The aim of this article is to develop a holistic model that shows the basic elements of workplace learning and their mutual connections. This is done by adjusting and combining two models that have already been worked out formerly by members of the consortium a model dealing with the workplace as a learning space, and a general model of the…

This article is concerned with characterizing literacy activity as it is practiced in professional workplaces. Its starting point is activity theory, which grew out of the work of Vygotsky and has been subsequently elaborated in Russia and elsewhere. First, the authors propose that existing versions of activity theory are unable to account…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between self-directed learning readiness (SDLR) of business students in Germany and the USA and their attitudes towards information sharing and to ascertain implications for workplace learning. Design/methodology/approach: This empirical study used a survey research design.…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to argue that foundational terms in work-learning research, specifically "learning", "work", and "workplace", are inherently complex and contested as the same as their scope has expanded in different fields to elide various conceptual categories and theoretical positions. Yet…

This guide, which is intended for project directors, coordinators, and other professional staff involved in developing/delivering workplace education programs, explains the process of developing a functional context workplace education curriculum. Discussed first are the following: the types of information needed to develop a functional context…

Based on data from the National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS) and census data, this document presents a series of studies on literacy in Nevada. Estimates of the literacy levels of Nevada's adults were derived from NALS data and census data. Employers who had in-state addresses and who employed 10 or more workers in unskilled jobs were surveyed to…

This guide, which is organized in a question-and-answer format, is designed to answer questions commonly asked by employers interested in establishing workplace literacy training programs. The questions and answers have been grouped in sections on the following topics: the extent of the employer commitment required to establish a workplace…

Describes the Southern Regional Education Board-State Vocational Education consortium, which envisions a major change in the way vocational education is delivered. Students must be educated for jobs, not trained for them. (JOW)

A project reviewed and classified adult literacy skills needed in industry and described nine industry-based literacy programs. The typology of such programs (direct/indirect; individual/group) provides a framework for analyzing industry perceptions of literacy needs. (SK)

This issue focuses on workplace education and includes the following articles: "After the Grant Is Over" (Connie Nelson); "Around to Stay" (Shirley Penn and Mary Zorn); "A Conversation with FOB: What Benefits Does Workplace Ed Offer the Provider?"; "Reading Work" (Tracy Defoe and Sue Folinsbee); "Much More than ABE" (Don Block and Lori…

Workplace literacy has been a recent addition to the field of literacy education and research, achieving a level of "commonsense" acceptability so that its meaning(s) or constructions have largely gone unchallenged. A study, therefore, explored the concepts of "work,""workers," and "literacy," not so much to…

The U.S. Secretary of Labor outlines the roles of the essential partners in work force development: employers, unions, educational institutions, and government. Her human resource agenda places high priority on workplace literacy and basic skills training. (SK)

Assesses the relationship between literacy abilities and on-the-job performance of electronics technicians from three employment levels (training, experienced, and supervisory). Finds no significant correlation between reading ability and job performance but finds that metacognitive aspects of literacy consistently and significantly correlated to…

Future jobs will require a higher level of literacy, yet the work force will contain a larger percentage of undereducated employees. Business must work with other sectors to fill the skill deficiency gap. Several interactive video programs have been developed to help employees improve basic skills. (CH)

Profiles of six workplace literacy programs in Canada identified a number of factors contributing to program success: funding resources, marketing/recruitment strategies, innovative organizational structures, support services, organizational philosophy, and commitment to the new training culture. (SK)