[Nesabes] Fwd: [Transitions 936] Workplace Literacy Marketing Tools

[Patricia Pelletier]

Hi everyone,

One the most common challenges I've heard from ABE programs that would like
to do workplace education is how to find the businesses to work with.  Tom
Sticht outlines some resources to help with that.

Patricia Pelletier
Nonprofit Consultant
Pelletier Consulting
508-982-9535
http://www.pelletier-consulting.com


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <tsticht at znet.com>
Date: Tue, Sep 6, 2011 at 12:23 PM
Subject: [Transitions 936] Workplace Literacy Marketing Tools
To: transitions at lincs.ed.gov


Colleagues: In Part 4 of my workshop on Functional Context Education and
Workplace Literacy I discuss  contemporary projects on contextualizing and
integrating  program design and engaging employers and employees in
workplace literacy programs. In my presentation I review marketing tools
for getting employers and employees involved in workplace literacy
education in four industrialized nations: New Zealand, Ireland, Canada, and
the United Kingdom. My FEATURED tool comes from an organization in New
Zealand named Workbase (www.workbase.org.nz).

I had the opportunity to visit Workbase in Auckland, NZ in November of 2001
to discuss Functional Context Education: A Research-Based Approach to Adult
Basic Skills Education. I was impressed by how well the Workbase staff
inspired various businesses to engage in workplace literacy education. For
my workshop, I present advice that Workbase provides on its web pages for
getting employers interested in participating in programs for upgrading
language, literacy, and numeracy skills of their employees. The eight
topics that Workbase discusses under its Workplace Training section
include:

1. What to expect during the programme
2. Getting started with your literacy programme
3. Needs analysis
4. Choosing and enrolling trainees
5. How the programme works
6. Course content
7. Programme scheduling, timing and location
8. Reporting progress

In my workshop I discuss each of these topics as marketing tools for
workplace literacy educators to use in encouraging businesses to get
involved in providing educational opportunities for employees who are
looking for improving their personal or career opportunities. Making the
connection of the Workbase information to several ongoing initiatives in
the United States to contextualize and integrate course content in basic
skills and vocational skills, I note that Workbase discusses Course content
and states that

Quote: “All Workplace Numeracy and Literacy Programmes are tailored to your
business's needs and goals and, if desired, can include NZQA unit standards
and contribute to industry qualifications. Each participant has a
personalised learning plan and goals that reflects their own needs in the
context of your business objectives. Training sessions focus on the
particular demands of each employee's job.  For example, sessions may
include the following:

understanding procedures
filling in workplace forms
oral communication skills, such as giving or receiving instructions, and
contributing at meetings
workplace calculations and numeracy
quality management processes
health and safety requirements.

Course content can easily be adjusted if your training priorities change
during the programme.”end quote.

The Workbase tool for marketing basic skills education to businesses and
industries takes a Functional Context Education approach and includes the
use of actual materials and activities from the workplace to develop
programmes for upskilling the workforce of New Zealand’s workplaces. As the
Workbase information states,

Quote:” In our experience, employees appreciate the opportunity and are keen
to develop their skills.”end quote.

This is a message that rings true in all the marketing tools from the
industrialized nations that I review in the workshop. Given opportunities
and encouragement, many workers are motivated to improve their language,
literacy, or numeracy skills for both work-related and personal growth.

NOTE: For those of you who cannot attend one of my workshops you may find
the following tools of use in marketing workplace literacy education:

Ireland: Reaching customers, supporting staff-workplace literacy and
essential skills. www.nala.ie

Canada: Making Cent$ of Literacy: The Bottom Line Impact. www.llsc.on.ca

United Kingdom: Making it work: A practical guide to effective delivery of
Skills for Life in workplace learning. Learning and Skills Improvement
Service. www.lsis.org.uk


Tom Sticht

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