Ways that workplace literacy programs can be made to work and the circumstances or forces that promote or hinder them are discussed, based on experiences in Vancouver, British Columbia, where 26 percent of the population is minority and 20 percent of the 8,000 city employees speak English as a Second Language. The story documented in this report…

This report on the second year of the Workplace Education Program evaluates 16 programs run by 15 labor unions during the 9-month period between October 1, 1988 and June 30, 1989. The assessment was designed (1) to collect a program-wide database for program documentation; (2) to examine program impact on students' basic literacy skills, on…

The Worker Education Program (WEP) provided workplace programs for 1,000 members of the Union of Needletrades, Industrial, and Textile Employees (UNITE) in Chicago, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. It was sponsored by a partnership among the Chicago Teachers' Center of Northeastern Illinois University, the Central States Joint Board of UNITE, and…

This guide examines organized labor's views on adult literacy. It also describes several union-sponsored workplace education programs and suggests how a union can plan and operate a worker-centered literacy program. The book is organized in three parts. The first part examines workplace literacy in four chapters that cover the following: the…

An evaluation examined the efficacy of the program structure, implementation, and outcomes of the Worker Education Program (WEP), a partnership of Northeastern Illinois University; Union of Needletrades, Industrial, and Textile Employees; and 14 employers. WEP's greatest strengths were its conceptual design, program structures, relevant…

This packet contains a series of five brochures that discuss workplace literacy program development. Each brochure deals with a specific aspect of such programs and reflects the expertise of several successful program developers and instructors. The brochures cover the following topics: (1) gaining management support; (2) working with management…

This report contains 10 articles, written by national and state leaders in the adult literacy field, that pose challenges confronting the adult literacy system. The articles provide a framework for states to use in beginning the process of achieving a literate citizenry and work force. Titles and authors are as follows: "Building State Literacy…

An evaluation assessed the effectiveness of the Skills Enhancement Training (SET) project that developed a partnership between an employee benefits trust fund and the AFL-CIO Human Resources Development Institute. Data about the effectiveness of the partnership model, impact of the instructor training and technical assistance, and impact on…

The Worker Education Program (WEP) of Northeastern Illinois University (NIU) is a partnership among NIU; the Union of Needle Trades, Industrial, and Textile Employees (UNITE); and companies whose employees are represented by UNITE. Now in its fourth year, the WEP operates in 13 diverse types of workplaces in three states: Illinois, Ohio, and…

This report describes a joint labor-management workplace literacy program called SET (Skills Enhancement Training) that targeted the more than 2,000 unionized employees of food service contractors at U.S. government institutions in Washington, D.C. Nineteen classes were offered and a total of 191 people self-selected themselves into the program.…

This manual is intended for municipal managers, union representatives, and others interested in establishing workforce literacy programs (WFLPs). Content is based on the experience of five Canadian municipalities where WFLPs were established. Chapter 1 addresses the challenge for municipalities to manage change in the workplace and provides a…

Maryland's Labor Education Achievement Program (LEAP) worked with a wide diversity of union workers in multiple industries and within numerous private companies and public agencies over a dispersed geographic area. Staff development included a workshop for local coordinators and a teacher inservice training session. LEAP provided…

The Columbia-Willamette Skill Builders Consortium was formed in early 1988 in response to a growing awareness of the need for improved workplace literacy training and coordinated service delivery in Northwest Oregon. In June 1990, the consortium received a National Workplace Literacy Program grant to develop and demonstrate such training. The…

The Center on Education and Training for Employment at the Ohio State University worked in partnership with the Ohio State Building and Construction Trades Council to develop and deliver customized workplace literacy services for local union members in six major Ohio cities (Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo, Dayton, and Akron). A…

Successful workplace literacy programs involve unions. Support for education and training has long been a part of organized labor's history. Current initiatives are an expansion of union interest and activity in this area. Many unions have negotiated significant financial resources for workplace education as a part of collective bargaining…