This paper attempts to identify some tools to help practioners think about, debate and plan Workplace Literacy and Essential Skills (WLES) programs. Such tools are necessary so that discussions between practitioners aiming to clarify good practice and successful approaches can get beyond mere descriptions of what happened. In order to compare and…

Examines key elements related to broad transfer of what is learned in workplace literacy classes to life outside class. Asks some workplace literacy instructors and learners to document what they covered in class and what sorts of literacy activities learners engaged in weekly. Constructs a model as a potential tool to identify factors likely to…

This companion booklet to "The Bottom Line" (a publication of the U.S. Departments of Labor and Education that highlighted changes in the work force and the population and cited some business efforts to improve employees' literacy skills) contains descriptions of 23 successful workplace literacy efforts in the Mid-Atlantic states. The…

Twelve case studies of learners in workplace literacy programs at cosmetics and medical instruments firms and a municipal services department were conducted to identify key elements related to broad transfer of the skills learned in the classes to life outside the classroom. A general model of the factors (instructional elements, learner…

The relative costs and benefits of workplace literacy training were analyzed. An analysis based on eight benefits/costs (training costs; higher productivity; high wages; nonwage compensation; less worker turnover; safer workplace; higher taxes; and improved self-esteem) established that workplace literacy training offers net benefits for workers,…

A project created a model for literacy councils that would allow them to form working partnerships with small businesses and provide instruction based on the needs of both the employer and the employee. Fifty employers received Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council (GPLC) program information by mail; 20 participated in a workplace survey. Three…

This essay attempts to forge links needed between literacy and economic activity by demonstrating analytical methods for relating the production and consumption of goods and services in an economy to the requirements for literacy among its workers. First, work force literacy is described within an economic framework. Second, economy-literacy links…

Kurt Lewin's seminal work in organizational communication could potentially help solve many dilemmas faced by workplace literacy programs as they attempt to ensure that program participants not only learn basic skills but also use them in the context of work. According to Lewin's "field theory" approach, an individual's behavior is a…

This guide, based on the Model Workplace Literacy Training Program for Indiana State Employees established at the Indiana Women's Prison in 1991, provides practical advice on developing workplace literacy programs. The guide is organized in six chapters, following an introduction that describes the origins of the Indiana program and outlines the…

A special demonstration project investigated the use of portfolio assessment in several adult basic education settings, including workplace education programs and science courses for adult high school equivalency students. Built upon a 1993-94 project that pilot tested a portfolio assessment process, the current project was based on two…

This interview guide can be used to determine whether a workplace literacy provider has the skills to develop and deliver a successful workplace literacy program that will meet the needs of a business and build the productive capacity of its employees. It can be used to assess the capabilities of a wide variety of literacy providers, including…

This product checklist can be used to determine whether a particular workplace literacy product (such as a series of instructional workbooks, curriculum guides, or computerized instructional systems), follows best practice and will meet the needs of a particular business firm and build the productive capacity of its employees. The checklist was…

The formative evaluation of the Self-Directed Literacy Distance Learning for Developmental Disabilities Workers project is intended to assess the effectiveness of the course materials, operations process, and implementation. Designed to provide 96 hours of workplace literacy training to 426 developmental disabilities workers in about 80…

Project WORKSMART was a Nashville, Tennessee-based workplace literacy project to provide an exemplary multidimensional workplace literacy program while simultaneously demonstrating products and practices that promote lifelong learning that can be customized and replicated in diverse work environments. The project was a partnership between…

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…