ERIC Number: ED382794
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1995
Pages: 5
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Basic Workplace Skills: The Foundation for Productivity Improvement. Workforce Brief #4.
Bergman, Terri
Studies have confirmed that there is a strong correlation between employees' levels of basic workplace skills and their productivity in the workplace. Programs to build basic workplace skills have been shown to yield the following positive results: more instances of employees using reading and writing on the job, higher employee participation in meetings, employees asking more questions and making more suggestions at work, improvements in job attendance and safety, and significant gains in supervisory ratings. Research has also established that basic skills programs also enhance firms' ability to undertake more comprehensive improvement strategies. Estimates of the percentage of current workers with low levels of basic workplace skills range from 20%-40%. Companies interested in developing basic workplace skills programs can obtain help from the following sources: community colleges, adult education centers in school districts, nonprofit community-based organizations, for-profit training firms, and volunteer basic skills programs. Financial assistance may be available to companies in the form of federal/state grants, tax credits, or cost sharing arrangements with unions. Many community colleges and volunteer organizations charge only a portion of the costs associated with developing and delivering programs. The National Workforce Assistance Collaborative offers several tools to help companies start basic skills programs. (MN)
Descriptors: Adult Basic Education, Basic Skills, Education Work Relationship, Educational Benefits, Educational Needs, Financial Support, Labor Force Development, Literacy Education, Productivity, Program Development, Workplace Literacy
National Alliance of Business, Distribution, P.O. Box 501, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701 (25 copies: $7.75 includes postage and handling).
Publication Type: Opinion Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Department of Labor, Washington, DC.
Authoring Institution: National Alliance of Business, Inc., Washington, DC.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Note: Product of the National Workforce Assistance Collaborative.