" (Bridge to Enhance Skills Training) Program.
On-site program for workers at Springs Grace Finishing and Fabrication plants and at Cardinal Health in Indian Land.
Contact Christine Turner (981-7170).