Emily Lammers

Welcome to the Talkin’ 21 Podcast where every week, we will discuss, delve into and deliver to our listeners’ fascinating first-person stories from guests who are connected to the late Pittsburgh Pirates’ outfielder Roberto Clemente Walker.

The education sector – stretching from early childhood through to corporate, professional and life-long learning – is in the midst of an epic period of investment activity and national discussion. A steady stream of tenacious entrepreneurs and emergent product and service models are pushing up against long-standing practices and institutional systems. Driving and achieving scale in this environment requires equal parts creativity, fortitude, persistence, and acumen.

The number of US adults lacking basic skills in the areas of literacy, numeracy, and digital literacy is substantial – nearly one in six US adults maintains low literacy skills, while nearly one in three possesses low numeracy skills – and the consequences are debilitating. Not only is education fundamental to individual welfare and lifelong opportunity, but the effect of a large low-skilled adult population on the US economy is considerable.