Describes a workplace literacy project implemented at a hospital with help from a university and a literacy organization. Finds significant changes in all basic skill areas and improvement in job performance, attitude, and self-esteem. Argues that well-designed programs improve employee job performance when program success is closely linked to…

Research has shown that an effective assessment of workplace literacy programs requires both formative and summative evaluations. Workplace literacy program impact is best measured using a mixture of standard assessment tests and custom-designed instruments. A broader conception of adult literacy learning can be assessed by using interviews and…

An external evaluation of the Champaign County (Ohio) Workplace Literacy Project used the Triphase Evaluation process based on Stuffelbeam's decision-making model (1971). During the input phase, emphasis was on determining needs of workers and employers in order to develop a training program to meet specific identified needs. The process phase was…

A project collected data from small and medium-sized firms (employing fewer than 500) in Michigan concerning workplace education programs. It addressed why firms were or were not offering programs, program characteristics, and program impacts on firms and employees. Case studies of 28 businesses were undertaken from May 1991-July 1992 and a…

This special topic issues focuses on workplace literacy. "Literacy Practices in Today's Workplace" (Larry Mikulecky) provides a picture of demands and practices in workplace literacy. "Workplace Literacy Skills: Making Reading Work for Work" (Esther Minskoff) advocates use of contextual instruction and offers guidelines for providing workplace…

The VISIONS project, a workplace literacy program held in two manufacturing plants and a regional medical center, was conducted during an 18-month period from July 1, 1993 to December 31, 1994. During the project, staff were hired and trained, task analyses and orientation sessions were held, and tests and curricula were developed. Employees were…

This report describes the following components of the Nestle Workplace Literacy Project: six job task analyses, curricula for six workplace basic skills training programs, delivery of courses using these curricula, and evaluation of the process. These six job categories were targeted for training: forklift loader/checker, BB's processing systems…

A workplace literacy project to prepare Houston Lighting and Power Company employees for the commercial driver's licence (CDL) exam was evaluated. The following four components of Steele's (1990) evaluation model were used to evaluate the project: proof of effect, judgment against criteria, critical questions, and valuing. The evaluation revealed…

A Chicago area private consulting firm worked in cooperation with the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) program to train applicants in word processing operations. Careful task analyses of on-the-job word processing were used to develop a curriculum based on realistic goals and expectations. Small groups of CETA eligible applicants…

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…

The aim of the Basic Skills at Work Program was to help improve the competence of the work force in England and Wales in basic literacy, numeracy, and communication skills. Of the 82 Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs) in England and Wales, 73 participated. Surveys of basic skills requirements as perceived by local employers indicated that…

The Casco Bay (Maine) Partnership for Workplace Education was a federally funded workplace literacy program that provided customized basic skills education at seven business sites in the Portland area. The partnership served more than 2,000 employees from 1993-96. Program characteristics included the following: ongoing and self-directed learning;…

This paper presents an overview and suggestions about the development of occupational and skill clusters by the Vocational-Technical Education Consortium of States (V-TECS), based on the observations of the executive director of the organization. Aspects reviewed include the following: development of occupational and skill clusters; classification…

Manitoba, Canada, workplace stakeholder groups were interviewed to determine the issues they faced and their awareness of, and ability to deal with, workplace basic skills issues. Interviews collected the opinions of 78 employer representatives, 121 employees, and 5 union representatives in the 6 emerging economic sectors of health care products,…

This handbook provides a broad overview of the stages and activities to be undertaken to establish workplace learning (WPL) programs. It is designed to lead WPL service providers and employers through the process of developing a WPL program. Each chapter begins by stating the purpose and the outcomes expected upon completion. Throughout the manual…