[NLA] U. S. Navy and workplace literacy

[Thomas Sticht]

Research Note 10/19/01
Tom Sticht

Academic skills education increases retention, advancement, and
retraining in the Navy

A July 2001 internet article by  Chief Journalist Mary Camacho, SurfPac
Public Affairs,  reports that  off-duty, voluntary education (VOLED)
plays a key part in retention and advancement in the Navy. According to
Camacho, "VOLED provides off-duty educational opportunities to Sailors
seeking to improve their professional and personal growth. Sailors can
use a variety of VOLED methods, including tuition assistance and NCPACE
course. But one of the most practical methods is the ‘Academic Skills’
program, which provides free self-paced software instruction in basic
reading, writing, math and science, work skills. This program has shown
that basic academic skills have a direct affect on Sailors’ promotions."

Camacho goes on to report that Navy research shows that 48 percent of
Sailors in their first enlistment who participated in VOLED academic
skills education reenlist, as opposed to 34 percent who don’t
participate in any education programs. Academic skills education also
helps in getting  promoted to higher ranks. 

With academic skills education, Sailors can cross-train into more
appealing jobs. But to get this cross-training, a Sailor must score at
fairly high levels on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery
(ASVAB). In many cases, Sailors turn to academic skills education to
boost their ASVAB scores to levels needed for getting into
cross-training for more competitive jobs. The Navy research showed that
18 percent of Sailors who took academic skills education were successful
in getting cross-trained compared to just 6 percent for those who did
not take academic skills education. 

One of the more important findings from the Navy research is that
academic skills education is extremely cost-effective. Camacho notes in
her article that, " The cost of replacing a first-term Sailor who gets
out through attrition is $35,532 ($6,732 for recruiting costs and
$28,800 in training) but the cost for academic skills and other programs
is far less. 
 The studies have shown that academic skills education is
even more cost-effective than college education because for each dollar
invested in academic skills, the Navy receives $14 from retention. And
if the academic skills class is technology-based, there is a $22 to $1
return on investment."

These kinds of large-scale returns to investment for Navy academic
skills education should encourage civilian employers to provide more
opportunities for employees to participate in basic skills education,
both on and off duty. In Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and
the United States, the evaluation of workplace literacy programs have
indicated that not only have such programs added to the productivity of
the employees, in many times they have contributed to better education
for the adult’s children or grandchildren, to better health care for
employees and their families and other benefits that add to the value of
workplace basic skills programs. 

Lets hope more employers get on board with the U.S. Navy!

The article by  Mary Camacho can be found at 
http://www.surfpac.navy.mil/news/2001/jul01/01-252.htm
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