A project was undertaken at Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) to involve business and industry representatives in defining minimal reading competencies for job entrance, retention and promotion. Project activities included the following: (1) a workshop entitled, "Business Speaks to Education," during which business education and reading instructors, administrators, counselors, and reading specialists articulated reading needs and goals; (2) participation in the Milwaukee Public High School Teacher Orientation Program to emphasize the importance of basic skills mastery at all levels; (3) meetings with business and industry representatives to establish basic reading skills requirements for job placement; (4) a conference presentation encouraging teachers statewide to focus reading instruction on job requirements; (5) dissemination of information on basic skills to superintendents and principals of local school districts; and (6) meetings with business and industry representatives, which identified the basic skills needed by prospective employees, current employees, and those seeking promotion. The project report includes brief summaries of 1979-80 activities, along with conclusions and recommendations. The bulk of the report consists of appendices related to project activities, such as "Business Speaks to Education" workshop materials explaining the cloze procedure, readability tests, study and note-taking techniques, and the comparability of public school and MATC reading courses. (KL)