Research (Martin, 2008) has shown that speaking and listening are the literacy skills most used in the world of work. Yet, employers frequently bemoan the lack of young people's communication skills, with many believing that it impacts their chances of making it through an interview and their future employability (Simon, 2009). Effective speaking…

Business, labor, and education representatives from Canada and the United States exchanged positions on workplace literacy. Discussed were the need for a consumers' guide to workplace literacy, labor's stake in literacy, educators' negotiations with businesses in providing services, and program evaluation. (JOW)

The Wisconsin Workplace Partnership Literacy (WPL) Program provided job-specific basic skills education to employees at 11 worksites. A total of 1,441 employees were recruited to participate in on-site competency-based educational activities to upgrade their basic skills sufficiently for job retention or advancement. Participants were encouraged…

A survey of 42 Massachusetts workplace literacy programs was conducted in fall 1989 to determine whether the programs generally fit a standard definition of workplace literacy derived from "A Guide to Developing Instruction for Workforce Literacy Programs" by Jorie W. Philippi. The study's seven-item questionnaire included the definition…

This document profiles Ohio's seven award-winning workplace literacy programs. The workplace literacy programs described are offered by a mix of urban and rural firms which employ between 85 and 2,323 individuals in a variety of sectors. The workplace literacy programs offered by the following firms are described: Cleveland Track Material; L.J.…

An evaluation was conducted of the workplace literacy program developed through a partnership among the Sanford (Maine) Public Schools and three employers. During the project, 859 employees were recruited, tested, evaluated, and counseled, with 340 receiving extensive evaluation and counseling and an Individual Education Plan (IEP). Through…

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…

An external evaluator worked with the project team of the Wisconsin Technical College System National Workplace Literacy Program to develop the evaluation design. Although she was at the project site for only limited periods of time, she and the project team maintained periodic contact during the 3-year period by telephone, fax, and email. Three…

An evaluation of the Mountain Empire Community College workplace literacy program included interviews with representatives from three workplace partners who stated their support for skills training programs in workplace basics. Basic skills instruction was provided to 24 students from 33 industries. Students' basic skills progress and skills…

A workplace literacy program for garment workers is described and evaluated. The program, a partnership between El Paso Community College (Texas) and Levi Strauss & Company, consisted of a three-level, job-specific, video-based curriculum for limited-English-speaking employees implemented at seven plants in El Paso. The 18-month model…

The Global 2000 project was a 3-year project aimed at improving literacy in five Massachusetts manufacturing companies. To help determine the project's effectiveness, a team of external evaluators analyzed the relationship between the knowledge students gained in the classroom, their actual performance on the job, and the resulting business impact…

A project demonstrated that a workplace literacy model can be replicated in large and small businesses with significant learner outcomes and used to improve worker productivity. It served 938 employees of 4 partners at 12 sites, including 2 large and 1 small manufacturing plants, major health care system, and multiple small businesses. Diverse,…

Project Future was a 3-year project begun in 1994 as a partnership between the Jefferson County Public Schools and Futura Plastics and Engineering, Inc., Louisville, Kentucky. The project targeted the workplace basic skills of plastic injection molding production workers. The skills classes improved the general education of the workers with…

This document includes the following presentations: "Partnerships for Workplace Literacy: A Developmental Model" (Lucy M. Guglielmino); "Selling the Concept: Identifying Workplace Literacy Partners" (Sheila Acevedo, Joe Mathos, and Joseph McCoy); "Designing Partnership Agreements: Who Pays for What?" (Tony Lagos,…

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…