Posted on 10/13/2015 11:15:34 AM PDT by Kaslin
As technology changes, so does the job market. Two centuries ago, most low skilled workers would have found work as farmhands, while a century ago they would have been employed in a factory. Today they are most likely to work in the service industry, whether in retail, food service, janitorial services or as personal care aides in a nursing home or hospital.
As I have written before, these jobs are often important stepping stones to better ones, even if they do not offer a direct path to advancement. Low skilled jobs still teach workers how to follow instructions and become reliable, polite employees; these are habits that will greatly increase their chances of being hired again at a potentially higher wage. Unfortunately, technology has marched forward at such a remarkable pace that even low skilled work is quickly becoming out of reach for many Americans. Jobs that once required only the ability to work with one’s hands—an entry level auto-mechanic or a server in a restaurant—now demand computer skills as a basic requirement. In her book The Working Life: The Labor Market for Workers in Low-Skilled Jobs, Nan L. Maxwell explains:
“Over the past few decades, the economic prospects for workers possessing relatively few skills have worsened as the demand for skills in the labor market has increased. Even in jobs that might be categorized as low-skilled, workers require a diverse set of skills to succeed. Many of these skills can only be obtained through schooling or job training. This is why workers lacking skills find it difficult to attain a foothold in the labor market and why employers have difficulty filling low-skilled jobs.”
The gulf between those who are comfortable using computers and those who are not is often called the “digital divide.” According to Child Trends, 93 percent of Asian and 91 percent of white children have computers in their homes, compared to only 74 of black children and 69 percent of white children. And today, the opportunities lost to those on the wrong side of that divide are greater than ever. Unfortunately, the issue often gets insufficient attention, because many confuse internet access with computer literacy. An Associated Press article last month declared confidently, “No Digital Divide Among Black, White Millennials.” It detailed the results of a study that showed that the percentage of blacks ages 18 to 34 who get most of their news from online sources (66 percent) is roughly equal the that of the general population in that age group (64 percent) who get their news from the internet, including YouTube videos. Unfortunately, many have learned to be entertained by the internet without learning how to use it to further their education and careers.
The skills required to search for a job and apply for an entry level position are now beyond the reach of many who have theoretical access to computers at public libraries. People can watch videos on YouTube without knowing how to search effectively for a local position that suits their skill set or feeling comfortable completing and submitting an online application or resume.
A couple of decades ago, it was not uncommon for a young person or an adult to be able to obtain part time work doing odd jobs in a neighborhood. Some might even build a viable lawn care or landscaping business that way. Now even small businesses are expected to have a strong presence on the internet and must be able to respond to emails as well as phone calls.
While some clamor to raise pay for lower skilled work, another consequence of the technological boom that disproportionately affects lower skilled workers has been the trend toward automation: machines doing what human employees used to do. This is nothing new. We all know that many jobs once performed by human beings on assembly lines in factories are now performed by robots. However, more recently, fast food chains like McDonalds have introduced ordering kiosks, replacing cashiers. Many analysts have pointed to rising minimum wage levels in some cities as the catalyst for automating food service and other customer service jobs.
I believe there is a great opportunity for churches and community organizations to make a tremendous difference in the lives of children and adults stuck on the wrong side of the digital divide. In addition to providing computer access, churches can provide mentors and teachers to help workers increase their comfort level with basic computer skills. They can also help them take advantage of the growing number of universities are offering free online courses, as well as organizations like Khan Academy that offer academic instruction in a variety of subjects for free.
The digital divide is real, but I believe it can be narrowed and eliminated one community at a time.
Then how are those kids doing in school? By this writer's logic, if having knowledge of a computer means success, why aren't those kids successful in school and then at work?
Black kids lag far behind white and Asian kids. It's not the digital divide that's keeping them behind.
Attitude might be the single greatest attribute that anyone can have. Obviously, innate intelligence matters greatly.
But if a person has a great attitude, even with average or little below average intelligence, that person can succeed. However, if a person has a shi**y attitude, not even great intelligence will make that person successful.
the gulf between those who are comfortable using computers and those who are not is often called the “digital divide.” According to Child Trends, 93 percent of Asian and 91 percent of white children have computers in their homes, compared to only 74 of black children and 69 percent of white children...
Is it 91 or 69 percent of white children.
SOME writers have so confounded society with government, as to leave little or no distinction between them; whereas they are not only different, but have different origins. Society is produced by our wants, and government by our wickedness; the former promotes our happiness POSITIVELY by uniting our affections, the latter NEGATIVELY by restraining our vices. The one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. The first is a patron, the last a punisher.We have known since 1776 that “society” is not a synonym but a euphemism for “government.”Society in every state is a blessing, but Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil - Thomas Paine, Common Sense (1776)
It follows that a politician running for the position of head of government has no business boasting of the ability to produce a “great" "society.” America shoulda known:
- Losing Ground:
- American Social Policy, 1950-1980
- Charles Murray
I read that 3 or 4 times and it still didn’t make sense, so I gave up.
Yes, Government governs
Society at its best Creates...and at its worst destroys!
the government that governs least...governs BEST!
Paine had is right, of course.
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