This article reports on research addressing the role of incident reporting at the workplace as a textual representation of lean management techniques. It draws on text and discourse analysis as well as on ethnographic data, including interviews, recorded interaction, and observations, from two projects on workplace literacy in Sweden: a study in…

The role of universities in preparing students to use spreadsheet and other technical software in the financial services workplace has been investigated through surveys of university graduates, university academics, and employers. It is found that graduates are less skilled users of software than employers would like, due at least in part to a…

Governments and other stakeholders have become increasingly interested in assessing the skills of their adult populations in order to examine how well prepared they are to meet the challenges of the modern knowledge-based society. The current paper provides a conceptual framework for the assessment of reading component skills in the OECD's…

Governments and other stakeholders are increasingly interested in assessing the skills of their adult populations in order to monitor how well prepared they are for the challenges of the modern knowledge-based society. The current paper provides an overview of the conceptual framework guiding the development of the assessment of literacy in the…

Governments and other stakeholders have become increasingly interested in assessing the skills of their adult populations in order to monitor how well prepared they are to meet the challenges of the new information world. The current paper provides an overview of the conceptual framework for the assessment of numeracy developed for the OECD's…

Purpose: This study of the impact of relationships on the development of practice competence in new graduates entering the workforce aims to contribute to the understanding of relational learning activities and enrich the knowledge about the overall process of learning practice skill. Design/methodology/approach: This research used a qualitative…

Naturalistic observations and interviews with service workers found on-the-job reading was based on knowledge of codes and rules of practice and required problem-solving and metacognitive strategies. Workplace competencies should be considered within their social and cultural context. (SK)

Occupational reading competencies that should be taught in workplace literacy programs include technical vocabulary, finding and using information, following directions, and self-regulation of reading processes. Simulations of work tasks help learners understand the importance of reading in work settings. (SK)

Although the literacy and related competencies required in skilled and semiskilled occupations are far more complex than the term "functional" implies, only marginal literacy competencies may be required for success on the job. Recommendations to adult basic education teachers include guidelines for preparing students for success in the workplace.…

Many studies and much "common knowledge" in the United States today decry the quality of the work force and the "basic literacy needs" of today's and tomorrow's workers. Widespread concern exists that U.S. workers are ill-equipped to compete in the global marketplace and that schools and vocational programs are failing to keep pace with changing…

This document contains three workplace education curriculum frameworks that provide the underlying rationale and competencies for workplace education classes in communication, English as a second language (ESL), and literacy. The frameworks contain basic information about the content of the course, the competencies the students need to master,…

A study explored the relationship between literacy and on-the-job performance. Subjects were 29 electronics technicians who were employed at a technical school, a naval base, a major Fortune 500 electronics plant, and a small local electronics plant. Subjects, classified according to three different employment levels (training, experienced, and…

A study was conducted that addressed job literacy in a cross-section of occupations. The Diehl-Mikulecky Job Literacy Survey was administered to 107 subjects who represented a full range of occupational types and levels and who comprised a sample similar to the adult working population on the demographic variables of sex, race, income earned, and…

The Workplace Literacy Skills and Training Inventory was created as a needs assessment instrument to determine existing programs and services and current needs at workplace sites. Subjects were 64 representatives from businesses in Greene County, Ohio, randomly selected from the yellow pages. The framework for the inventory consisted of 16 skills…

These analysis tools assist educators and employers in identifying the basic skill competencies required for adults with special learning needs who enter vocational training programs and/or employment. The tools also provide a system for assessment that is related to those competencies, and they assist in making appropriate accommodations in…