Arizona Telecommunications and Workforce Development Issues

State Government Telecommunications,
Work Force Development,
School to Work Perspective
Rick Marcum
C. Diane Bishop
January 16, 1996

The Governor's Office of Telecommunications Policy believes that the state should aggressively pursue innovative uses of modem information and telecommunications technology to bring, substantive changes to traditional education delivery in Arizona.

The term "traditional" education refers to a Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to - 5:00 p.m. class schedule with content delivered at one specific physical location. Economic and socio-cultural transitions occurring today are presenting a great challenge to education providers. Adults are returning to school in record numbers due to organizational upheavals in the workplace. The restructuring, efforts of companies seeking to remain competitive in a world economy have resulted in large numbers of displaced white and blue collar workers. These workers need retraining and assistance in identifying new career opportunitiesi. Furthermore, business and industry have been consistently pointing out the lack of preparation of many of the new high school and even college graduates entering the workforce. These individuals often need further training before they are considered job ready. Welfare reform and the mandates regarding employment and training for welfare recipients is yet another area demanding attention. The current system, operating in an environment of burgeoning enrollments, large class sizes, and tight funding is struggling to meet the needs of these people.

Alternative methods of education are desperately needed for these, and other groups. If we are ever to meet this demand, we cannot continue the traditional bricks and mortar mentality. Distance learning systems must be developed which are geared toward serving not thousands of customers, but hundreds of thousands. Fulfilling this vision will require a real change in the way we think about education. We must pursue innovative uses of modem information technology - harnessing the enormous capabilities of computers, television, telephones, and satellites. Through a phenomenon known as convergence, these industries and media are becoming fully integrated with one another, enabling the instantaneous transmission and communication of all types of information - data, graphics, voice and video - to almost any location at any time.

Effective distance learning programs must be made available for all interested people, from pre-schoolers working on early reading and socialization skills, to graduate students pursuing, advanced degrees. It is important to understand that distance learning is not designed to replace traditional methods, but to either supplement the education of students in traditional settings, or, to serve markets that are not being adequately served by the existing system.

Other technologies, like the Internet, will support this trend. If schools are provided with computers and access to the Internet, lessons and curriculum could be downloaded easily. Within a few years, the Internet will be able support not just words and data, but video and graphics as well. Then, a student could extract at any time or any place a lecture, complete with graphics, video and interactive exercises.

The following are some of the important issues that need to be addressed before this vision can become a reality:

Intellectual property and licensing agreements

jurisdictional issues between states

Accreditation of distance learning programs

More interaction is needed between K-12 and higher education, and between the business communityi and the education community

Planning for distance learning, networks must stress maximum utilization of the system

The existing telecommunications infrastructure cannot handle the potential demand

The Governors Office is addressing these issues through the work of the Office of Telecommunications Policy, the Division of School To Work, and the Division of Workforce Development. The Governor's Project Connect is a key initiative designed to facilitate the creation of the telecommunications infrastructure needed to support distance learning, as well as a variety of other exciting applications, such as telemedicine, video court arraignments, electronic service and information delivery, video conferencing, and electronic information sharing, among business, government and education.

Finally, another critical component of this vision is the philosophical change we all need to make. We must begin to view education as a lifelong pursuit that is no longer bound by buildings, place or space. Also, it is now apparent that a dozen or so years of formal education in a person's younger years is no longer enough to ensure future economic security.

Technology-enabled education is not a passing fad - it is the future. We must take our education system from the old factory/assembly-line, one-size fits an model to a decentralized, competency-based system with freedom, flexibility, and high efficiency. Through this vision, the state of Arizona can help ensure itsi economic future and the well-being of its citizens.

Rick Marcum, Technology Projects Manager
Governor’s Office Of Telecommunications Policy
1700 West Washington Street
Phoenix, AZ 85007
602-542-1042
rmarcum@gv.state.az.us

C. Diane Bishop, Director
Governor’s Divisions of School to Work and Work Force Development
1700 West Washington Street
Phoenix, AZ 85007
602-542-1222