Although the literacy and related competencies required in skilled and semiskilled occupations are far more complex than the term "functional" implies, only marginal literacy competencies may be required for success on the job. Recommendations to adult basic education teachers include guidelines for preparing students for success in the workplace.…

Three programs at Tulsa Junior College respond to labor force needs: (1) Aviation Education Alliance, an articulated program among universities, two-year colleges, and vocational schools; (2) International Language Center, teaching languages specific to the needs of client companies; and (3) Tulsa Training Center, focusing on workplace literacy…

An evaluation of Job Trails, a computerized basic skills assessment of functional context literacy, received 79 responses from adult students showing that (1) it works best with low performing learners; (2) adults liked using computers and did not view it as a "test"; and (3) they learned more about necessary job skills. (SK)

Many studies and much "common knowledge" in the United States today decry the quality of the work force and the "basic literacy needs" of today's and tomorrow's workers. Widespread concern exists that U.S. workers are ill-equipped to compete in the global marketplace and that schools and vocational programs are failing to keep pace with changing…

This brief gives an overview of the topic of workplace literacy in the health care industry and lists program contacts. The following 35 organizations operate basic skills upgrading programs for health care workers: American Hospital Association; Chinese American Civic Association; Massachusetts Department of Employment and Training; BostonWorks;…

Analysis of reading applications in everyday life and on the job should be done at the task level because a task is the lowest level of behavior that describes the performance of a meaningful function. The main objectives of such an analysis are to identify the technical aspects of the actions a learner performs in a functional setting and to…

This document traces the history of volunteerism in the literacy field, discusses the current role and use of volunteers, and assesses the potential and the limits of volunteerism as a current and future means for overcoming illiteracy in the United States. (The major conclusion is that the current delivery system of literacy activities can go no…

Literacy is often based on a type of need (a good to which all should have access, escape from isolation, tool of productivity). The delivery of "packaged" skills based on these approaches ignores the capacity of adult learners to articulate their own needs. (SK)

"Schools and Businesses Need to Work together to Close the 'Job Skills Gap'" (Cortina) discusses Los Angeles efforts to implement recommendations of the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills. "Employer-Sponsored Education Is a Win-Win Situation for Both Businesses and Employees" (Lipshutz) describes a…

Basic skill assessments of 109 employees in five small manufacturing businesses revealed that 84% needed additional training in one or more areas. Applied skills needed more remediation than academic skills. Employers expected return on investment in terms of profitability, productivity, and flexibility. Some workers were affected by negative past…

Research has shown that an effective assessment of workplace literacy programs requires both formative and summative evaluations. Workplace literacy program impact is best measured using a mixture of standard assessment tests and custom-designed instruments. A broader conception of adult literacy learning can be assessed by using interviews and…

The Job Literacy Analysis (JLA) was developed in response to the need for analyzing the literacy requirements of various occupations in an effort to match the instruction to the job and to enhance the job relatedness of curricula. It is a systematic, comprehensive process for identifying the important literacy skills needed by workers to function…

A project described the literacy skills, tasks, and materials of the entry-level and the mid-to-executive level secretary jobs. It tested Job Literacy Analysis (JLA), a six-step methodology resulting in a job literacy description that includes a representative collection of the most important materials required for competent performance of the job…

Job Literacy Analysis (JLA) is a systematic, comprehensive process for identifying the literacy requirements of jobs. It examines materials used for real tasks in real jobs and provides data about the materials used in jobs, tasks performed using them, and skills required to perform the tasks. Researchers reviewing the materials and tasks infer…

Through a partnership between Detroit Diesel Remanufacturing West, a business, the Asian Association of Utah, a community-based organization, and the Utah State Office of Education, this workplace literacy project taught literacy skills to 35 adults with limited English proficiency. The workers spoke Vietnamese, Lao, and Cambodian. The project…