ABE meets with Legislators

Adult Education Programs Matter, Lawmakers Told
By Bethany Norgaard
Independent Staff Writer

MARSHALL — Kevin Schick felt “left behind” in today’s technological world, so he did something about it. He went to Adult Basic Eduction and the WorkForce Center in Marshall and started taking computer classes.

“It was a really great opportunity for me,” Schick said. “When I was in school, we didn’t have computer classes at all. I’m glad this class is here. I felt left behind.”

Schick’s story was one of many that were told Tuesday at the Legislative Day for Marshall ABE and Southwest Minnesota Private Industry Council. Area legislators Marty Seifert, Lyle Koenen and Gary Kubly all attended the forum.

The purpose of the day was to provide an opportunity for legislators to hear what the two organizations do and to give them a chance to ask questions.

The majority of the time was reserved for students, so they could talk about what programs they are enrolled in.
Khua Kong was one of the many people who spoke during Tuesday’s meeting. She said she is using the WorkForce Center’s job club, where individuals get help putting together their resume and a cover letter. Others in the job club talked about the advantage of taking part in mock interviews.

Bill Nichols from Schwan University talked about the advantages the university has in working with ABE and Southwest Minnesota PIC.

“We don’t want their help, we need their help,” Nichols said.

Working together gives the university an outlet to help the Schwan Food Co. employees and helps ABE and PIC locate jobs for people searching for work.

Seifert asked about PIC’s work with Schott Corp. employees in the area who were laid off earlier this year.
Tim Jones, who works with the dislocated worker’s program, said there were just over 200 people who sought help from the program after they lost their jobs.

“Quite a few got work at Heartland (Foods in Marshall),” Jones said. “But then Heartland closed. It was a double-whammy for those people.”

Seifert said he had heard some people went to work in Pipestone and others had moved out of the area.
“They’d all go back (to Schott) in a heartbeat if they could,” Jones said.

Information and statistics were given to legislators, so they cold read it in their spare time. Organizers of Legislative Day wanted to reserve most of the speaking time for the students. Pat Thomas, the director of Marshall ABE, said that the face of ABE’s clientele has changed since legislators visited last year. Rather than a high number of immigrants, Thomas said there are many native-born students enrolled in ABE this year.

Mary Mulder, the public assistance program manager for PIC, stressed that the collaboration and cooperation between PIC and ABE has helped make both programs stronger.
Mulder said she began to hear from a lot of her clients that they didn’t have driver’s licenses and couldn’t get to work.

“I walked across the hall and told Pat, ‘we have a problem,’” Mulder said. “Pat said that she could help.”
Thomas talked to one of the teachers for ABE , who got certified to teach drivers’ training. A collaboration was forged with the school district to use their simulators, and a new venture was formed.

“It was great,” Mulder said.

Thomas made a subtle pitch at the end of the forum for legislators to not cut the programs further. She said that while some metropolitan cities and communities can charge a fee for services and get revenue, that doesn’t work in Marshall.

“The chance (to recoup) revenue down here is just not there,” she said. “Don’t penalize us and take money from the program.”

Used By Permission, Marshall Independent

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Lyon County Government Center • 607 W. Main St. • Marshall, MN 56258 • (507) 537-7046

Lyon County Government Center • 607 W. Main St. • Marshall, MN 56258 • (507) 537-7046