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NATIONAL WORKFORCE ASSISTANCE COLLABORATIVE
Workforce Literacy Briefing Paper
DEFINITION
Workforce Literacy is a type of literacy as defined in the
National Literacy Act of 1991:
ÒLiteracyÓ means an individualÕs ability to read,
write, and speak in English, and compute and
solve problems at levels of proficiency necessary
to function on the job and in society, to achieve
one's goals, and develop oneÕs knowledge and potential.
Specifically, workforce literacy efforts develop the literacy
skills needed to participate in a high performance work organization
(HPWO). Workforce literacy implies use of a functional context
approach to instruction (Sticht, 1987) in which the job is the
context for instruction in literacy skills. When the functional
context approach is used, research has shown that learning transfers
back to the job better than with general literacy instruction.
The recent National Adult Literacy Survey or NALS (Kirsch,
Jungeblut, Jenkins, & Kolstad, 1993) showed that approximately 48%
of the sample Ð- which translates to about 90 million of the U.S.
population -- scored in the lowest two levels of the five-level NALS
tests. Most adults were able to perform isolated literacy tasks, but
they were unable to use problem-solving and critical thinking skills
in higher level literacy tasks. This finding makes progress toward
HPWOs problematic, especially for small and mid-sized businesses
which employ the most entry-level workers who tend to be the least
skilled and the least proficient in literacy.
MARKET STRATEGY
Small and mid-sized businesses may have the greatest need for
literacy services for their workforces, but they are the least able
to provide services onsite and to release workers on the clock for
workforce literacy instruction. Because there is usually not a
nucleus of entry-level workers needing basic skills instruction, and
because it is difficult to release employees at the same time for
literacy classes, most small and mid-sized businesses do not offer
workforce literacy training to their employees.
Those businesses that do provide services usually do it with
special government funding, such as in the Department of EducationÕs
National Workplace Literacy Program (NWLP), where priority is given
to applicants from small business. Usually an educational
organization, such as a community college or even a state department
of education, is funded to provide workforce literacy services to
targeted businesses which must also contribute to the project by
cost sharing. Because the NWLP requires a 30% match, small and
mid-sized businesses find it difficult to participate.
Thus, while there is demand and need for workforce literacy
service provision, funding these programs is very difficult for
small and mid-sized businesses where the profit margin is small and
where employee health insurance remains a major expense. Some small
and mid-sized businesses encourage their entry-level employees to
seek literacy instruction on their own time from a community
provider. However, instruction tends to be generic and usually does
not readily transfer back to the job.
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Most of the products in workforce literacy have resulted from
NWLP funding which requires that final reports and products are
placed in the ERIC and regional educational clearinghouses. These
clearinghouses are passive receptacles for materials; they lack the
training and technical assistance that service providers need to
make use of the materials. It is difficult to know who has developed
curricula for specific industries and businesses, and, until
recently, providers have been encouraged to develop their own
curricula that meet local needs. The NWLP has recently started a
newsletter (Workplace Network News) to assist with dissemination of
NWLP products and reports.
Conferences of the NWLP, American Association of Adult &
Continuing Education, and the Commission on Adult Basic Education
are some help to workforce literacy service providers. Likewise,
other newsletters such as Mosaic: Research Notes on Literacy (from
Penn StateÕs Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy), Connections
(National Center on Adult Literacy (NCAL) at the University of
Pennsylvania), Illinois Literacy Resource (Illinois Literacy
Resource Development Center), and A.L.L. Points Bulletin (U.S.
Department of Education) occasionally offer information on workforce
literacy products and services. One of the best sources of
information on workforce literacy -- Business Council for Effective
Literacy with its newsletter -- has now closed its doors due to lack
of funds.
The primary service providers in workforce literacy are
educational organizations such as community colleges and adult
education centers in school districts. In some large cities,
non-profit, community-based organizations also work with local
business and industries. The recent report from the Office of
Technology Assessment (U.S. Congress, 1993) shows that adult
literacy service provision, including workplace literacy, is
fragmented and vastly underfunded. The majority of instructors are
part-time and lack professional development in adult education and
literacy.
While the functional context approach has been demonstrated by
research to be the most effective approach to instruction, the
problem is how to develop instruction using a functional context
approach when there are only a few workers to be served. The
Massachusetts Department of Education offers a model for workforce
literacy development that should be studied. It has over time, and
with several NWLP grants, developed curricula in different
functional contexts for small and mid-sized businesses. It has also
published resource books which are available at no cost to train
workforce literacy service providers in how to set programs, develop
curricula, deliver services, and so forth. The Massachusetts
Department of Education also provides a staff development system
(SABES) for training new adult educators as well as offering ongoing
training to experienced educators; it also has published resource
materials useful to workforce literacy providers.
Government funds have encouraged the development of creative
services and products in workforce literacy -- a system strength.
System weaknesses, however, are pervasive in that little public or
private funding is available for these workforce literacy efforts.
The diversity of small and mid-sized businesses makes the functional
context approach difficult. Even obtaining information is difficult
since the educational clearinghouses also tend to be under-funded
and offer only minimal bibliographic assistance.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Two reports of research related to small and mid-sized
businesses are significant: The Missing Link (Chisman, 1992) and
Learning That Works: Basic Skills Programs in Illinois Corporations,
Reports 1 and 2 (1993). These reports describe workforce literacy
efforts in a variety of small and mid-sized businesses.
Research and development efforts have occurred in the NWLP
although the primary purpose of that program is service provision.
NCAL has a few projects related to workforce literacy although none
is specifically targeted to small and mid-sized businesses (to my
knowledge). Columbia UniversityÕs Institute of Education and the
Economy produces reports summarizing its research (which is not
directly focused on literacy); it does not do research that results
in curriculum products and services.
The Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy has produced six
computer-based curricula for workforce literacy. One of these,
funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Pennsylvania
Department of Commerce, did target entry-level workers in small and
mid-sized businesses. However, the products, sold at cost, have not
been widely disseminated due to limited means of marketing them to
service providers other than through conferences, brochures, and
newsletters. Because the computer-based curricula project was not
funded by a department of education, it was not part of any network
that might exist through the state or federal education systems.
The limited funds for research and development in literacy are
mostly held by NCAL which has many other agendas. Research and
development are basically not being funded currently in any
systematic way although they are among the legislated agenda items
for the National Institute for Literacy (NIFL).
ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT
Because knowledge is not being disseminated systematically,
redundant efforts do occur. Theoretically, the NIFL should be
generating knowledge through its research and development efforts.
This knowledge should be disseminated to service providers through
the technical assistance arm called the State Literacy Resource
Centers (SLRC). Thus far, NIFLÕs organized research efforts have not
been undertaken (although an array of projects were funded, but not
with a strong research focus). The SLRCs are still in formation, but
most of them appear to house collections of materials similar to
ERIC clearinghouses.
About two years ago, the U.S. Department of Education required
that states set aside 15% of their special demonstration funds for
staff development. While these funds have increased access to
professional development in adult literacy, training and technical
assistance are still needed for workforce literacy. Especially
needed is a close relationship between research/development and
training/technical assistance so that practice is based on
conceptually sound models rather than on expediency.
Provider organizations often deliver workforce literacy under
multiple funding streams. Due to lack of coordination across
departments at the federal, state, and local levels, the same
organization may be subject to different program requirements,
performance measures, and data collection and reporting schemes.
This situation is confusing to providers and clients alike and
results in redundant efforts.
FINANCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE
As stated above, there is no financial infrastructure for
service provision nor for research and development.
INTEGRATION
Linkage to the other areas has not occurred. Workforce literacy
is most closely related to technical training since integrated
training in literacy and technical skills has been shown to be more
effective than either one offered separately (Gordon & Burghardt,
1990).
Vocational educators and literacy educators do not usually
attend the same conferences, read the same journals and newsletters,
or know each other, although both may be housed in community
colleges. IntegrationÑor at least coordinationÑof literacy and
technical skills training makes sense.
EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT
President ClintonÕs budget has recommended a $6 million
increase in NWLP for next year. This modest increase could possibly
provide some additional funding for new programs. The NWLP has been
reconceptualized into three-year grant cycles to permit longer
periods for development and program evaluation as well as
institutionalization. (One of the problems in the past has been that
workforce literacy programs end when the NWLP funding ends.)
Goals 2000: Educate America Act calls for a new National Skills
Standards Board to identify broad clusters of major occupations. If
small and mid-sized businesses fit into these clusters, the clusters
could become the core for workforce literacy curriculum development.
Providers could start from core sets of materials (which they could
get from the NWAC Clearinghouse) and create local adaptationsÑa more
cost effective and effective system than currently exists.
In a few states (for example, Alabama) business tax credits
have been awarded for training efforts. If the federal government
awarded tax credits as an incentive for training, then workforce
literacy provision might become more widespread. Likewise, a
technology investment act might provide greater access to technology
for educational organizations that deliver workforce literacy
services.
The biggest economic factor that could interfere with
development of workforce literacy programs is healthcare reform. If
small and mid-sized businesses must bear more costs in providing
universal healthcare coverage, then even less money will be
available for training in workplace literacy unless other incentives
are put in place.
Social/demographic factors might, in fact, force small and
mid-sized businesses to offer workplace literacy training especially
to entry-level workers. (See the above discussion of the NALS
results.) However, as mid-level management workers are let go from
larger industries, they will move into small and mid-sized
businesses. They may tend to have less need for workplace literacy
training if they are more highly educated than typical entry-level
employees.
Technological advances in the Òinformation superhighwayÓ offer
possibilities for distance education for small and mid-sized
businesses. If employees could engage in workforce literacy training
onsite, or at a small business consortium site, then instruction
could be delivered via two-way, interactive video, computer-assisted
instruction, and videos. (The Institute for the Study of Adult
Literacy recently developed a NWLP proposal for this idea with a
consortium of small businesses, but we could not submit it due to
lack of adequate cost sharing.) Nevertheless, if workforce literacy
service providers cannot be brought to the worksite physically, they
might be brought in technologically.
CRITICAL QUESTIONS
The following are critical questions that need to be considered
in addressing workforce literacy:
1. Workforce literacy provides employees with the basic skills that
are the groundwork for technical training and work
restructuring. How can workforce literacy be integrated with
other efforts related to becoming HPWOs?
2. The literacy system, including workforce literacy, is fragmented
and vastly underfunded, struggling to deliver services with
part-time staff and an inadequate knowledge base. How can a
subset of this system -- workforce literacy -- deliver
professional services to small and mid-sized businesses?
3. What system of training and technical assistance, informed by
research, would best serve workforce literacy service providers
and the small and mid-sized businesses they serve? How can the
National Workforce Assistance Clearinghouse build on the present
educational clearinghouses?
4. How can workforce literacy services be delivered to small numbers
of employees in small and mid-sized businesses, using a
functional context approach to ensure transfer of learning back
to the job? What role do various technologies have to play?
5. What long-term solutions -- which link workforce literacy with
its impact on workersÕ children -- are possible in the milieu of
providing a Òquick fixÓ?
Dr. Eunice N. Askov
Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy
The Pennsylvania State University
ATTACHMENT 1
REFERENCES
Chisman, F. (1992). The missing link. Washington, DC: Southport
Institute for Policy Analysis.
Gordon, A., & Burghardt, J. (1990). The minority female single
parent demonstration: Short-term economic impacts. Technical
Research Report to the Rockefeller Foundation. New York: Mathematica
Policy Research, Inc.
Kirsch, I. S., Jungeblut, A., Jenkins, L., & Kolstad, A. (1993).
Adult literacy in America. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing
Office.
Learning that Works: Basic Skills Programs in Illinois Corporations,
Reports 1 and 2. (1993). Champaign, IL: Illinois Literacy Resource
Development Center.
Sticht, T. G. (1987). Functional context education: Workshop
resource notebook. University Park, PA: Institute for the Study of
Adult Literacy, The Pennsylvania State University.
U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment. (1993). Adult
literacy and new technologies: Tools for a lifetime. OTA-SET-550.
Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
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