This literature review provides an overview of the main lines of discussion and enquiry around social capital and adult learning and literacy. It was written as a background paper for "The Centre for Literacy's 2010 Summer Institute" on workplace literacy and essential skills (LES). The Institute focus was "what…

Sociocultural concerns have provided the framework for literacy expectations throughout the history of the United States, and have determined the extent to which national emphasis has been placed on adult literacy programs. Early literacy programs have been traced to the Reconstruction period following the Civil War. The next surge of interest in…

Literacy and work force preparedness are two of the most important issues facing education today. Findings of nationwide studies show that reading and writing performance of students is inadequate. One of every eight current workers reads at the fourth-grade level or lower. The nation's economic future will be determined by the quality and…

This blueprint is intended to give employers and organized labor an overview of the issues involved in workplace literacy. The guide is divided into six sections. Section 1 defines and introduces workplace literacy. Section 2 highlights some of the issues employers and organized labor are facing as a result of low literacy levels in the workplace.…

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…

Two literacy programs based at the State University of New York, College at Brockport (SUNY-Brockport) universities have achieved some success, but both programs have changed, for various reasons. University students have much to gain from their involvement in literacy programs, including the satisfaction of helping others, the opportunity to…

This brief presents summary information and contacts/references for a sampling of programs and resources that have been developed to support small business workplace literacy projects. Twenty-two contacts are included: Finger Lakes Regional Education Center for Economic Development; Development Assistance Corporation; Wayne Community College;…

This bulletin for businesses is a step-by-step guide to planning and implementing an effective job-related employee basic skills program. Part 1 provides general principles to guide the effort. It addresses literacy and basic skills, the importance of context, and changing requirements for literacy. A preview of key program principles concludes…

Five pre- and postevaluations were administered to 413 therapy aides who had participated in a workplace literacy program (which 273 had completed) to upgrade their job-specific reading, writing, and oral communication skills in five New York City psychiatric hospitals. Four of the measures showed significant pre-post gain. The data were then…

The globalization of business has influenced the development of customized, job-specific workplace literacy programs. Work-centered participatory literacy receives support from both business and labor and additional impetus from the National Literacy Act of 1991. The worker of the future will be a thinking and communicating problem solver. The…

This report summarizes the 18 programs that have received Governor's Workforce Excellence Awards in Ohio over the past 3 years. The 18 award winning programs (based in companies employing from 75 to 16,000 employees) focus on the basic literacy, thinking, and personal skills that every Ohio worker must possess. They were selected from nearly 100…

PLAN, Inc., a nonprofit, community-based literacy training program, conducted a workplace literacy training program in partnership with the Washington (D.C.) Hospital Center (WHC). During an 18-month period, the program provided workplace literacy training and career development skills to employees in several service departments and…

Four community colleges in North Carolina cooperated to provide workplace literacy education to employees of eight plants in the state. The target population for the program was 710 adults who had not completed high school or who were functioning below high school level who were employed at one of the industry sites. The Comprehensive Adult…

In 1990, the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges developed a national workplace literacy demonstration project to raise awareness of the link between local economic development and basic workplace skill performance, and to stimulate a local leadership initiative around a community-wide effort to raise worker performance levels.…

This report discusses evaluation as required under the Department of Education rules and regulations for the National Workplace Literacy Program (NWLP). It is intended to help workplace literacy programs meet the requirements of the rules and regulations governing the NWLP so that the Department of Education can determine the value of programs.…