Attention has been focused on whether U.S. competitiveness in a global market can be sustained if the work force has deficient reading skills. The U.S. Department of Education estimates that 90 million adults (50 percent of the adult population) do not have the literacy skills they need to function in society. These persons have limited reading…

One of the problems common to efforts to set skill standards for various occupations is deciding on the facility needed for dealing with the printed word. A similar problem faces those trying to define "workplace literacy." This workbook brings together resources to make them available to those who are trying to deal with this education issue. The…

This set of learning modules was developed during a project to deliver workplace literacy instruction to individuals employed in the more than 50 businesses related to the activities of the Port of Baltimore. It is intended to help employees of port businesses improve their spelling and vocabulary. The first module is a preassessment designed to…

This study reviews the literature on past, present, and projected literacy requirements for United States Navy enlisted personnel, literacy skills of those entering the Navy, and activities developed to bridge the gap between the two. Through an examination of research reports, historical accounts, and instructional methods and materials, the…

Reports on research probing job-related literacy demands and on programs promoting job literacy. (JT)

This study of work force illiteracy in the southern region of the United States reached the following five conclusions: (1) the problem is concentrated more among high school dropouts than among grade school dropouts who never learned to read; (2) the South risks creating a permanent, massive pool of undereducated citizens unable to support…

The major purposes of the project were to determine the nature of the literacy problem in the Army by studying the literacy demands of Army jobs together with the literacy skills of Army personnel, and to develop a literacy training program to provide job-related-functional, literacy skills. Literacy research and development performed by HumRRO…

For almost half a century the United States military services have incorporated formal literacy programs into job training for those enlistees who are less than fully qualified. Over the years, several successful job-specific reading programs have evolved. In 1975, the Army began the Functional Literacy (FLIT) Program, a program based on a…

A functional job-related reading program was developed to cope with literacy problems of Army personnel; the program involves students who work individually on instructional worksheets in six main modules, each designed to teach a specific job-related reading task. This paper presents an overview of background research for the program, which was…

This set of learning modules was developed during a project to deliver workplace literacy instruction to individuals employed in the more than 50 businesses related to the activities of the Port of Baltimore. It is intended to accomplish the following objectives: familiarize students with basic concepts of geography; give students knowledge of…

Compiled to assist those who are interested in building better workplace literacy programs, the first ERIC/RCS FAST (Focused Access to Selected Topics) Bibliography is a selection of representative documents from searches of the ERIC database. The bibliography is divided into the following groups: eight sources that provide an overview of concerns…

Developed as part of a project to upgrade the workplace vocabulary and comprehension skills of Pennsylvania workers in light industry, health, hotel and hospitality, and food service occupations, this document consists of four parts: a project report, a trainer's manual, a tutor handbook, and assessment report/resource packet. The project report…

A test of job-specific literacy, called the McCoy Assessment of Worksite Literacy Abilities (MAWSLA), could not predict the job success of the 100 employees who took it. The 108-item test was based on literary tasks encountered by employees in the course of a routine day at McCoy Electronics Company, a 560-employee firm in Pennsylvania. The…

Focusing on the past decade's research, this literature review concentrates on what is known about literacy demands in the workplace and the abilities of various segments of the adult and adolescent population to meet them. The review argues that since a majority of adult reading is performed upon workplace related material, understanding the…

This set of learning modules was developed during a project to deliver workplace literacy instruction to individuals employed in the more than 50 businesses related to the activities of the Port of Baltimore. It is intended to prepare students for the Customs Brokers examination within a 6-week course period. Actual material from past Customs…