Bringing Dexter out of the Dark Ages

In my last blog, I advocated for the establishment of a permanent training center for displaced workers in order to be trained for today's high-tech economy, or simply those who wanted to upgrade their computer literacy skills for their own reasons. I wanted to be sure that those who read that post, understand what I am talking about when I say "permanent training center".

My idea of a training center is not necessarily a physical building with classrooms and teachers. What I am talking about is streamlining the resources that are already available, updating them to a modern acceptable level, and creating a coordinated effort between them to the point where they can respond to the need for technically trained workers in our society. Yes there is a need in this area for skilled workers. There simply aren't enough qualified workers to meet the need. To be even more specific, I would advocate for a direct line of communication between the Abbott Memorial Library, Adult Education, Career Center, and General Assistance at the Town Office to ensure that residents are aware of the training and have access to it. This training should include anything from videos that can be signed out at the library, to a direct link on the Town website, to periodic training seminars and resume writing workshops. Coordinated efforts can also be made between the High School for College and Job Fairs. For those who are reading this and would object simply to any cost it may involve, I would ask you this one question. How much is it costing us by not having it? I see more and more people who want to provide for their families and "carry their own weight" in society. They simply don't have the knowledge or access to the training.

One other major reason I would like to see a training center in Dexter is to help protect our residents from Internet scams and e-mail fraud. More and more of our residents are getting online and are extremely naive about opening and responding to emails and links to websites. Wouldn't it be nice if individuals, businesses, church's or other organizations had a resource that could help them better understand the values and dangers of using technology? I think that any cost associated with setting up this type of system, if any, would be well worth it. In fact, I would say that it is costing us financially by not having it.

What do you think? Are you a displaced worker or someone who would benefit from being able to obtain training virtually 24/7 either through classroom training, videos, or online training? If this training center did exist in Dexter, what type of training would you like to see offered? Maybe you don't even agree with me. Do you think that what we have now is more than adequate? What ever your position, drop a comment and tell me what you think. All comments are anonymous.