Module 1

Response Papers

Practice Exercises

Samples of Practice Exercise Responses

Module 1

The Need for Workplace Literacy

What is workplace literacy?

Over the past two decades, there has been an increase in literacy programs based in workplaces. This growth is likely to continue as a result of technological changes in many workplaces, as well as organizational restructuring which alters the nature of some jobs. In addition, some workers are forced to learn new jobs, or even find other employment in a completely different area. All of these changes mean more job-related training for workers and, for some, this will require an increase in their literacy skills.

But what are these "literacy skills"? What is workplace literacy? In fact, practitioners and researchers in this area are not in complete agreement about a definition of workplace literacy (see the article by Askov & Aderman in this module). Most would agree that literacy involves the basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics and their application to such areas as communication, teamwork and problem-solving. However, the borderline between literacy and technical job training is blurred: where does learning to use the operating manual for a new machine fit in? It is technical training in that it relates to operating the machine, but it is literacy in that lack of reading skills may interfere with understanding the manual. Thus it can be seen that, although the definition of workplace literacy is not entirely clear, it is anchored in the basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics.

So far we have considered just one role of workplace literacy- linking instruction to workplace demands. This focus, however, can sometimes run counter to another element of effective programs- taking the needs of learners into account. Learners are key stakeholders in the process and sometimes they do not agree with the goals, materials, and emphases of workplace-focused programs if those programs are thrust upon them. (See Gowen (1992) for a case study of such a situation.) This raises an issue concerning program goals: to what extent should they be workplace-centered or leamer-centered? Learner-centered goals take into account learners' personal needs such as raising their level of general literacy, obtaining a GED, or helping children with homework.

In fact, most workplace literacy programs incorporate some workplace-centered and some learner-centered goals. There are several advantages to having a mix of both types of goals. Including learner-centered goals in a program can reinforce job skills with everyday skills used outside the workplace. Mikulecky, Lloyd, Horwitz, Masker and Siemantel (1996) surveyed 121 workplace literacy program reports that were entered into the ERIC database between 1990 and 1993. An examination of the stated goals of these programs indicates the extent to which they were workplace-centered or learner-centered. Nearly half the programs provided both learner-centered (i.e., general skills) and workplace-centered (i.e., job-related) program strands. The following table illustrates the breakdown of programs in the survey:

Another factor is the difference between workplace and workforce literacy programs. Increasingly, programs are being developed that are not tied to specific employers or industries but are targeted to more general workforce populations. These include any workers who need assistance with workforce readiness such as interview skills, completing applications, job search strategies, and teamwork skills. Workforce education programs typically serve entry-level workers, populations who are re-entering the workforce after an extended period of time, and redeployed (i.e., recently laid off) workers.

In summary, "workplace literacy" is a multitude of things: ranging from job-specific skills, through more general workforce skills, to enhanced education for individual learners. However, one factor is clear as the market demands higher levels of skill to remain employed in high wage jobs, workers need to change their habits, attitudes and lifestyles to include lifelong learning. The American Society for Training and Development (Carnevale, Gainer & Meltzer, 1988) and The Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (U.S. Department of Labor, 1991 -see extract in this module) outline the skills necessary to remain employable in an increasingly competitive job market. (See the next section for more details.) Programs are beginning to recognize and address this need for adults to continue to acquire higher-level skills, by combining general instruction with job- specific instruction.

New skill demands and actual worker skills

Changing economic conditions in the U.S., influenced by changes in the global economy, are causing profound alterations in the nature of work. There are now fewer and fewer repetitive and routine jobs, and those are becoming steadily worse paid. This is affecting manufacturing industry particularly: multi-national corporations can conduct their business anywhere in the world and choose the locations of their factories by comparing wage levels with productivity. Routine processes are increasingly being carried out in thirdworld countries at very low wages, whereas a living wage in a developed country can be earned only through the higher productivity that goes with greater skills. Such factors are also beginning to affect service industries, particularly those that do not involve face- to-face customer contact (Reich (1992). (See also the Handbook, pp. 6-9.)

Because of these changes in the workplace, the demands made on the literacy skills of workers are increasing all the time. Even jobs such as laborer and machine operative require substantial amounts of reading and writing. More and more organizations now require a flexible workforce capable of performing a variety of different tasks, and often of deciding for themselves what today's tasks will be. As part of teamwork, planning and quality control, workers need to be able to solve problems which often involve the application of literacy skills. These may well include reading procedure manuals, taking minutes at team meetings, and making judgments about changing machine settings.

The complexity of modem jobs is well illustrated by the seven skill groups desired by employers, as described by the American Society for Training and Development (Carnevale, Gainer & Meltzer, 1988). These are:

• learning to learn;
  
• reading, writing, computation;
  
• oral communication;
  
• creative thinking, problem solving;
  
• self-esteem, goal-setting, motivation, personal & career development;
  
• interpersonal & negotiation skills, teamwork;
  
• organizational effectiveness, leadership.

Note that the traditional 3 R's form only a small part of this wish list. Much more prominent are issues related to creativity, motivation, communication and teamwork: broad areas which will incorporate a variety of skills and competencies.

More recently, the U.S. Department of Labor (1991, 1992) has established a comparable set of skills guidelines as part of the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS). (See extract in this module.) In addition to basic reading, writing and computation, the Commission reports the need for increased competency in the areas of:

• Resources -- identifies, organizes, plans and allocates resources;
  
• Interpersonal -- works with others on teams, teaches others, serves clients, exercises leadership, negotiates, and works with diversity;
  
• Information -- acquires, organizes, interprets, evaluates and communicates information;
  
• Systems -- understands complex inter-relationships and can distinguish trends, predict impacts, as well as monitor and correct performance;
  
• Technology -- works with a variety of technologies and can choose appropriate tool for task.
  

Again, the emphasis is on integration of skills, working in a team and self-motivation. Literacy demands will form part of this mix, but they will not be required in isolation.
These are the likely requirements of most jobs in the future. Let us now compare them with actual worker skills. A recent survey of adult literacy gave a nation-wide sample of adults a selection of realistic tasks involving applications of basic skills. This National Adult Literacy Survey (Kirsch, Jungeblut, Jenkins & Kolstad, 1993-see extract in this module and the Handbook, pp. 10- 11) shows that about 50% of adults perform at the lower two of five literacy levels reported by the survey. Many of these adults are in jobs that are changing rapidly to require the integration of skills described above. These higher skill requirements correspond to tasks at Levels 3, 4 and 5 of the survey, so that many workers will find increasing difficulty in carrying out their jobs in the future.

This is the challenge for workplace literacy educators: to help workers bridge the gap between their present skills and those skills they need to perform well in their changing jobs-or their completely new jobs.

Now read the articles and extracts in this module:

Askov, E. N., & Aderman, B. (1991). "Understanding the history and definitions of workplace literacy."

U. S. Department of Labor. (1991). What work requires of schools: A SCANS report for America 2000.

Kirsch, I. S., Jungeblut, A., Jenkins, L., & Kolstad, A. (1993). Adult literacy in America: A first look at the results of the National Adult Literacy Survey.

Read also Chapter 1 of the Handbook (Mikulecky, Lloyd, Kirkley & Oelker, 1996). Then use the information contained in those readings to write your response paper for Module 1.

Askov, E. N., & Aderman, B. (1991). "Understanding the history and definitions of workplace literacy." In Taylor, M. C., Lewe, G. R. & Draper, J. A. (Eds). Basic skills for the workplace. Toronto, Ontario: Culture Concepts, Inc., pp. 7-20. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 333 180)

Carnevale, A. R, Gainer, L. J. & Meltzer, A. S. (1988). Workplace basics: The skills employers want. Alexandria, VA: American Society for Training and Development.

Gowen, S. G. (1992). The politics of workplace literacy: A case study. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Kirsch, I. S., Jungeblut, A., Jenkins, L., & Kolstad, A. (1993). Adult literacy in America: A first look at the results of the National Adult Literacy Survey. Washington, DC: National Center for Educational Statistics. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 358 375)

Mikulecky, L., Lloyd, P, Horwitz, L., Masker, S. & Siemantel, P. (1996). A review of recent workplace literacy programs and a projection of future challenges. Philadelphia, PA: National Center on Adult Literacy, University of Pennsylvania

Relch, R. B. (1992). The work of nations. New York, NY: Vintage Books.

U.S. Department of Labor. (1991). What work requires of schools: A SCANS report for America 2000. Washington, DC: author. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 332 0-54)

U. S. Department of Labor. (1992). Learning a living: A blueprint for high performance. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor.