This paper reports on an ethnographically based study of entry level supermarket work. The study, carried out in a large suburban supermarket in Auckland, New Zealand, focused on the literacy and numeracy practices of supermarket assistants, all who had English as an additional language. It found that skills such as oral communication, personal…

Discusses the gap between the basic skills of many workers and the more complex skills required by many jobs. Points out that many employers offer basic skills training because they cannot find qualified entry-level workers and find glaring deficiencies in their existing workers. (JOW)

A workplace literacy curriculum for entry-level hospital workers who sterilize medical equipment for doctors and nurses was developed, tested, and published in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. An assessment was conducted to identify the needs of the hospital's management and the literacy skills needed by its central services prep department, and…

The American Management Association's (AMA) 10th annual survey on workplace testing was mailed in January 1996 to a sample of its 9,500 member companies, resulting in 961 usable responses. The survey sought to determine how many firms test for "basic skills," how job applicants perform on these tests, how much the tests costs, and what firms do…

Basic skills education has become a pressing need in the construction industry as jobs become more complex and fewer workers have needed skills. However, the construction industry lags in spending on training for entry-level workers. The Home Builders Institute (HBI) is testing a pilot basic skills program that it hopes will prove useful to the…

As part of a job literacy analysis project, 63 entry-level and mid-to-executive level secretaries were interviewed from business, government, and health care settings to describe the literacy requirement skills, tasks, and materials of their jobs. In the 1-hour interview, the job incumbent and interviewer reviewed examples of different types of…

This report summarizes the proceedings of a 1-day conference on employment and training needs of the 1990s. Information summarized includes background and purpose, design and methodology, keynote speaker and presentation, synthesis of small group work, and implications and future community actions. The keynote speaker, Anthony Carnevale noted that…

Project Learning T.I.P. (To Improve Productivity) was conducted at three hospitals by the Dade County Public Schools to increase the literacy skills of the approximately 4,000 lower-level hospital employees who were deemed by their supervisors to be limited English proficient or to lack basic skills. Because of recruiting efforts limited by lack…

Employers find it increasingly difficult to hire competent workers, in part because expectations are rising in the face of global competition. A single standard of literacy is an inadequate measure. The National Assessment of Educational Progress' profile of 3,600 young adults measured three types of literacy: prose (reading and interpretation),…

This document contains eight lesson plans for a beginning course in work-related English for non-English or limited-English speaking entry-level employees in the hotel and hospitality industry. Course objectives include the following: helping participants understand and use job-specific vocabulary; receive and understand job-related instructions;…

This document contains 16 lesson plans for an advanced beginning and intermediate course in work-related English for non-English- or limited-English-speaking entry-level employees in the hotel and hospitality industry. Course objectives are as follows: helping participants understand and use job-specific vocabulary; receive and understand…

A study examined the nature and extent of adult literacy needs in the American labor force. Data for the study were collected from a review of the literature, site visits to nine industry-based training programs, and consultation with a technical panel of experts. Input from company managers, instructors, and trainers familiar with the…

A study identified trends influencing the literacy requirements of two entry-level jobs at each of three manufacturing sites and three hospital sites. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and focus groups with workers, employers, and union representatives. Materials that workers were expected to read were analyzed. The study…

Up to 10 percent of U.S. workers are either functionally illiterate or marginally literate. These workers increase the operational costs of their employers and restrain companies' flexibility. The high school graduates of the 1990s will exacerbate the problem by entering the work force with marginal literacy skills. A survey of 1,600 manufacturing…

Project CARE, a workplace literacy partnership between Louisiana State University Medical Center and Louisiana State University-Shreveport, surpassed its goal to influence 485 employees and to enroll at least half that number. The project also provided training seminars for front-line supervisors and revised documents. All data and information…