DOCUMENT RESUME CE 083 355 ED 466 622 Peterson, Elizabeth A.; Ott, Joyce; Wilson, Kathleen AUTHOR Promoting Workplace Literacy and Basic Skills Development. TITLE Clemson Univ., SC. Inst. on Family and Neighborhood Life. INSTITUTION 2002-00-00 PUB DATE 54p.; Partially supported by gifts to the South Carolina NOTE Center on Grassroots and Nonprofit Leadership. A What Works report supporting the Center's Literacy Program Initiative. Originally created to support the J. Marion Sims Foundation's Literacy Development Initiative. For full text: AVAILABLE FROM http://scic.clemson.edu/assets/pdf/Workplac.pdf-. Guides - Non-Classroom (055) PUB TYPE EDRS Price MF01/PC03 Plus Postage. EDRS PRICE Adult Education; Adult Literacy; *Basic Skills; Education DESCRIPTORS Work Relationship; Educational Improvement; Educational Needs; Educational Objectives; Employment Qualifications; Government Role; Government School Relationship; *Instructional Development; Labor Force Development; *Literacy Education; Needs Assessment; Program Content; Program Development; Program Evaluation; Publicity; Resource Materials; Role of Education; *School Business Relationship; *Skill Development; Staff Development; Statewide Planning; *Workplace Literacy Customized Training; *South Carolina IDENTIFIERS ABSTRACT This document is intended to help literacy practitioners and skills others in South Carolina promote workplace literacy and basic South development programs. The introduction examines the following topics: literacy and Carolina's current workforce and its outlook; the definitions of workplace literacy; the need for workplace literacy and basic skills skills gap. The development; and workplace literacy's role in bridging the characterizes basic, next section lists key workplace literacy components and to modified, and customized workplace programs. A section on the challenges providers developing workplace programs considers ways government and service basic skills development, the importance can promote workplace literacy and workplace of better training and staff development, and the inadequacy of education alone. The following steps in developing a workplace program are (2) develop readiness (1) have planners create community awareness; detailed: (3) conduct a situational analysis to identify the within willing businesses; (4) have problems; business's needs and capacity to address workers' literacy (5) establish a the planning team negotiate the workplace intervention; and literacy partnership for program planning and implement the workplace is presented along with program. A process for evaluating workplace programs frequently asked questions and an annotated listing of 17 available references.) (MN) resources. (Contains 14 tables/charts and 57 endnotes and made Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be from the original document. f I Promoting Workplace Literacy 0 and Basic Skills Development rt 5 4 _st.:tiatt e 7/7- A Report of the Institute on Family and Neighborhood Life at Clemson University U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND This document has been reproduced as DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS CLEMSON received from the person or organization BEEN GRANTED BY originating it. 6 UNIVERSITY Minor changes have been made to -e-,14.vs improve reproduction quality. Public Service Activities Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES Extension Regulatory Research INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 1 BEST COPY AVAILABLE Promoting Workplace Literacy and Basic Skills Development Principle Author Elizabeth A. Peterson, EdD Associate Professor Center for Neighborhood Development and S.C. Center on Grassroots and Nonprofit Leadership Institute on Family and Neighborhood Life Clemson University 158 Poole Agricultural Center Clemson, SC 29634-0132 Joyce Ott, Ph.D Research Associate and Associate Director S.C. Center on Grassroots and Nonprofit Leadership Institute on Family and Neighborhood Life and Kathleen Wilson, Ph.D. Professor and Director Center for Neighborhood Development and S.C. Center on Grassroots and Nonprofit Leadership Institute on Family and Neighborhood Life This is a publication of the Institute on Family and Neighborhood Life at Clemson University. It was partially supported by gifts made to the South Carolina Center on Grassroots and Nonprofit Leadership. It is one of the What Works reports supporting the Center's Literacy Program Initiative. References to Lancaster and Chester counties throughout the report are due to the report being originally created to support the J. Marion Sims Foundation's Literacy Development Initiative. They fund projects in these two counties. Winter 2002 CLEMSON UNIVERSITY Public Service Activities Research Extension Regulatory 3 Table of Contents Promoting Workplace Literacy and Basic Skills Development Introduction 1 What Is the State of Our Workforce Today? What is the Outlook for the Workforce in South Carolina? What is Literacy? What is Workplace Literacy? Who Needs Workplace Literacy and Basic Skills Development? Why is Workplace Literacy Important? Workplace Literacy Helps to Bridge the Skills Gap What Do Workplace Literacy Programs Look Like? 16 Key Workplace Literacy Components Basic Workplace Programs Modified Workplace Programs Customized Workplace Programs Challenges to Developing Workplace Programs 23 What Government and Service Providers Might Do Better and Enhanced Training and Staff Development Is Needed Workplace Education Will Not Be Enough How to Develop a Workplace Program 32 Evaluation of a Workplace Program 37 Frequently Asked Questions 38 What Resources Are Available? 39 References and Notes 43 Tables Table 1 Top 20 Fastest Growing Jobs In South Carolina 4 Table 2 Labor Force Status as of November 2001 5 Table 3 Economic Benefits for Employers By Skill Category 31 Charts Chart 1 Ten Top Jobs in The Catawba Region 4 Chart 2 National Adult Literacy Survey: 5 Literacy Proficiency Levels 6 Chart 3 Basic Literacy Skills Needed By All People in America 7 Chart 4 Worker Role Map 9 Chart 5 How Basic Skills Are Used in the Workplace 13 Chart 6 The Skills Employers Want 15 Chart 7 Principles of Effective Workplace Literacy Practice 16 Chart 8 Workplace Skills Program Options 18 Chart 9 Benefits and Outcomes of Training 27 Chart 10 Challenges to Creating a High Quality Adult Literacy System 29 Chart 11 Steps For Starting a Workplace Literacy Program 33 4 Introduction The United States, like many nations, is being challenged by the complexities of the 21st century. Rapidly changing technology and communication systems have changed the way we think and work. Our nation's workplaces have responded to these changes. Technology in many cases has replaced the assembly line. Yet little has changed in the way we "Literacyreal literacy is the educate and prepare our workforce. We must change the way we prepare for work, if we are going to remain competitive for essential raw material of the information age. We are entering the next 100 years. Federal legislation has already changed how employers an era of lifelong learning that and educators are thinking about linking adult education and merges work and education." workforce education. In 1998 the federal government enacted new legislation that targeted the American workforce. The David T. Kearns Adult Education and Family Literacy Act within the Workforce CEO, Xerox Corporation Investment Act became law (WIA-P.L. 105-220). The law promotes what legislators feel is a "one stop" approach to adult education and training. Through a "one stop" system, information about and access to job training, education and employment would be available at a single neighborhood location. Employers would have a single point of contact to provide information about current and future skills needed for their workplace and to list job openings for those who qualify. The rationale is that everyone (job-seekers, workers, and employers) benefits from having a single system for finding and maintaining job- ready workers. With the passage of WIA those interested in literacy education are finding that they must work together in ways that they never have before. For many years "turf wars" have existed among literacy providers with providers competing for limited funds. Compliance with WIA is forcing many literacy providers to make peace. South Carolina like most other states is vulnerable. The challenge of preparing those who will make up the workforce of tomorrow is enormous, this is exacerbated by the need to retool and retrain those who are working today. Determining how to best do this-is a challenge in and of itself. It becomes even more 1 difficult when coupled with legislation that is creating a new standard for how we link education and work. One thing is certain, "change is inevitable." This report explores the changing nature of work and the new level of literacy and basic skills needed for a competitive workforce. What Is the State of Our Workforce Today? Nearly two decades have gone by since the American public was first alerted to the impending crisis facing our nation if attention was not paid to the lack of literacy skills of the adult population.' It was felt then that low levels of literacy among the workforce would result in a gradual decline in American competitiveness and would broaden the disparity between those in our society who were skilled and those who were not. Although workplace education was not new the reality of the complex economic and capacity changes created renewed interest in workplace literacy and basic skills programs.2 In the past, agriculture, mining, and labor-intensive manufacturing supplied the bulk of the jobs. Today workers in these industries are losing their jobs and finding that they do not have the skills necessary to retain their place in the labor force. Few jobs remain that don't require good, solid basic skills that can be further enhanced by specialized job training. New jobs call for a more diverse mix of skills. Many employers are making greater investments in training and they expect their employees to take advantage of training opportunities. The textile industry can be used as an example of how work has changed. Twenty years ago one of the most frequent causes of production "down time" was due to machinery failure. When the machinery failed the production line stopped while repairs took place. Today much of the production process is handled by computerized systems. Operators are responsible for monitoring the system and pinpointing problems, thus reducing "down time" in the production process. Far-reaching shifts in employment like those in the manufacturing industry are not likely to be reversed. What is being called an "information revolution" and a new "knowledge-based" economy has reshaped how work is done and where. Information and communication technology affects every workplace and household in some way. This impact is expected to deepen creating dramatic changes in jobs and in lifestyles within the next ten to twenty years as the rate of technological advancements accelerate.' 6 2 What is the Outlook for the Workforce in SOuth Carolina? In South Carolina, employers are concerned that there may be a shortage of prepared workers in the future. All trends indicate that, in the future, new jobs will be filled by workers who have more and better education. A high school diploma will no longer be enough to secure employment. Estimates from the South Carolina Department of Education indicate that nearly a third (31%) of all South Carolinians have not completed high school. Statewide another 30% have a high school diploma or its equivalent, but have not furthered their education. In Lancaster and Chester counties the percentage of adults who have not completed high school is well above the state average (40.2% Chester/29.3% Lancaster).4 Labor statistics indicate that 62% of the population is employed, those remaining are either unemployed (4%) or not in the labor force (35%).5 Nearly half of those who are employed in South Carolina work in the service sector (26%) or as laborers (23%). In both Lancaster and Chester counties 26% of all workers are employed in the service sector. Laborers make up 37% of workforce in Chester County and 34% in Lancaster County.6 Traditionally these were categories of workers that required fewer skills. This is changing. According to a report published by the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, computer science is the fastest growing field in the state. Although the service sector will remain one of the fastest growing occupations in South Carolina, four of the fastest growing service sector jobs are in the health care industry (medical assistants, physical therapy assistants, home care aides and medical assistants). These jobs increasingly require workers who are computer and technology savvy. Lancaster County and neighboring Chester County are not unlike other rural communities in South Carolina. Many of the small towns in both counties were established in or around the textile industry that was the major employer. Workers who operated machinery and ran the line in the mills often were not required to have a high school diploma or advanced skills. With the changing economy the mills have been forced to lay off workers. Changing technology has also changed the way the mills operate. Those workers who expected to go to work in the mill when they finished school will find that a high school diploma and often some college will be a minimal requirement. This presents a problem in Lancaster and Chester counties where clearly three fourths of the population has a high school diploma or less (Lancaster 73%/ Chester 76%)7. The United States Department of Labor estimates that 75% to 85% of the future workforce will involve additional education beyond high school. Although the top 20 jobs in South Carolina remain in the service industry, these jobs now require more sophisticated skills. See Table 1. The fastest growing occupations in South Carolina all require advanced technical skills. Occupations that dropped from the Top 20 list of fastest 3 7 Table 1. Top 20 Fastest Growing Jobs in South Carolina9 growing occupations include Computer Engineer, Human Services Worker, 2000 1998 Child Care Worker, Legal Secretary, Computer Scientists 1 Dental Hygienist and Restaurant Cook. Electronic Pagination Workers 2 Most of these jobs were replaced with Computer Support Specialists 3 similar occupations, but there was a Database Administrators 4 significant shift from occupations will Systems Analysts 3 5 "low tech" skills to those requiring "high Paralegals 6 5 tech" skills. 8 Physical Therapists 8 7 Home Care Aides 8 4 In the Catawba Region-Chester, Medical Assistants 9 Lancaster, and York counties- it is Physical Therapy Assistants 9 10 projected that the demand for the Respiratory Therapy Assistants 11 current leading occupation, cashier, will Data Process and Equipment Repairers 12 diminish with the slowing of the Home Health Aides 6 13 economy. See Chart 1. This occupation Special Education Teachers 17 14 is one of the few that does not require Amusement Attendants 15 7 more advanced skills. At all levels Manicurists 16 employers are asking for employees who Bank Adjustment Clerks 17 have mastered a broader set of skills. Cardiology Technologists 18 When asked what skill was most valued Occupational Therapists 19 on the job, managers and employers Sports Instructors and Coaches 20 statewide indicated that personal qualities like integrity and honesty were valued above all. These personal qualities were followed by interpersonal and thinking skills such as: team player, responsibility, knowing how to learn, and Chart 1. Ten Top Jobs in the Catawba Region'° listening skills. Basic reading, math and 1. Cashiers writing skills also ranked highly among 2. Retail Salespersons South Carolina employers. Changing 3. Marketing/Sales Supervisors employment trends have made South 4. General Managers/Executives Carolina a state with opportunities that 5. Truck Drivers may attract new growth. In addition, as 6. Nursing Aides noted in Table 2 there is a significant 7. Child Care Workers unemployed labor force to employ. But 8. Assemblers/Fabricators locals will get the new jobs and become 9. Food Preparation Workers employed only if they are prepared and 10. Utility Maintenance Repairers functionally literate. *Bold Indicates new from 1998 4 Table 2. Labor Force Status (as of November 2001)" Chester Lancaster % Employed 94.6 89.4 % Unemployed 10.5 5.4 What is Literacy? The National Institute For Literacy defines literacy as "the ability to read, write, and speak English proficiently, to compute and solve problems, and to use technology in order to become a life-long learner and to be effective in the family, in the workplace and in the community. 7312 According to the National Literacy Survey (NALS) nearly half of the American population (approximately 90 million adults) were found not to be functionally literate. Today very few adults are truly illiterate in the sense that they cannot read or write anything. Rather, these adults have skills that are so low that they cannot find and keep a decent paying job, support their children's education, maintain their health, and participate actively in civic life. See Chart 2 for the difference proficiency levels measured by the National Adult Literacy Survey. "uni 9 5 Chart 2. National Adult Literacy Survey" Five Literacy Proficiency Levels Prose Document Quantitative Level Most of the tasks in this level require the Tasks in this level tend to Tasks in this level require One reader to read relatively short text to locate require the reader either to readers to perform single, a single piece of information which is locate a piece of information relatively simple arithmetic identical to or synonymous with the infor- based on a literal match or to operations, such as addition. mation given in the question or directive. enter information from personal knowledge onto a document. Level Some tasks in this level require readers to Tasks in this level are more Tasks in this level typically Two locate a single piece of information in the varied than those in Level 1. require readers to perform a text; however, several distractors or Some require the readers to single operation using numbers plausible but incorrect pieces of information match a single piece of that are either stated in the task may be present, or low-level inferences may information; however, several or easily located in the material. be required. Other tasks require the reader distractors may be present or to integrate two or more pieces of infor- the match may require low- mation or to compare and contrast easily level inferences. identifiable information based on a criterion provided in the question or directive. Level Tasks in this level tend to require readers to Some tasks in this level In tasks in this level, two or Three make literal or synonymous matches be- require the reader to integrate more numbers are typically tween the text and information given in the multiple pieces of information needed to solve the problem, task, or to make matches that require low- from one or more documents. and these must be found in the level inferences. Other tasks ask readers to Others ask readers to cycle material. The operations integrate information from dense or lengthy through rather complex tables needed can be determined from text that contains no organ-izational aids or graphs which contain the arithmetic relation terms such as headings. Readers may also be asked information that is irrelevant used in the question or to generate a response based on information or inappropriate to the task. directive. that can be easily identified in the text. Distracting information is present, but is not located near the correct information. These tasks require readers to perform Tasks in this level, like those Level These tasks tend to require Four multiple-feature matches and to integrate or at the previous levels, ask readers to perform two or more synthesize information from complex or readers to perform multiple- sequential operations or a single lengthy passages. More complex inferences feature matches, cycle through operation in which the are needed to perform successfully. documents, and integrate quantities are found in different information; however, the types of displays, or the require a greater degree of operations must be inferred inferencing. from semantic information given or drawn from prior knowledge. Some tasks in this level require the reader to Level Tasks in this level require the These tasks require readers to Five search for information in dense text which reader to search through perform multiple operations contains a number of plausible distractors. complex displays that contain sequentially. They must Others ask readers to make high-level multiple distractors, to make disembed the features of the inferences or use specialized background high-level text-based problem from the text or rely on knowledge. Some tasks ask readers to inferences, and to use background knowledge to contrast complex information. specialized knowledge. determine the quantities or operations needed. 6 IL 0