DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 392 935 CE 071 069

AUTHOR Lopez-Valadez, Jeanne; And OthersTITLE Making Training Connections: Integrating Workplace

.Education in Small Businesses.INSTITUTION Northern Illinois Univ., De Kalb.SPONS AGENCY Office of Vocational and Adult Education (ED),

Washington, DC.PUB DATE May 95CONTRACT VN93014001NOTE 118p.

PUB TYPE Guides Non-Classroom Use (055)

EDRS PRICE MFOI/PC05 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS Adult Basic Education; Educational Planning; Guides;

Integrated Curriculum; Job Training; *LiteracyEducation; Marketing; *Program Development; *SmallBusinesses; Staff Development; Teamwork; *WorkplaceLiteracy

ABSTRACTThis handbook is designed for individuals responsible

for planning employee education, technical training, and other humanresource development services in a workplace setting, especially insmall business. It provides information on integrating basiceducation activities with technical training and organizationalchange activities to enable all employees to participate actively inthe improvement of productivity and quality of work life. Each of theseven chapters is organized around a question--an issue, problem, orchallenge that workplace educators must deal with in order to linkbasic education with technical training and organizational change.Chapters cover the following: (1) from basic skills to integratedlearning; (2) the changing role of the workplace educator; (3)marketing comprehensive services; (4) collaboration through a teamapproach; (5) clarifying organizational and individual needs; (6)

creating multiple learning opportunities; and (7) evaluation forcontinuous improvement. Each chapter contains an introduction,self-study questions, informative material, summary, and suggestedself-review. Appendixes include the following: a list of 53 suggestedreadings, annotated lists of 11 workplace education handbooks and 38workplace literacy curricula, list of 6 bibliographies ofinstructional material, list of clearinghouses and national centers,list of centers in the National Network for Curriculum Coordinationin Vocational and Technical Education, list of National Associationof Industry Specific Training Directors, and agencies involved inNational Skill Standards Projects. (YLB)

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* Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made *

* from the original document. *

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MAKING TRAINING CONNECTIONS

Integrating Workplace Education in Small Businesses

I.

Contract # VN93014001

May 1995

Jeanne Lopez-ValadezOffice of Applied InnovationsNorthern Illinois University

Paul JurmoLearning Partnerships

- Mavis DowdOffice of Applied Innovations

Northern Illinois University

BEST CQPY AVAILABLE

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U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONOffice ol fducabone, Ilesearcn gne, oncy,erneni

ED ATIONAL RESOURCES rNFORMAT(ONCENTER 'ERIC)

This document has been reproduced asreceived from the person or organizationoriginating it

0 Minor changes have been made toimprove reproduction quehry

Points of viow or opinions stated in INSdec-ument do not necessartly represent(Anal OERI pciertion or pohey

This document was prepared pursuant tc Contract No. VN93014001 from the U.S.

Department of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education. However, the

contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the

Department of Education, nordoes-the mention of trade names, commercial products

or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government or Northern Illinois

University.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction1

From Basic Skills to Integrated Learning

II The Changing Role of Workplace Educator 18

III Marketing Comprehensive Services 29

IV Collaboration Through A Team Approach 34

V Clarifying Organizational and Individual Needs 43

VI Creating Multiple Learning Opportunities 55

VII Evaluation for Continuous Improvement 66

APPENDICES

Resource Materials

Appendix A- Suggested Readings 76

Appendix B- Workplace Education Handbooks 82

Appendix C- Workplace Education Curricula 86

Appendix D- Bibliographies of Instructional Materials 93

Resource Agencies

Appendix E- Clearinghouses and National Centers 95

Appendix F- National Curriculum Coordination Centers 98

Appendix G- State Literacy Resource Centers 100-

Appendix H- NAISTD State Contacts 117

Appendix l- Skill Standards Projects 125

4.

INTRODUCTION

We've written this handbook with someassumptions in mind. We are making aneducated guess about who you are and+abet you might need in terms of guidancerelated to workplace education.

By being clear about these questions, wecan as authors better serve your needs.

This framework for clarifying ouraudience and their needs borrows from

the total quality management planningprocess which bases operations on aclear understanding of who one'scustomers are and what they want and

need.

Although we can't get to know you and

your needs directly, our experience in theworkplace education field has led us to

make the following assumptions aboutwho you are, what you might be lookingfor, and how this handbook might beorganized to help you meet your needs.

WHO YOU ARE

We assume that:

You are responsible for plx_inirgemployee education technical training,

and/or other human resourcedevelopment Legicss_ti a workDlacesetting. You are most likely a workplaceliteracy educator. You might also be a

technical trainer, a human resourcedevelopment officer, or a union

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representative responsible for educationissues. You may even be an employee ofthe company in which these services will

, be provided.

You have a special interest in workingwith small businesses. You recognizethat small businesses have significantemployee education and training needs.You also realize that not enough efforthas gone into developing tools formeeting those needs.

WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR

We assume that you have picked up thishandbook because you are looking forsome ideas some guidance related toworkplace education, especially in smallbusiness.

More specifically:

You are looking for new research -based ideas to ensure the bestpossible strategy for dealing withbroad basic skills needs.

You are looking in particular forways to link basic education to

technical training and otherorganizational change activities.

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You want to strengthen yourabilities to analyze issues' you'llface and to know practical steps totake to deal with these issueswhen you face them.

You want to know where to findadditional relevant resources.

HOW THIS HANDBOOK MIGHTHELP

Given the above assumptions about whoyou are and what you need, we haveorganized this handbook to meet thefollowing objectives:

This handbook will help you to:

Learn from the new thinkingemerging from the workplaceeducation field in recent years.

Use that experience and yourown to develop strategies whichrespond effectively to the basicskills-related needs of theworkplace you serve.

a Develop links to other resourceswhich you can use to continuallyimprove your work.

HOW THE GUIDE IS ORGANIZED

To meet the above objectives, this Guideis structured to help you develop yourown answer to the following majorquestion:

How might an organizationintegrate basic educationactivities with othertechnical training and .

organizational changeactivities, to enable allemployees to participateactively in the improvementof productivity and thequality of work life?

The Guide is broken down into sevenchapters. Each chapter is organizedaround a question. These are issues,problems, or challenges which workplaceeducators need to deal with if they are tosuccessfully link basic education activitieswith technical training and otherorganizational change initiatives.

These are the seven chapters and thesub-questions dealt with in them:

1. From "basic skills" to "integratedlearning": How has workplace educationevolved in response to new demands andexperience?

2. The changing role of workplaceeducator How can you prepare yourselfand other stakeholders to createintegrated learning?

3. Marketing to small business: How canyou connect with companies in need ofeducation and training services?

4. Collaboration: How can a teamapproach help you create and sustain anintegrated initiative?

5. Needs assessment: How can youclarify both organizational and individualneeds?

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6. Curriculum: How can you createmultiple learning opportunities?

7. Evaluation: How can you assess forcontinuous improvement?

The appendices of the Guide provide you

with information regarding: professionalreadings, sample instructional materials,resource agencies and national projects.

We ask that, as you proceed throughthese questions, you see yourself notmerely as a consumer of the information

we present. Instead, please think ofyourself as an active 'Thinker-researcher."For each question, we will present youwith ideas gleaned from the work ofinnovative workplace educators.However, we hope that you will then go tothe next step of actively thinking throughhow this information applies to you andhow you would deal with these questionsin the companies you work with. Eachchapter begins and ends with a self-studyactivity which challenges you to analyzehow the material presented relates toyour situation.

Consider this handbook as more of a"self-study" than a "lecture." Go throughthis process on your own and/or withcolleagues, either before or as youembark on a workplace education effort.

WHY FOCUS ON SMALLBUSINESSES

Small businesses represent 99 percent 9fall firms in the United States. These aredefined by the U.S. Small BusinessAdministration (SBA) as companies with

500 or less employees. However,because of their unique needs, educatorsand researchers alike make a furtherdistinction between very small companieswith 50 or fewer employees and thosemeditam size firms with more than 100(Chisman, 1992, Black Berger & Barron,1993). For purposes of this project, thestudy focused on small and mid sizecompanies with less than 250 employees.

Consider:

Small and medium size companiesplay a key role in the Americaneconomy. Not only do theyemploy two-thirds of the nation'sworkers, they also generate 47%of the gross national product. Inaddition, these firms engender twoout of three new jobs (Chisman,1992). As such their success isclosely tied to the economic wellbeing of the nation and that ofmany Americans.

Small businesses hireproportionately more entry-levelworkers than larger companies.These workers tend to have lesson-the-job experience and trainingthan more experienced workers.They thus are likely to need toupgrade their skills. (Black, Berger,and Barron, 1993).

Small businesses have fewertraining resources to work with.They are thus less able to set upspecial training programs torespond to the greater trainingneeds of their workforce.(Hollenbeck and Kline, 1992;Bassi, 1992.)

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Small businesses which offerworkplace education programstend to also engage in workrestructuring activities to a muchhigher extent than firms withoutsuch programs. These firms alsotend to have better profitability(Hollenbeck & Kline, 1992; Bassi,1992).

Employees of very small firms rbenefit from training as well.

Wages per hour of trainingincrease 2.5 times faster than inmedium size firms with more than100 employees (Black, Berger, &Barron, 1993). Improved skillsalso help these workers leveragebetter jobs and open doors tomore education or training.Moreover, companies withworkplace education programstend to offer more employeebenefits and pay higher wagesthan other small companieswithout programs.

Workplace educators should be awarethat smaller companies haveproportionately more trouble keeping upwith the changing skill requirements of thenew workplace. Those that do invest inworker education and training, however,tend to benefit not only the organizationitself but participating workers.

These are arguments which workplaceeducators can make to funders,employers and unions they interact with inthe community, and to the "higher-ups"within educational institutions. Remindthese stakeholders of the need andpotential for high quality worker educationand training.

As you put together strategies for workingwith small businesses, you also need tobe sensitive to the limitations whichsmaller companies face. Createstrategies which are relevant andsustainable within the contexts you will beworking in. This Guide is an attempt tohelp you do so.

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CHAPTER 1: FROM BASIC SKILLS TO INTEGRATED LEARNING

Workplace educators are operating in achanging world. Experience is showingus that, to be relevant, we need tounderstand the many stakeholders weinteract with, what they are looking for,the factors which are shaping theirthinking, and the range of ways we canrespond to stakeholder needs. One suchresponse is "integration" a moresystematic way of merging basiceducation, technical training, and otherorganizational change activities.

SELF STUDY

To better understand the professionalcontext in which you will be working, thinkthrough the following questions and jotdown your responses. This will help youclarify who it is you will be working with,what they expect, and the range ofeducational approaches available to you.

1. in the workplace(s) you currently (or hope to)work with, who are the stakeholder groups?

2. For each of those stakeholder groups, what ismotivating them to pay attention to employeeeducation and training? What might they hope toachieve by setting up a workplace educationinitiative?

3. Which of the above expectations/goals do youthink are feasible and worth pursuing? Which arenot realistic or on target?

4. What types of workplace education have youprovided in the past? What were the goals andcontent of those education programs?

1 5. Will you continue using the same approach inthe future or will you change it in some way? Whatgoals, content, methodologies will you likely focuson in the future?

RETHINKING WHAT STAKEHOLDERSWANT IN THE WORKPLACE

Employee basic skills providers are nowbeing asked to help workplaces make theshift toward a "high performance" way oforganizing work. Central to that model isthe TOM (total quality management)notion that successful organizations needto be clear about who their customers areand what their customers need. Thisprovides the organization with a basis fordesigning operations to ensure thatcustomer needs are met.

If we as workplace educators adopt that"high performance/TOM" approachourselves, we need to look at who ourcustomers are and what they are askingfor. tf we do so, we will likely find that weneed to revise many of the assumptionswhich underlay earlier workplaceeducation efforts.

This guide uses the term "stakeholder" torefer to those individuals or institutions

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which are investing something (time,money, reputation) in an organizationalchange activity and expect something inreturn. Stakeholders are, in effect, the"customers" we try to serve.

While most agree that management is akey stakeholder, "management" is not amonolith. Within a typical company, thereare a number of subgroups at differentlevels, each with particular reasons for ,being concerned about employee basicskills:

Production managers who wantskilled workers to implementchanges and improve companyperformance.

Human resource developmentmanagers who tend to focus onensuring good employee morale,inter-employee relations, and amatch between employees'abilities and the demands ofcurrent and future jobs.

Trainers (managers, supervisors,co-workers, outside trainingspecialists, and/or suppliers) whowant motivated, well preparedlearners who can acquire andapply new skills quickly.

Supervisors, concerned with jobperformance, want employees whocan handle both the technical andinterpersonal demands of theirjobs.

Workers who want to upgradetheir skills so they can meet job-related and/or personaldevelopment goals.

111 Union representatives who wantto improve employees' "quality ofwork life" (i.e., job security,promotability, health, and jobsatisfaction).

Funders such as state or federalagencies (or perhaps tradeassociations) looking for ways ofsustaining the economic health ofparticular communities and/orindustries.

An evolving and complex mix ofconcerns

The above summary shows thatstakeholders approach the question ofemployee education with a number, ofquestions in mind. They want to knowwhether all employees have theknowledge and skills they need to:

Enable the organization to meet strategicgoals of...

. . re-organizing work processes;. . . using technological innovations;

meeting quality standards;. . . complying with safety, environ-

mental, and other regulations;. . . increasing productivity.

Enable individuals to.... . qualify for a promotion;. . ensure job security and satisfaction;

. . . participate in technical training andfurther education;

. . have a high quality of life outsidethe job (as family members, ascitizens, and as consumers).

Some stakeholders are primarilyconcerned about "enabling the

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organization." Others are more concerned

about "enabling the individual." Whenconfronted with the "employee basic skills

question," most stakeholders have some

mix of concerns, wanting to both help theorganization and help the individual.

In an emerging, "collaborative"perspective on workplace change,

organizational development and personaldevelopment are seen not as competinginterests but as overlapping, mutuallysupportive goals. In this view, a healthy

organization enables individualemployees and their communities to

sustain a quality life; in turn, healthyemployees want to invest themselves insustaining the organization.

THE EVOLVING WORKPLACE

It is important for workplace educators tokeep the above range of potentialstakeholders and interests in mind when

developing strategies for responding tothose interests. It is also critical tounderstand how the U.S. workplace has

evolved in recent years and how thatevolution is shaping how stakeholdershave been defining and responding to the"workplace skills problem." This will help

us develop an appropriate analysis andpractice which builds on the considerablework done until now.

Since the early 1980s, Americanworkplaces have been scrambling torespond to a myriad of new pressuresand opportunities. They must deal withintensified competition from foreign and

domestic companies, higher qualitistandards, more stringent safety andenvironmental regulations, higher costs

for materials, equipment, and utilities, and

a changing labor pool.

Workplaces also now are being presentedwith such new opportunities as: moreefficient technologies for production,record-keeping, and communication; newways of organizing work processes; and

new government incentives to createjobs.

Companies are increasingly looking totraining as a vehicle for enabling theirworkforce to respond to these challengesand opportunities. Organizations aretrying to figure out how to provide thetechnical training which employees needto participate actively in workplacechange. in planning this technicaltraining, workplaces are being forced to

often reluctantly look at the question of"employee basic skills." Stakeholders aretrying to define what this term means in

their particular contexts and how toensure that all employees have the"basics" they need to participate fully notonly in technical training but in all otherworkplace changes.

In the process, companies are now beingchallenged to figure out how to "fit"technical training and basic educationactivities into the other changes which theorganization is introducing. The demandsand opportunities of the. new workplacehave thus driven stakeholders to rethinkwhat "employee basic skills" means.

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HOW HAVE STAKEHOLDERS BEENDEFINING THE PROBLEM?

As mentioned above, in the 1980s manyemployers were bumping into thequestion of what role employee basicskills played in their efforts to deal withthe new demands and opportunities ofthe emerging workplace. Like the blindmen feeling the elephant, they knew theyhad their hands on something but weren't ,sure just what it was. A media blitzoccurred which helped stakeholders givethis "thing" a name.

Employers, unions, adult educators,public policy-makers and the generalpublic began to be bombarded withmessages in the general media, intrade puolications, and in professionalconferences about what was termedthe "workplace basic skills problem."These messages to a large degree grewout of a larger media blitz about the "U.S.adult illiteracy crisis." As a result, theworkplace skills issue tended to be seenas a "worker illiteracy" problem which,logically, would respond to a "workplaceliteracy program" solution.

For some this meant setting up aremedial education program of some kindwhich focused on reading, writing, oralEnglish, and/or math. The content ofthese programs varied from generalversions of these skills (e.g., "basic math"which learners would presumably transferback to the job) to job-specific basic skills(e.g., ESL for hotel housekeeping staff).

By the early 1990s, the concept of "basicskills" was broadened beyond thetraditional "3Rs" to include teamwork,finding information, critical thinking,

"understanding systems," and other skillstraditionally thought of as "higher orderskills." This broadening of the definitionof the skills all employees needed for thenew workplace was based on feedbackfrom employers and others who in effectsaid that "the 3Rs is no longer enough."

The new definition of basic skills wassummarized in the American Society forTraining and Development's Worialps2Basics and subsequently in the SCANSReport issued by the Department ofLabor in 1991. Following is a synopsis:

SUMMARY OF SCANS

ComDetencies

Resources: Identifies, organizes, plans,allocates resources

Interpersonal: Works with others

Information: Acquires and uses information

Systems: Understands complex inter-relationships

Technology: Works vAth a variety oftechnologies

Foundation skills

Basic skills: Reading, writing, arithmetic,listening, speaking

Thinking skills: Creative thinking, decision-making, problem solving, graphic literacy

Personal qualities: Responsibility, sociability,self-management, integrity

Source: Secretary's Commission on AchievingNecessary Skills (1991). What Work Requiresof Schools. Washington, DC: US Departmentof Labor.

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Stakeholders began to understand, thatthe emerging workplace was placing newdemands on all employees and that manyemployees lacked the full range of skillsand knowledge they needed to do theirjobs well. Many felt that the solution tothis problem was to 'Tix the schools" by,for example, restructuring curricula toteach the SCANS skills and using TOMconcepts to "re-engineer" how schoolswere managed. Such school reformswould ensure that new workers wereproperly prepared for the jobs they wouldface. Some stakeholders also felt thatthe existing workforce needed to be"fixed" through special basic educationforces to bring their skills up to speed.

By the early 1990s, some stakeholderswere questioning whether a focus onupgrading worker basic skills was byitself - enough. Guided by such conceptsas "the learning organization" and the"high performance organization," somewere now calling for a morecomprehensive strategy for transformingworkplaces. In such a strategy, employeeskills would be seen as just one piece ofthe organizational development puzzle.To make the shift to high performance, aworkplace would need not just a wellskilled workforce but appropriateequipment, efficient decision-making andcommunications channels, appropriateincentives, mechanisms for ongoingmonitoring and improving of operations,and other factors. At a nationalconference on High Performance Workand Learning Systems (1991), RayMarshall, former Secretary of Labor,outlined the elements of a highperformance organization described inthe adjacent chart.

COMPONENTS OF THE "HIGHPERFORMANCE WORKPLACE"

1. Effective use of all company resources,especially the insights and experiences of allfront-line workers, in order to achieve continuousimprovements in productivity.

2. Acute concern for quality of products andservices in order to satisfy demands of aconsumer-driven marketplace.

3. A participatory and non-authoritarianmanagement style in which workers both atthe point of production and at the point ofcustomer contact are empowered to makesignificant decisions.

4. Internal and external flexibility in order to: (a)rapidly adjust internal production process toproduce a variety of goods and services; and (b)accurately comprehend the externalenvironment and adjust to changing economicand social trends.

5. A positive incentive structure that includes:employment security, rewards for effectivelyworking in groups, decent pay and worldngconditions, and policies that promote anappreciation for how the company functions asan integrated whole.

6. Leading edge technology deployed in amanner that extends human capabilities andbuilds upon the skills, knowledge, and insights ofpersonnel at all levels of the company.

7. A well-trained and well-educated workforcecapable of improving a company's workorganization and production process; adaptingexisting machine technology and selecting newequipment; developing new and improvedproducts or service ); and engaging incontinuous learning, both on-the-job and in theclassroom.

8. An independent source of power for workersa labor union and collective bargaining

agreementthat protects employee interests inthe workplace; helps to equalize power relationswith management and provides mechanisms toresolve disagreements.

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There has thus been an evolution in howstakeholders have defined the workplace

skills issue. They began by having asense that there was some kind ofproblem but not knowing what to call it.They then saw it as a problem of workerslacking the traditional "3Rs" and called it

a "workplace literacy" problem. Theythen recognized that it was more than the

"3Rs" and said too many workers lacked

the kinds of "basic" and "higher order" 'skills summarized in SCANS.

Most recently, some have moved beyond

focusing solely on individual workerdeficits and instead see the problem in

organizational ("systems") terms. In thislatest view, the problem is not just one of

individual workers lacking SCANS-typecompetencies but of entire organizationsnot putting in place the full range ofeducation, training, and otherorganizational change initiatives whichmight be needed to shift to a highperformance mode. This evolution in howstakeholders have interpreted theworkplace skills problem is reflected inthe "solutions" which the field has comeup with since the early 1980s. Theseresponses to the problem are describedbelow.

HOW HAVE STAKEHOLDERSRESPONDED?

From the above synopsis of howstakeholders have interpreted the"employee skills problem" a reader mightinfer that this issue has been a high

priority for employers, unions, workers,public policy makers, adult educators, aedothers. To a large degree, however, thishas not been the case, as companies

have actually tended to ignore or give lowpriority to the question of what to do ifemployees appear to lack the basic skillsthe new workplace requires. In somecases this is due to a simple lack ofunderstanding of how others havedefined the issue and the role basic skillsmight play within the organization. Thislack of understanding might in turn bedue to a lack of access to informationand guidance. Often stakeholders withina small company are simply too busy totake the time to learn about the issue orare unfamiliar with the resources on the

subject.

There are some workplaces, however,which have attempted to deal with whatthey perceive as an employee basic skillsproblem. Many such efforts especiallythose prior to the mid-1980s took theform of transplanting fairly standard adultbasic education programs into a

workplace setting. For example, ateacher from the local adult educationnight school might be invited to run abasic education class for a company'semployees after work hours in thecompany cafeteria.

Such efforts operate on the premise thatthe problem to be solved was one ofworker "illiteracy" or low educationalattainment. Therefore, the curriculumused is normally not customized to theworkplace or to any other context.Instead, what is used is often "off-the-shelf' basic skills materials from adulteducation. These programs feelsuccessful if they raise the learner'sgrade level on a test or if a GED isobtained. In such a case, it is hoped thatthe worker will benefit personally and that

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s/he might also use some of what s/helearns in the classroom back on the job.

Since the late 1980s, greater emphasis

has been placed on customizingworkplace basic skills curricula to enableworkers to perform particular job tasks.Instructors analyze job tasks to identifythe basic skills applied on the job andthen teach using materials and languageborrowed from the tasks workers areperforming. This approach recognizesthat the kind of functional basic skillsneeded on the job differ from thosetraditionally taught in adult basic

education. It is also based on cognitiveresearch which indicates that contextuallearning increases learner interest and

retention.

However, some practitioners,researchers, and employers have in

recent years argued that these job-specific curricula have too often missedthe target of what organizations and

individuals actually need. They arguethat:

To work in teams, take initiative,and carry out the otherresponsibilities required in the newworkplace, workers actually needthe broader kinds of competenciesdescribed in SCANS rather thanjust the traditional "3Rs".

Since workers are constantly beingtrained, they need the learning andacademic skills required to

participate in technical training.These basic skills are usuallydifferent from those required toperform a job (i.e, reading to doversus reading to learn).

Workers need to be able toperform a number of jobs and thusneed to develop multiplecompetencies to enable them tomove across traditional jobcategories.

Many workers want skills whichenable them to participate in othereducational, job, and life

opportunities.

a To encourage workers to get in the"time on task" (practice) requiredto really master their skills, theyshould be guided to apply whatthey are learning not only to asmall number of tasks on the jobbut to many other situations theyface in and outside the workplace.

Not only do workplaces need tohelp learners upgrade their skills,but they must figure out how torestructure the organization toencourage and enable learners toactually use those skills.

In response to the above concerns aboutmaking a curriculum too specific to a fewskills required by a small number of jobtasks, some practitioners are nowfocusing on a broader and more complexweb of competencies. Thesecompetencies are seen as "transferrable"by learners to many different contexts. Atthe same time workplace educators arelooking for ways to more fully integratebasic skills activities with technicaltraining and other workplace changeactivities. The result is what might becalled an "integrated" approach whichlinks workplace education, training, andchange.

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WHAT IS "INTEGRATION" AND WHY IS

IT IMPORTANT?

Workplace educators know the toofamiliar drill. You stand on your head to

set up a solid workplace educationprogram. Learners come to classes, andmost appear to be teaming. But whenyou evaluate the program, it appears thatthe participants aren't using what theylearned in the clasaroom back on the job.You wonder: what are we doing wrong?

This is a typical scenario for workplaceeducation programs. Rather than berate

themselves too heavily, workplaceeducators caught in such a situationshould look beyond their immediate

education program to the larger

organizational system in which theprogram operates. Following is anexample of what happens when aworkplace education program is notintegrated into the larger organization.Managers assumed educators would takecare of everything. And, besides, thecompany has no vested interest, so itwasn't all that necessary to make surethat the program was working.

This too familiar scenario occurs whenstakeholders see education in the moretraditional perspective as "somethingdone in school to prepare students for thefuture." When applied to a workplaceeducation program, this perspectivepositions the program as something apartfrom day to day company operations.

"What's wrong with this picture?"

The union leadership of a printing companydiscovered that their fellow union members atanother plant have started a workplace trainingprogram. Eager to insure that their companyprovide the same benefits to its members, theunion convinced management to pay for aworkplace literacy program. They agreed thatthis new program would not interfere withsenority rules for promotion or affectperformance appraisals.

The company contracted with a local technicalcollege to provide an onsite education programgeared to meeting the individual needs ofworkers. Because of privacy concerns, thecompany requested that no formal assessmentbe done. Teachers were also asked not tocontact participants at the worksite so thatothers wouldn't know who was receiving thisspecial help. Participation was voluntary on the

employee's time.

A two station computer lab was set up in anunused storage area where the workers couldenter without being seen. The teacher usedgeneric adult education courseware and wordprocessing software to tailor instruction for

each learner.

After 6 months, an outside evaluation found

that:1. since there were no incentives forparticipation, only a few workers participated;only one had completed a GED.

2. the teacher was frustrated because she feltisolated from the company, the workers andother agency staff members; she felt powerlessto make changes.

3. the company wasn't prepared to reward orreinforce learners' use of those skills back ontheir jobs; training was not seen as a way tomeet strategic goals.

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The result is what we saw in the above

example: frustration, lack ofcommunication, and lack of transfer oflearning back to the workplace. In such a

case, it almost doesn't matter what theeducators do. No matter how creativeand committed they are, their work is notlikely to have a lasting impact on theorganization because stakeholders didn't

pay enough attention to integratingeducation with other company training,operations and policies.

Recognizing this problem, workplaceeducators are creating new mechanismsfor more systematically linking education

with technical training and otherorganizational change activities.

Experience has shown that, to have alasting impact on the organization and toget the support It needs from the multiplestakeholders represented there, a

workplace education effort can't be a"stand-alone" entity. Rather, the kind oflearning which goes on in the classroommust be "integrated" into the policies andoperations of the departments in which

program participants work and viceversa.

In an "integrated' approach,stakeholders in the organizationcarefully figure how all of itspolicies and procedures can bealtered to support the innovationsthe company wants to introduce.Education is one part of thatcoordinated, m ulti-facetedorganizational change effort (E.Cohen-Rosenthal, 1994).

Workplace educators, technical trainers,and others responsible for organizational

development are recognizing the value ofsuch integrated efforts. They make the

following arguments:

Integration of workplace education,

technical training, and otherorganizational change activities...

Keeps each activity focused onneeds which are tied to the largerorganizational change strategy;

Reduces unnecessary redundancyor contradiction among variousactivities;

Enables the various activities toreinforce each other, thusincreasing the impact of eachindividual activity;

Contributes to the creation of alearning ethic which stresseslearning and continuousimprovement in all aspects ofdevelopment of individualemployees.

Merging basic education and technicaltraining

The first step to integration is to mergebasic education with other training

initiatives. In the -case of smallbusinesses, this means collaborating withsupervisors and other internal or externaltrainers.

Progressively Linked

In this more traditional approach, a basicskills program is seen as a stepping-stoneto technical or other company training. In

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this approach, the goal is to equipemployees for transitioning into andsucceeding in future technical or workrestructuring training. Learners must firstmaster a prescribed grade level or set ofbasic skill competencies.

CASE STUDY

Metal Seal & Products is a medium sizeturning and metal finishing company in Ohio.Although the company conducts some of itsown training, it is currently working with theUnified Technologies Center of CuyahogaCommunity College for basic skills andtechnical training.

The recent impetus for training was a result ofthe company's growth and its move to cells formanufacturing. tt was also implementingcontinuous improvement efforts fostered byG.M.'s Target for Excellence. In order to utilizethe current workforce to the best of their ability,all employees needed training to work moreindependently. Training was also seen as away of helping employees meet their personallearning needs.

Metal Seal & Products and its partner designeda sequential series of two to five week courseswhich combine basic skills and technicaltraining. Empioyees begin with a short courseon 'Learning to Learn" which is used to assessindividual learning styles and math abilities.Those with low math scores are selected totake the "Math on the Job" course whichteaches the pre-requisite skills for technicaltraining. This is followed by the *Blueprint andGauge Reading" course. The company'sQuality Department then conducted a refreshercourse in SPC and problem solving. Aftercompleting the basic series, employees werechosen to receive a six month ACME TrainingProgram.

To strengthen the inhouse staff developmentcapabilities of the company, the engineeringstaff will be receiving instruction on teaminvolvement and training techniques for areabsuch as optical comparison and geometrictolerancing.

,11.111101,

The workplace educator works with in-house or external trainers to identify basicskills which workers will need toparticipate in technical training courses.The curriculum in these programs iseither generic drawing from adulteducation resources, or applied usingthe technical training content andmaterials as the context to teach theSCANS foundation skills. This appliedbasics training is almost pre-vocational innature, in that, the learner is beingexposed to the content of upcomingvocational training. Metal Seal &Products is an example of a progressivelylinked training program in a smallcompany.

Tandem/Concurrent Training

This more recent approach attempts tostructure basic education and technicaltraining as mutually reinforcing activitiesby offering them concurrently. On onehand, basic skills instructors incorporatecontent and materials from the technicaltraining course into the basic educationactivities. Learners thereby develop bothbasic skills and technical knowledge.They also acquire learning skills tosucceed in technical training.

Conversely, technical trainers structuretraining activities in ways which givetrainees opportunities to practice basicskills by applying them to work or trainingrelated tasks (e.g, requesting supplies,problem solving a machine malfunction,calculating a balance, filling in recordsheets, or locating information in atraining manual). This can be done on anindividualized, as-needed basis or as aregular component for all participants in atechnical training course.

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The workplace education class is

designed to prepare learners for thetechnical training which is going on at thesame time, and the technical trainingreinforces the basic skills taught in theeducation class. In this approach, thetraditional lines between "basic skills" and"technical training" become less distinct,with learners covering many of the sametopics although perhaps from different"angles" at the same time. Thisrequires close coordination between basicskills instructors and technical trainers toenable them to reinforce each other inconcurrent teaming activities.

Such integration ensures that eachelement of an organizational developmentinitiative supports and builds on the other.

The Selz Leather case study shows howone organization integrated a variety oftraining activities with a largerorganizational change strategy.

Merging of training with organizationalchange

This is perhaps the "ultimate" in

integration. Not only are basic educationand technical training activities integrated(as described directly above), but otherorganizational change activities arecreated or refined to reinforce what isbeing learned in the education andtraining courses. Some examples:

The company might introduce a"pay-for-knowledge" incentivesystem, to reward learners forsuccessful completion of basiceducation and/or technical traininglearning objectives.

CASE STUDY

Salz Leather Company is a mid sized tanneryin California with a large Spanish speakingworkforce. Its Training Department worksclosely with Cross Cultural Communications, asmall educational firm, to provide all theemployees with ongoing training.

Management recognized that to improve qualityand safety, it had to find ways to shift thecompany to TOM and provide training for itsemployees. The company also wanted toimprove employee satisfaction and create apool of workers with the qualifications forpromotion.

Since the needs assessment revealed that60% of the employees had minimal skills inEnglish, improving communication became akey component of training. Workplace literacyclasses (ESL, business communications, mathand problem solving) were offered to all

employees. Course content was drawnprimarily from the safety and technical trainingas well as real situations in the plant. Throughongoing communication with the supervisors,the trainer was able to identify and weaveemerging training needs into the courses.

Safety training which is required of allemployees, is offered several times a year.Because of this, sometimes the ESL class istaught concurrently. To help limited Englishworkers, bilingual interpreters are used in thesafety class and safety terminology is taught inthe ESL class.

Training participants were taught how to askmore questions, to report problems andbecome more engaged in communication atwork. Simultaneously, the supervisors wereprepared to seek out this increased input.Foremen and managers were kept aware ofwhat participants were learning and helpedsupport learning throughout the week.

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The company might rewrite jobdocuments to make them clearerand more readable for participantsin the basic skills program.

a Team leaders might get special

training in cross-culturalcommunications and/or in "how torun an effective meeting" so thatthey can help their workers to usetheir basic and technical skills ,

back in the workplace.

This third approach requires even morecoordination among those responsible fororganizational change: education staff,technical trainers, production managers,technical writers, and others. This

approach, though difficult, has thegreatest potential for sustaining what istaught in basic education and technicaltraining courses and for creating a true

learning organization.

These three models differ in what is

integrated, the degree of integrationinvolved, and in who is responsible for

creating change. Currently thepredominant form is the "progressivelylinked "approach which uses basic

education as a stepping stone totechnical training. This is because mosttechnical trainers feel employees mustreach a prescribed level of competency in

"basic skills" before they are able to learn

anything else.

This assumption in many ways resemblesand perhaps results from the

traditional "school" notion that studentsfirst must learn "the basics" before theycan learn anything else. However, this

traditional mind-set is not appropriate in aworkplace education situation, for thefollowing reasons:

1. This over-focus on "first teaching thebasic skills before anything else canhappen" overlooks what experience and

research is showing us regarding

contextual learning and transfer oflearning.

2. The prescribed level of basic skillsrequired for a job is often stated in gradelevel terms that don't reflect the actualcompetencies which employees need toparticipate in technical training and otherorganizational development activities.

3. Adult workers typically alreadypossess a good deal of prior knowledgeabout the job tasks they face. Furthermastery of those tasks can be speededup if learning activities draw pn thatknowledge rather than ignore it.

4. Workers typically are given limitedtime to learn basic skills. However, they

do have considerable time on the jobwhich they can devote to skilldevelopment. The job is thus a context in

which learners can get in the practicetime they need and actually learn how to

apply basic skills in real, meaningfulsituations.

5. Transforming organizations to a high

performance model requires multiplechanges not only of individuals but ofwork processes, incentive systems, and

all the other components of a worksystem.

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SUMMARY

This chapter traces an evolution in

thinking about who the stakeholders are

in workplace education and training, why

they are interested, how they have beendefining the problem of workforce skills,

and how they have been responding to.the problem. The next chapter presents

some steps workplace educators can take

to prepare themselves to integrateeducation, technical training, and otherorganizational change activities.

SELF REVIEW

Now that you have read through thischapter, return to the questions youanswered in the initial Self Study whichyou answered at the beginning. Answerthose same questions on a separatepiece of paper and then compare thatsecond set of responses to your initial

responses.

How is the second set of responsesdifferent from the first set? How is it thesame? Are these questions you have

dealt with before?

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CHAPTER 2: CHANGING ROLE OF THE WORKPLACE EDUCATOR

ACIS2111, NIEMINIIE1211b, 11111111111MEIMIEMMIIIIII

in an integrated initiative, workplaceeducators need to be able to work withand respond to a wide range ofstakeholders. Workplace educators arenow being recast as "facilitators ofteaming teams" and need to preparethemselves with the technical andcommunication skills these new rolesrequire.

Careful attention must thus be paid todeveloping appropriate systems for staffdevelopment. Staff should think ofthemselves as "practitioner-researchers"who will continually work with others todevelop the knowledge and skills theyneed. Education staff should not onlylook to outside sources for guidance butinternally within the companies they willwork with, to tap into the knowledge andconnections of other stakeholders.Appropriate forms of staff developmentneed to be built into organizationaldevelopment budgets.

SELF-STUDY

To prepare yourself for the followingdiscussion of the new roles of workplaceeducators, consider your own experienceto date and jot down answers to thesequestions:

1. What kind of tasks have workplace basic skillseducators traditionally had to perform?

2. To create the kinds of integrated programsdiscussed in Chapter 1, what skills and knowledgemight workplace educators need to have? (Writea job description for a workplace educator whosejob it is to integrate basic education with technicaltraining and other forms of organizationaldevelopment.)

3. What areas of expertise do you feel you nowneed to develop to prepare yourself for future workin workplace education?

4. How might you develop that expertise?

5. What makes it difficult for you and otherworkplace educators to develop the expertise youneed?

THE NEW ROLES EXPECTED OFWORKPLACE EDUCATORS

What does this evolution of thinking aboutstakeholders, their needs, and the role ofworkplace education mean for thoseresponsible for planning andimplementing employee educationactivities? For one, it requires educatorsto be able to communicate with a widerange of stakeholders. A plant productionmanager, a technical trainer, a unionsteward, and a recently immigratedworker are all likely to speak a different"language." An educator must be able tolisten to what each has to say about theneeds of the organization and the needsof individual workers.

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The new world of workplace educationalso requires a willingness to movebeyond familiar boundaries and, forexample, figure out how to respond whenstakeholders indicate workers need to"understand company policies,""participate in team meetings," "learnSPC," and "get their GED." Rather thantry to quickly respond to those multiplerequests with one "course," an educatorneeds to facilitate a more thoughtfulprocess of carefully analyzing whatvarious interest groups expect,negotiating realistic goals, and mappingout a range of possible learning activities.This process is a lot more than setting upa reading program. It requires ongoingcommunication with technical trainers,supervisors, workers, and otherstakeholders to ensure relevance as wellas integration of basic education serviceswith other organizational changeactivities.

Workplace educators are now, in effect,being asked to do what the rest of theU.S. workforce is being asked to do:

Prepare ourselves to serve multiple"customers," carefully understandtheir needs, and develop customizedsolutions to respond to those needs.

We thus need to be multi-skilled, flexible,and willing to develop new knowledge; beable to communicate well and work inteams; have appropriate assessmentskills; and be committed to continuallyrefine our services in response to

customer needs:

HOW TO PREPARE YOURSELF

Few workplace educators have hadexperience with these new roles of"facilitators of a multi-stakeholder learningteam" and "integrators of multiple learningand development activities." These rolesare not the same as the more familiar,stand alone teacher.

If these are new roles for you, you willneed to take some extra time to prepareyourself. And, once you have done so,you will then have to find some allieswilling to work with you to create newmechanisms for integrating basiceducation with other training andorganizational change activities. Here aresome ways of doing so:

1. Thinls_of_yeareaLea_a_lreaaamberz=timer." Understand that you aretaking on a new role and that you willhave to develop some new expertise andorganize yourself to prepare for that role.See your work as a pilot effort in whichyou will tryout some new ideas, probablymake a few mistakes, and learn fromexperience. Don't be afraid to take somerisks.

2. fluide.a.S.111202deeyeakm. Find someallies either within your educationalinstitution, the company or union you willwork with, or elsewhere. These shouldbe like-minded educators and othersinterested in developing new approachesto workplace education ;and change.Create a "support system" through whichyou can share ideas, give feedback, andprovide mutual support. Such supportsare necessary for innovators enteringuncharted territory without the normalprofessional infrastructure of standard

19 2 3

e

procedures and peer supports. Youmight formalize yourselves a bit into a"study group" which meets periodically inpe \on or communicates via telephone,fax or e-mail.

3. ItientitLqueelienuadaugualnumta_lais&__Qa_a_nraLlgie., With Yourcolleagues, think about the task which lies

ahead of you developing new ways ofintegrating basic education services with rtechnical training and other organizationaldevelopment activities. Brainstormquestions you will need to answer toperform that task. These might include:

"What is the organization's overallstrategic plan?"

"What concepts and jargon (e.g., skillsstandards, ISO 9000, SCANS,benchmarking, TQM) are used here whichwe need to far lliarize ourselves with?"

a "What training and other activities arealready in place?"

"How have those activities beencoordinated to date?"

"Who are the technical trainers and othersresponsible for organizational changeactivities?"

"How have other organizationssuccessfully created integrated models?"

4. fejadiy____wh2r2_421,Ljnight_ jutinformation to help you answer thoseswegiona. For each of those questions,figure out where you might get theinformation you need. In some cases,you will be able to get it from training orhuman resource development officers in

the host company. For other questions(e.g., "How have other organizationssuccessfully created integrated

models?"), you might read the kinds ofresource materials listed in this guideand/or talk with others who havedeveloped integrated models.

5. cathatinfamationlbrauctLipacting,interviews site visfts... Take some timeto "do some homeworle and gather theinformation you need from the sourcesyou've identified.

6. Anstyze_iyheLymtyg_fgungLEattmarealneaelegellig. On your ownand perhaps in a study session withcolleagues, summarize and think throughthe information you've gathered. Preparea "next steps" list which summarizesthings you should keep in mind as youbegin the work of re-orienting your.employee education in an "integrated"direction.

By going through the above preparations,you will be re-orienting yourself in a "highperformance" direction. You will, forexample, be working with others to doresearc.41 and develop a plan which will, in

turn, enable you to do your work better.You will thereby be introducing yourself to

a variation of the planning and learningprocess you will be going through withother stakeholders.

HOW TO PREPARE OTHERS

Outlined above are some steps you cango through on your own and with somecolleagues with similar interests. Thesecan help you prepare for the new rolesrequired in an "integrated" approach toworkplace education, training, and

change.

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But what about the other stakeholdersyou'll work with? Will you be working withother teachers, trainers, managers, unionrepresentatives, and others either in theclassroom or as members of a planninggroup? What steps might help themprepare for the roles they will play?

In an integrated effort, traditional roles of"basic skills instructor, "technical trainer,""plant manager," and "supervisor," willlikely have to be re-defined.

New roles stakeholders might play inan integrated effort

"Basic skills instructors" will haveto learn more about the jobslearners perform, and vocationaltraining so that instruction can helplearners prepare for current andfuture jobs.

a "Technical trainers" should learnmore about basic skills so they canrevise training activities to enableall workers to develop both theirbasic and technical skills together.

Plant managers, unionrepresentatives, and supervisorsmight be called upon to serve asclassroom resource persons.They might also have to revisecompany or union policies andprocedures to help learnerstransfer classroom learning backto the job.

In all of these cases, those involved willlikely need some help to rethink what theirroles should be and then prepare forthose new roles. Think of the variousstakeholders you work with as the "staff"

of your integrated learning organization.You should develop a "staff developmentstrategy" to prepare all involved for thenew roles they might play in an integratedeffort. Remember that one of thecomponents of a high performanceworkplace is "effective" use of allcompany resources, especially theinsights and experiences of all front-lineworkers, in order to achieve continuousimprovements in productivity."

As someone with responsibility for thebasic education part of your integratedinitiative, you will likely have a particularinterest in preparing the instructors andothers (e.g., curriculum developers,evaluators) directly involved in basiceducation activities. The remainder ofthis chapter focuses on what you can doto prepare basic skills staff. However,these issues and steps can also beadapted to the preparation of otherstakeholders who will have roles in yourinitiative.

WHAT QUALITIES DO WORKPLACEEDUCATORS NEED?

To create high quality, integratedworkplace education services, staff needa demanding battery of technicalknowledge as well as interpersonal andorganizational skills. While it is probablyhelpful for staff members to have somespecial technical expertise (in an area likeESL or reading), having too narrow arange of expertise will limit any individualoperating in so demanding a context.

Doing this kind of work has been likenedto being a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV).Peace Corps tries to find candidates with

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,some technical expertise in the type ofwork they are to undertake and perhapssome knowledge of the language spokenin that country. But volunteers are oftenselected as much for their willingness to

take on a challenge and their availabilityas for that technical and linguistic

expertise.

The newly selected PCV is given a crash

course in the culture (and perhapslanguage) of the country, and then postedto what is likely to be an unfamiliar setfing

with a different way of doing things onvirtually every level. Volunteers typicallyare given little supervision; and they oftencome to rely on fellow PCVs, local friendsand colleagues for moral and technicalsupport. They receive only a limited livingallowance and understand that this is notmeant as a career but as a stint of only a

few years.

All PC Volunteers experience cultureshock, frustration, and homesickness.The successful ones rely on the strengths(creativity, self-confidence, technicalknow-how) they bring with them as wellas on the good will and technical supportsof those they work with. Many who don'thave that combination of inner strengthand external supports, however, aren't assuccessful as they might be in achievingthe mission they came for.

The above example of the Peace CorpsVolunteer gives us a framework of areasof necessary expertise and supportswhich might be applied to workplaceeducators, as Well: (cite D. Rosen)

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INGREDIENTS FOR WORKPLACEEDUCATORS

Willingness to try something new:Workplace educators need to recognize.that creating high quality, integratedemployee education services is anevolving field without clear guidelines orsupports. it requires people willing to trysomething new, take risks, and makemistakes and learn from them.

Availability: Workplace educationprograms typically place unusualdemands on education staff schedules.They need to be able to meet withstakeholders when those persons areavailable and run classes at odd hours.Providers coming from an outsideeducational institution might not only haveto deal with the scheduling demands ofone site, but also have to commuteamong multiple worksites and theeducational institution itself.

Technical expertise: Workplaceeducators might need special expertise in

areas like ESL, reading, math, and adulteducation. They might also need to knowthe technical requirements of particularjobs or company policies, as well as howto teach them.

Openness to working with othercultures: Workplace educators have tobe willing and able to deal with a numberof cultures at once: the largerorganizational culture with its manysubgroups, management, the union, andthe ethnic cultures of the employeesparticipating as learners.

interpersonal and communicationskills: Workplace educators need to beable to communicate within variouscontexts, for various purposes, and withvarious groups and individuals.Conducting a focus group for theworkplace needs assessment, making apitch to the union president or companyCEO, and running a dynamic classdiscussion are all demanding tasks.

Perseverance, flexibility, endurance:Workplace educators must understandthat, in most cases, "quick fixes" don'twork. A solid workplace change initiativewill require patience, time, steady work,and an ability to roll with the punchestho multiple frustrations likely to resultwhen trying to pull together people withmany different backgrounds to create acollaborative effort around a sharedvision.

Ability to find social and technicalresources: Because workplaceeducation initiatives typically are newendeavors with limited resources, theinfrastructure of technical resources (e.g.,office and meeting space, appropriateprint materials, etc.) aren't neatly in placeahead of time. Staff need to be willing togo scrounging, tacking down, negotiatingfor, and perhaps creating those materialresources. The same goes for the socialnetwork which workplace educators needto sustain them. Staff need to be able tofind allies and friends to call on when theyhave questions or need to vent concerns.

Being well organized problem-solvers:Not only must workplace educators needto be patient to deal with unfamiliar andunstructured situations, they must be wellorganized, pro-active and able to analyze

those situations and create new,appropriate structures.

Ability to survive on limited resources:The reality of most workplace educationefforts is that they operate on short-term,limited budgets. This is reflective of ashaky economy but also of the unprovennature of such efforts and the low prioritytraditionally given to educating workers.The financial security of workplace

, educators is impacted by all these factors.They need to be aware of this fact and beready to tolerate limited salaries, benefits,and career ladders, while at the sametime advocating individually andcollectively for more appropriate,professional supports.

Note that the above list in many waysresembles the SCANS competencies andthe American Society for Training andDevelopment's list of "the skills employerswant." Workplace educators are, likeother American workers, now expected toperform many roles, solve problems, workin teams, and be efficient.

HOW CAN YOU ORIENT AND TRAINSTAFF

New staff are likely to bring somevaluable knowledge with them.(Otherwise you wouldn't likely have hiredthem!). However, even if they have had eexperienced working in other workplaceeducation settings, they will likely notknow the particular needs of your clientsor be familiar with delivering E.' n integratedtraining program.

They will thus benefit from a solid upfrontorientation followed by initial and ongoing

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training and support. As you plan each ofthese actMties, keep in mind that you aretrying to help staff to "stretch" themselves,

learn about needs (e.g., particulartechnical requirements) and people (e.g.,

human resource specialists, technicaltrainers) they might not normally deal

with.

This will require creative thinking on yourpart. You must first clarify what educationstaff need to know in a new environmentand then provide multiple opportunities forstaff to develop that knowledge. Rather

than try to develop such a staffdevelopment plan on your own, work withthe new staff themselves and withmembers of the education planning teamto map out a strategy for your particularstaff and context. By taking the extratime to provide these supports, you willhelp to ensure that staff are prepared forthe special demands of this work. Youwill also model for staff some of thecollaborative learning practices they mightuse in their work with /earners.

To orient new staff, you should provide aclear job description, put together withinput from other staff and planning teammembers. This job description should beseen as a draft to be continually revisedas the new employee gets experience.

New education staff should beencouraged to get to know other staff andplanning team members through formal(e.g., introductions in team meetings) andinformal (e.g., happy hour) interactions.If possible, new staff should be part of theproject from the start, involved in theworkplace and indMdual needsassessments, strategic planning, andcurriculum development. This immersion

into the workplace and project culture will

build staffers' understanding of andownership for the project.

Staff should be given multipleopportunities to develop their expertisethrough:

Initial and ongoing workshops

Create pertinent staff developmentworkshops in which participants candiscuss issues and develop strategies toprepare them for the work they are to do.Rely as much as possible on the

expertise present in your educationplaening team, and structure the staffdevelopment activities along the samecollaborative problem-solving lines asthose you might use with your learners in

the classroom. Consider structuringa,ctivities on an "inquiry" model,' withstaffers identifying questions they want toresearch and then as individuals or ingroups conduct literature searches,interviews, or field-research (e.g., tryingout particular curriculum or assessmentmodels) to answer those questions. They

can report back their findings tocolleagues, as a way of building eachothers' expertise and building aprofessional team.

These , forkshops can be in-house justfor your staff or your staff canparticipate in "external" opportunities likeconferences of professionals from otherinstitutions. The latter have theadvantage of providing op. Jrtunities forcross-fertilization but the disadvantage ofnot allowing your staff to focus s callyon the situations they face in theworkplace they are working with. Some

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combination of internal and externalworkshops is probably best.

When choosing which externalconferences for staff to attend, encouragestaff to look beyond the usual "adulteducations" get-togethers. Considerevents sponsored by the local chapter ofthe American Society for Training andDevelopment, a university-based labor-education center or business school, theChamber of Commerce, the Associationfor Quality and Participation, or theEcology of Work. These institutionstypically cover topics like workorganization which educators might notbe familiar with. Get on the mailing listsfor these groups so you know what isavailable.

Staff training should not be viewed as aone shot deal with all the training beingdone up front at the beginning of theproject. Staff will surely have manyquestions and ideas as the projectunfolds and would benefit from ongoingformal and informal interactions with otherprofessionals. In a series of informal"brown bag lunches," staff might meet toshare ideas about "what works" andproblems they are encountering.

Mutual feedback mechanisms

A system should be set up in which staffcan communicate freely with each otherabout questions, concerns, suggestionsthey might have. These mechanismsshould be structured to emphasize trust,respect, confidentiality, collaboration, andcontinuous improvement. Avoid lettingthem become gripe sessions orthreatening situations.

These mechanisms might include regularstaff meetings, quarterly reviews, e-mailbulletin boards, or suggestion boxes.Establish these mechanisms in the spiritof the "learning organization": to create ahigh quality initiative, we all need to poolour knowledge and figure out how tocontinuously improve what we do,individually and collectively.

Meetings of the education planning team, are also opportunities for educators to get

feedback on "how am I doing?"

This will help you avoid the too-commonsituation in which workplace educatorswork "in a vacuum," trying to figure outwhat to do in isolation from those withwhom the should be working.

A staff resource room

As part of that initial and ongoing training,staff should be given access to resourcematerials. Set up a resource roomcontaining articles, reports, handbooks,class records, assessment tools, samplelesson plans and instructional materials,etc. Encourage staff to use the room toshare resource materials they've comeacross or developed.

Make a copy machine available, and putsomeone in charge of maintaining theroom. Make sure instructors have accessto a computer and printer to enable themto prepare lesson plans and instructionalmaterials. The resource room might beseen as a safe haven for staff, where theycan meet informally to share ideas, givesupport, and build expertise.

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Support networks

The above workshops and resource roomwill help your staff build supportiverelationships with colleagues inside andoutside the program. You might take theextra step of setting up phone directoriesor an electronic-mail system throughwhich your staff can keep in touch withresource persons inside and outside yourorganization.

Contact your state literacy resourcecenter, ASTD chapter, the labor-education center in your state, or otherinstitutions mentioned above. Ask thoseinstitutions whether, in addition tosponsoring workshops, they know ofresource persons willing to establishinformal mentoring and supportrelationships with your staff. From thosecontacts, you might develop a list ofcontact persons who are willing to be "oncall" to provide feedback to your staff asideas and questions arise.

Consider getting your staff "on-line" withthe workplace education and vocationaltraining electronic list serves which havepopped up around the U.S. in recentyears. Hook up the computer in yourresource room to one or more of thesesystems. These give your staff access touseful information and contacts/

Note that, for staff who have notpreviously used e-mail, getting "on-line"can be intimidating, with considerabletechnical jargon and stumbling blocks todeal with. Rather than see this as onemore burden in an otherwise busyschedule, staff might approach this as anexperiment in self-directed, lifelonglearning. Staff should figure out what

they need to know and then find resourcepersons who can help them master itquickly and in a fun way.

Staff can use this approach to staffdevelopment to master all the othertechnical knowledge and skills they'llneed to develop, as well.

Site visits and internships

Staff can often benefit greatly from well-organized site visits to other workplaceprograms. These visits might beextended and become "mini-intemships"in which your staff work in anotherprogram for a week or two.

The visits should be carefully designed toensure that they're not just "junkets" withsuperficial plant tours and classroomobservations. As part .of their "inquiryprojects, staff might prepare a set ofquestions they want to answer duringtheir site visits via interviews,observations, review of curriculummaterials, and so forth.

As an alternative to sending your staff toanother site, you might consider bringingin resource persons to interact with yourstaff for a day or longer. You mightstructure those interactions more formally(e.g., as workshops or round-tablediscussions) or less so (e.g., dinner-timeconversations).

Staff retreats

You might also organize periodic staffretreats in which you (1) have fun andbuild solidarity among staff members, (2)discuss sensitive issues faced by staffand develop strategies for resolving them,

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and/or (3) rethink program direction andmap out strategic plans. An extendedday or more together outside of thenormal routine can greatly refresh thespirit of a group.

Resources for staff development in

workplace education efforts are normallymodest. This is even more true forprograms operating in small businesses.These valuable resources thus need tobe used carefully. Tap into existingresources as much as possible. Usephones and e-mail to reduce travel tomeetings and conferences. Be carefulnot to use up your staff developmentbudget too quickly. See staff training andtechnical assistance as vital investments.

One way to stretch your staffdevelopment resource and to buildlinkages with other organizationaldevelopment activities is to haverepresentatives of the "education" staff sitin on meetings of technical trainers,managers, supervisors, and unionrepresentatives. By so doing, theeducation staff will better understand howto work with those stakeholder groupsand vice versa. The education planningteam discussed in Chapter IV is a vehiclefor making those links among stakeholdergroups.

How can you support staff withappropriate salaries, benefits, andcareer ladders?

In discussions of the "high performance"organizational model, there is often heavyemphasis on getting people to work inteams, investing in technology, and othertechnical and social changes. Oftenoverlooked in this discussion, however, is

r

the question of how you reward peoplefor undertaking these changes andimproving operations. Ray Marshall'seight-point blueprint for high performanceorganizations (See Chapter 1) states thathigh performance workplaces mustinclude ...

A positive incentive structure thatincludes: employment security;rewards for effectively working ingroups; decent pay and workingconditions; and policies thatpromote an appreciation for howthe company functions as anintegrated whole.

Adult educators in general andworkplace educators even more sotend to work as part-timers with limitedpay, benefits, or opportunities for careerdevelopment. This adversely limits thepool of qualified staff available to the fieldand, in turn, the quality of programs.Staff need to be paid for preparation timeas well as classroom hours. They needhealth care and all the other benefitsnormally provided to professionals.

Advocating for appropriate staffdevelopment resources

Described above are steps you can do toprepare and support your staff. But,obviously, you need to have resources tosupport such staff development activities.You and your planning team shoulddevelop a clear staff development plan;numbers of staff needed; job-descriptionsfor them; how you will recruit, prepare,and support them; and the resources youwill need to do all of the above. You alsoneed to know where to look for the

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resources you'll need. Typically youfactor this into proposals you make tofunders.

Beyond the immediate needs of aparticular workplace program, however,you should be thinking about how to buildthe resources needed to create and

sustain high quality workplace educationservices over time. You and yourplanning team might do this on your owrvin your interactions with funders,educating them about the potential andneeds of the field. You should also,however, link up wiht other like-mindedstakeholders, including not just"education types" but company and unionrepresentatives and learners. Create aconstituency which educates those withresources about where those resourcesshould be targeted.

SELF REVIEW

Now that you have read this chapter,answer these questions:

1. In the workplace you are to work with, whatroles will you likely have to play?

2. How might you develop the expertise and othersupports you will need?

3. What resources (both material resources andresource persons) can you tap into to help youprepare for your work?

4. What other supports (e.g., salary, benefits,ongoing technical assistance) will you need? Andwhere will you get them?

CHAPTER 3: MARKETING COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES

The concerns of the business communityfor a skilled workforce have never beengreater. The workplace is now seen as aplace for continued learning. Educationand training providers are responding byforming partnerships with businessclients. To help them, federal and stategovernments are creating networks forcomprehensive responses to thesebusiness needs.

To streamline the partnering process, itthas become necessary for training andeducational agencies to developmarketing plans. These plans includestrategies for finding businesses in needof training, strategies for selling theneeded training, and the development ofcomprehensive, collaborative models oftraining.

SELF STUDY

Before you begin looking at new ways tomarket your services, jot down youranswer to the following questions:

1. Does your agency actively seek out customersor do you wait for them to call you?

2. Do you have a plan for marketing yourservices? Does it include collaboration with otherservice providers?

3. How do you sell your services?

A MARKETING PLAN

A marketing plan clarifies what you haveto offer, who you want to serve, and howyou will sell your training to smallbusinesses. There are many agenciesand individuals offering workplacetraining, so if a company is going to selectyou, it will be on the basis of your quality,your cost, or because you offer a uniqueproduct.

Most "literacy" providers are currentlydelivering a broad set of basic skillstraining. However, few offer "Train theTrainer," "TQM" and "CognitiveDevelopment" training. Even fewer canalso provide technical training. So oneway to be competitive ik to offer a widerange ef training to meet all thecompany's needs. Consider developinglinkages with other departments oragencies to either jointly market yourtraining or minimally, create a referralbank to help the company locate othertrainers for these components.

Several states have developed this "onestop shopping" approach to marketingand serving companies. Wisconsin, forexample, has set up regional Centers forIndustrial Competitiveness (CICs) thatbring together educators and governmentagencies that help companies in theareas of management, equipmentupgrading and workforce training.

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Deciding what companies to target is yournext step. You can choose companies

agraiding_toEteoraplicaj_arra,

finandeLgr,,Laizeinguriczatign. Bylocating businesses in your area, you cannarrow the search to geographicallyaccessible companies. On the otherhand, you may prefer to work with one ortwo industries to facilitate cuniculumdevelopment. For example, if there aremany metal stamping companies withinyour chosen geographical area, you may

want to concentrate your selling efforts on

just that type of industry. If there are afew factories, a few hotels and a fewbanks, you may want to try marketingtraining across industries. If there areclusters of similar industries/ businesses,you may be able to provide training toseveral companies on a collaborativebasis.

While many small businesses may be inneed of training, finding them andsecuring them as business clientsrequires careful planning and an

organized, cost effective approach.There are two ways of locatingprospective customers: you can find themand/or you can make it possible for themto find you.

Locating small businesses

1. Build OD your current customers. Ifyou have provided training to a largecompany, find out who their suppliers areand ask your company to recommend youfor training. Also ask if they belong to aprofessional association and request anintroduction to other members.

2. ika.,..referono_mate.dals_lo_dcienti&targetramoniu. Most public librarieshave resource materials that listcompanies by business classificationmetalworkers, service, construction,finance, warehousing and manufacturing.Among these sources are:

Directory of AssociationsNational Directory of Addressesand Telephone Numbers:Business to 3usiness BookTelephone Yellow Pages listingsfor "Industrial Councils" and

"Associations".

3. asantatissaMiamterraLCanraarmanal Small Business Administrationoffices. (listed in telephone book). Theycan provide you with a list of companies,their size, what they produce and theiraddresses. This source is particularlyuseful if you want to target a geographicarea.

4. NatagtLwittlmain.em=Qna.

Attend business related workshopsJoin professional and civic

associationsParticipate in computer businessforums

Helping small businesses to locateyou

Making it possible for companies to findyou can range from direct advertising tomore subtle ways like promoting yourselfas an expert. Marketing electronically viathe Internet has become the newest toolto reach customers. To become visibleas a training provider.

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1. Liat_ugraplas.airaminf r h:

National Clearinghouses*State Literacy Resource Centers*and customized training contacts*Telephone Business Directories

(*See Appendices E,G,H for contacts.)

2. Advgdis_e_y_ rguLle_mioasalia:

Direct mail marketingAdds in association publicationsE-mail networks (e.g.,CompuServe Classifieds)

3. _EsisallisLy_Qurself as an expert.

Send related articles and resourcematerials to business prospects.

Conduct workshops forbusinessfindustry associations andcivic groups (Rotary club,Kiwanas, ..).

Submit articles to professional andindustry journals, localnewspapers, and PBS station.

Participate in Internet businessand training forums.

Serve on advisory councils suchas the regional Private IndustryCouncils, state and localvocational councils.

Offer your services to a speakersbureau.

4. tighto_t_witti_przaeza_sLongnikatservices. Many agencies in yourcommunity are serving small businesses.By contacting these other providers, youcan establish a mutual referral system ora cooperative agreement to jointly offerservices to your clients. Among yourpotential partners are:

Small Business Institutes - multiplesites in each state, often affiliatedwith community colleges oruniversities.

Customized Training Providers -usually vocational trainers andmanagement trainers affiliated withcommunity colleges or universities.(See Appendix H for your statecontact.)

Manufacturing TechnologyCenters - partnerships involvinggovernment agencies, educationalinstitutions and others that offertechnical assistance, training andfunding to small manufacturingcompanies (e.g., Wisconsin'sCICs).

STRATEGIES FOR SELLING TRAINING

Selling does not begin when you walk inthe door of a company. It begins withresearching your prospectivecustomer(s), their potential trainingneeds, and the nature of training alreadydone in the industries you are selling to.The reference materials and contactsmentioned above are a good startingpoint. Also read company brochures ornewsletters and seek information fromcompany staff prior to your visit.

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This will help you prepare your them by stating "You may bewondering...".presentation.

Recognize that companies are at variouspositions along the training continuum.Some are at the "I think there's aproblem" point and others have a welldefined strategic plan with integratedtraining activities heading toward commongoals. Because of this variability, it isimportant to be able to accurately assessthe company's knowledge of the trainingprocess so that you can begin talkingabout training at the level of awareness ofthe company. But then it is the trainingprovider's responsibility to increase thecompany's awareness of the complexityof training, how training can tie in with acompany's strategic plan, and its potentialfor impacting the individual and thecompany. Remember, first you have tosell them on the need for training andfor comprehensive services (e.g.,assessment, curriculum development,evaluation).

Be prepared to speak knowledgeablyabout company benchmarking, employeeassessments and integrated learning.Although you may only be selling basicskills training, you will need to have someknowledge of how it will tie into otheremployee training such as technicaltraining, TQM, ISO 9000 and otherinformal, on the job training.

Next, show that you are the providerfor the job. If you have done a good jobof explaining how workplace educationcan help meet their specific needs andshowing the success you have had inother companies, this will establish you asan expert. Now be prepared to answertheir questions. If few are asked, help

Remember that you will have a limitedtime to sell yourself. Have products tOshow and leave with the company suchas:

a brochure that clearly describesthe training you offera sample grant proposal

m literacy audit, evaluation report orother productsa cost sheet which breaks downcosts by service componenta list of references (companies forwhom you have previouslyprovided training)

What you need to know about thecompany

General company information:

- focus of business ( product/service)

- number, demographics and turnover rate ofemployees

- types of job:, And career ladders

- union or non union workforce and how

that effects training

- company status (maintenance, downsizing, rapid

growth)

- organizational structure (traditional, participatory,self-directed teams)

aompany_training_hisiozt.:

- Who participates in training?

- What type of training has been offered? (formal/informal, literacy, technical, work restructuring,management)

3632

- Who conducts training? (staff, consultants,vendors, local college)

- What training has succeeded/failed?

- Why was it considered a success/failure?(intended outcomes vs. outcomes)

- Has the company ever accessed any federal orstate training funding?

What does the company want to knowabout you?

Expetse

Do you have experience supplying workplacetraining to small businesses?

Are you knowledgeable of industry/businesspractices and terminology?

Are you able to offer training in various areas(woriplace education, technical training, workrestructuring, safety, etc.)?

Can you offer comprehensive services(grantsmanship, program management,assessment, curriculum development, andlorevaluation)?

What kind of results have you had in othercompanies?

Do you have references from satisfied customers?

PragranD2aign

Do you use a participatory planning process thatinvolves management, supervisors andemployees?

What type of needs assessment and testing willyou perform, if any?

Can you supply a customized curriculum that islinked to the company's strategic goals andemployee needs?

What strategies would you use to integrateworkplace education with technical training andother company training?

How will the results of training be assessed andreported?

Inataglign

Are the instructors experienced work-basedtrainers?

Will your performance be monitored by theprovider?

How will instruction be tailored to the individualneeds and skills of the employees?

How will employees' progress be assessed?

Can training be offered in a location convenient foremployees?

How flexible is the provider in schedulinginstruction?

Cost

What are the costs and can they be itemized foreach phase of the program?

Can you access different funding sources forworker retraining?

SELF REVIEW

Now that you have read this chapter,answer the following questions:

1. How might you enhance your marketingoutreach activities?

2. Who are potential training partners in yourarea?

3. How can you strengthen your sales approach?

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CHAPTER 4: COLLABORATION THROUGH A TEAM APPROACH

Workplace educators interested inintegrating what they do with technicaltraining and other organizational,development activities need to find "user-friendly" ways of working with the otherstakeholders involved in those activities.Smooth collaboration can ensure clarity ofgoals and coordination of services andalso build the kind of teamwork neededby any high performance organization.One vehicle for such collaboration is aplanning team composed ofrepresentatives of the stakeholder groupsinvolved in your initiative.

Creating a team requires carefulpreparations by those who will facilitatethe team process. Members have to becarefully selected and prepared for theroles they will play, and team activitiesmust be tailored to the strengths andlimitations of those who are to beinvolved.

SELF STUDY

To prepare yourself to successfully workwith other stakeholders, jot down answersto the following questions:

1. How well have you been able to collaboratewith other stakeholders in your workplaceprograms?

2. What obstacles have you encountered whentrying to communicate and collaborate with thosestakeholders?

3. What might be some ways to build smoothcommunications and operate effectively as a teamwith other stakeholders?

IMPORTANCE OF COLLABORATION

Let's assume that your goal is to nowcreate an employee education effortwhich is integrated with other training andorganizational change activities. To doso, you will have to ensure smoothcommunication and collaboration amongthose involved in the various activities.The interested parties are the"stakeholders" you will be working with.(See Chapter 1 discussion of possiblestakeholders and their interests.)

Effective communication andcollaboration among participatingstakeholders can ensure:

Clam Lig_gkall for the largerintegrated effort and for individualactivities (that is, goals which allstakeholders understand andsupport).

cd212LCIllislitOIL_ALISI_QQ13/111110.15.improvement of initiatives/servicesto meet goals (to ensure that theactivities mutually reinforce each

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other and to avoid unnecessaryredundancy of or competitionamong various activities).

Reinforsamentgfetgaraikatily_a.adskills vital to the organization(Stakeholders can buildrelationships and decision-makingmechanisms applicable beyondthe task of planning education andtraining activities.)

A solid working relationship amongpartners can help you avoid the familiarscenario in which class schedules conflictwith production schedules; supervisorsdon't know what their workers are doingin class; and managers, unionrepresentatives, learners, and educatorsare all aiming at different goals.

Key ingredients for collaboration

An integrated approach to organizationaldevelopment is for most companiessomething new. The infrastructure ofsupports which is needed to integrate anemployee education program withtechnical training and other organizationalchange activities is normally not in place.Those responsible for planning aneducation program should create aplanning team or adapt an existingplanning committee or similar structureto create a "home base" (aninfrastructure) for collaboration.

To create an effective planning team,stakeholders must do some extra work toensure communication and collaborationamong the stakeholders who will beinvolved. Workplace educators, however,tend to overlook this fact. They oftencome from formal educational institutions

in which infrastructures for scheduling,recruitment, and reporting are already inplace. Educators understandably tend tosee their role as "developing curriculum"rather than "developing partnerships."

To prepare themselves for that expandedrole, workplace educators should beaware of the key ingredients for effectivecollaboration:

Time Stakeholders need to have areasonable amount of time to give to thereal work of the integrated effort. Withoutit, work doesn't get done or is done byonly a few members and the team isn'treally a team. Team members not onlyneed to be able to set aside discreteamounts of time, but to "stick with it"commit themselves to sustaining theeffort over time.

Expertise While members don't have tobe trained as "team leaders" per se, theydo need certain kinds of knowledge andskills. They need expertise both in theirown areas of responsibility (e.g., technicaltraining, adult basic education, workprocesses, etc.) and in how to work as aplanning team. For the latter, membersneed to be able to perform such functionsas brainstorming, recording ideas, andorganizing information. While some ofthese team decision-making skills can bedeveloped through special training, thework of the team will be speeded up ifmembers already have at least a basiclevel of these skills when they join theteam.

Attitude Members need to see a value inan integrated change effort and want it tosucceed. They also need to see theplanning team as a means of ensuring a

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successful effort. They need to be willingto work with others, challenge somefamiliar assumptions, take some risks, trysomething new.

A mix of workplace roles andbackgrounds

Members should represent a range ofworkplace roles (jobs). They should alsobe a representative mix of ethnic and'linguistic groups, genders, ages, andabilities.

Workplace educators shouldn't see thisfunction of building effective partnershipsas something extraneous to the "real"task of working with learners. In anIntegrated" workplace change effort, bothfunctions are important because anintegrated program is as much aboutchanging the larger organization as it isabout changing individuals. And, toensure that learners are able to really usewhat they are learning in education andtraining programs back on their jobs,those responsible for variousorganizational policies and proceduresneed to coordinate what they are doingwith what is happening in the educationprogram.

How to create and sustain effectivecollaboration

Collaboration doesn't just "happen."Someone has to create mechanismswhich enable stakeholders tocommunicate about goals, plan andcoordinate activities, monitor progress,and make decisions to continually keeptheir efforts on target. Here's an example

of one program which has created suchmechanisms;

REACH thus acknowledges the need toput effective planning structures in plaCeand to help all key stakeholders playappropriate roles in planning.

Drawing on the experience of REACHand similar programs, here are somesteps you might go through to create an .

infrastructure for effective collaboration:

1-Prepare yourself to serve as "teamfacilitator."

Experience in REACH and similarprograms shows that, if you are going totake a lead in creating an infrastructurefor collaboration, you will need to prepare .yourself for what might be an unfamiliarrole of "team facilitator." To do so, you .might consult some reference materialson team-building and-facilitation, gothrough some special training courses onthat topic, and talk with other workplaceeducators who have taken on that role.(See Chapter 2 for a more-detaileddiscussion of how you might prepareyourself and others you'll work with.)

Be aware that, while "teamwork" soundslike a good idea, 'wilding a team andmaking it work are not always easy tasks.When teams work well, great things canhappen. But teams typically encounterconfusion and conflicts at some point intheir evolution; mechanisms need to be inplace to resolve those problems, learnfrom that experience, and move on tocreate an even stronger team.

REACHing out: Creating an infrastructurefor collaboration

Project REACH is a joint employee educationeffort of the New York Governor's Office ofEmployee RCations (GOER) and the CivilService Employees Association (CSEA).

Among the education services provided byREACH are basic skills programs tailored to theparticular interests of employees in mentalhealth facilities, university campuses, and otherstate-operated institutions. Many of the REACHsites are in small government facilities (such asgroup homes for developmentally disabledadults) which, in effect, operate as smallbusinesses.

REACHadministrators teamed from experiencethat effective programs require clearcommunication, goal-setting, and buy-in fromthe various interest groups represented at thevarious sites. Managers, supervisors, unionrepresentatives, workers, and education staffneeded to be actively involved, or the educationprogram is likely to end up being irrelevant to ornot supported by those whose support isneeded.

REACH administrators concluded that theyneed to be concerned not only about"curriculum development" but about whatthey called "site development," as well. Toensure that both functions are properly carriedout, REACH (1) requires each site to havecurriculum development specialists to tailorcurricula to that site's needs, and (2) providesspecialists in site development who work witheach potential site.

Those site developers first communicate long-distance (by phone, fax, and mail) with eachpotential site, to determine if that site meetsbasic criteria for REACH funding. If the answeris "yes," the site developers then will determinewhetiler the proposed education program willbenefit from being planned and managed by aneducation planning team. If "yes," then the sitedevelopers might travel to the site and providetechnic& assistance to help form the team andlead it through a planning process to ensure aneffective program.

Here's what one source has identified ascharacteristics of effective learning teams:

Clear, cooperative goalsAccurate two-way communication

a Widespread participation andleadershipConsensus decision-makingPower and influence based onexpertiseFrequent controversy

r a Open confrontation andnegotiation of conflictsHigh cohesivenessHigh trustAcceptance and supportIndividual responsibility andaccountability, sharing, andachievementHigh interpersonal skills

Adapted from joinina Together (Johnson and Johnson, [1991)Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hali)

2. Pull together an initial varsion of ateam.

You won't be able to fully create a teamuntil you have identified what it is youwant a team to do. To clarify purposesand goals for a team, you will need to dothe kind of neads assessments describedin the following chapter.

However, to do those needsassessments, you will need an initial"working" version of a team to work with.To create such an initial team, you willneed to identify potential team members;understand their motivations, strengths,and limitations; and tailor team activitiesto their strengths and limitations, asshown below:

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4 I BEST COPY AVMLABLE

Jo.

Iciantly_pnientiaLteammgmbam If Youare an "outsider" with little or no directknowledge of the culture of the companyyou will work with, you should link up withone or more contacts from theorganization. With your contact (s), firstclarify who the organizationalstakeholders are who might in some waywork with your workplace educationinitiative. Which managers andsupervisors, trainers, union,representatives, potential programparticipants, and others in theorganization might want or need to havea role in planning and sustaining yourprogram?

Clarify_baw_MLIreiltinaft.jniereaLansLgih.ezM.5211.=.2.Qtentiallii.eltletliblYfe Thentalk briefly with each of thosestakeholders. Explain that you areexploring creating a planning team whichwill coordinate and integrate variouseducation, training, and other workplacechange activities.

Ask them whether they might have aninterest in participating in a team and, ifso, how much time they can give tomeetings or other communications withyou. Figure out which of them haveparticular communication skills (e.g.,abilities to write reports or facilitatemeetings) and resources (meeting rooms,copying machines) at their disposal. Geta sense of which stakeholders areparticularly interested in working as partof a planning team and which are less so.

Ideally, you will identify a number ofstakeholders with different roles in theorganization and who might play variousroles in planning and supporting anintegrated workplace development

initiative. This group should have theright mix of time, expertise, and attitude toensure a broadly-supported effort.

wads_witt_rnembert_sirogtm_szidjimitations. A "team" provides a structurefor facilitating communication amongstakeholders. The facilitator of your teamwill need to respect the relative strengthsand limitations of each member, anddesign team activities accordingly. Forexample, while you don't want to short-change discussion about important topicslike program goals, you have to be carefulnot to hold too many meetings or let themdrift off the topic at hand. If you do, busystakeholders will likely stop attendingmeetings or leave them before they areover.

You might have to use individualinterviews (in person or by phone) orquestionnaires to get input fromstakeholders unable or reluctant to attendmeetings.

To make the best use of stakeholders'valuable time, you will have to negotiatehow much time you can give to jointactivities, and how much activities need tobe carried out by selected individuals orsmaller groups.

The same goes for you and your felloweducation providers. You might have todivide up responsibilities for who leadsmeetings, collects information, writesreports, and serves as liaison to particularorganizational constituencies.

As you get into the specifics of planningteam activities, keep these factors inmind.

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_

-P.

3. Conduct your first meeting.

You now have a group of people lined upwho have expressed interest in creating asystem which integrates education,training, work-restructuring, and otherorganizational development activities.Most of these people probably alreadyknow each other and work with eachother. In your first meeting, you need tobe clear what you hope to achieve byworking with them.

Explain the value of an integrated effortand of a team structure as a means ofplanning and sustaining such an effort.Refer to the arguments presented in theprevious chapter and earlier in this one..

Then explain the steps you and the teammight go through to plan, implement, andmonitor an integrated effort. Refer to thefollowing chapters which describe thefollowing steps you might go through withthe team:

Assess the needs of theorganization and individualsCreate a strategic plan for anintegrated effortDevelop and implementappropriate learning activitiesMonitor progress and refine yourstrategic planPrepare those responsible forconducting the above activities

Explain that, as you get into theseactivities, the team will divideresponsibilities among members.

Structure these discussions as"dialogues" rather than "lectures." Askmembers to give their own ideas and

ask questions about the purposes ofintegration and a team planning process.

4. Clarify who will serve as leader.

The role of leader or "facilitator" or"coordinator" of a planning team is avital one. This is the person who must domost of the "grunt" work of organizingmeetings, keeping track of records, andwriting reports.

In fact, the team might divide this workamong several different people. Themore the work of the team is shared, themore likely it is that members will takeownership for the group. This will alsoreduce the likelihood that one person willbum out from overwork.

The leader(s) of the team must have all ofthe characteristics described above under"Key ingredients for collaboration."Leaders must also have qualities likepatience, perseverance, a n

understanding of democratic principlesand procedures, willingness to listen andencourage good ideas, ability tocommunicate clearly, and ability tobalance the many interests represented inthe group. Bookstores are full of "how tobe a good leader" guides. You mightread a few of them.

5. Ensure that all members canparticipate in meaningful, productiveways.

The fact that someone joins a teamdoesn't necessarily mean that he or shewill automatically feel comfortable and beable to be an active participant. Ideally,all members will be able to have a high

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4 J

degree of responsibility, control, andreward vis-a-vis the group's activities.

Some members, however, might lacksome of the skills or the self-confidenceneeded to participate in a team. In somecompanies employees may not have hadthe opportunity to speak up, take risksand make decisions before. Or theremight be discord or competition amongparticular individuals or interest groups,which will make it difficult for them tocollaborate in your team.

You need to in a diplomatic waymake it clear that all members should beencouraged to participate actively. Makeit clear that they can talk with youprivately if they feel inhibited fromparticipating actively for any reason.

You also have to be sensitive to groupdynamics and structure discussions sothat all members get an opportunity tospeak. In multilingual workplaces, youmight need an interpreter or havelanguage minority groups form smallergroups in which they can speak freely intheir own tongues. You might have tolimit the amount of reading and writingtasks for members who don't feelcomfortable with print. Members mighttake turns preparing presentations orserving as recorder, so that all get achance to play a variety of roles.

In addition to structuring day-to-day teamactivities in ways to nurture full memberparticipation, you might also organizespecial events to instill a team identityand open communications. You might,for example, arrange an informal lunch,picnic, or evening at the ball game.Perhaps the company has an annual

volleyball tournament and your teamcould participate. You might, if resourcespermit, go to a special "team training"workshop or retreat.

Just be sensitive to the fact that you willlikely have to continually nurture a teamidentity and "infrastructure" to enablemembers to participate fully. Don't expectmembers to automatically begin operatingas a cohesive unit just because you've .

gotten them to sit down together and callthemselves a "team."

6. Keep in mind the special needs ofparticular interest groups.

As previously noted in this and otherchapters, you will be working with anumber of individuals and stakeholdergroups each of whom bring particularinterests, strengths, and limitations to theplanning team. Although there is adanger in overgeneralizing andstereotyping any group, here nonethelessare some things to keep in mind aboutvarious groups.

ereduction Manager% Tend to have agreater interest in the "technical" side ofthe organization and approach the teamwith the following question in mind: Howwill this activity help us meet productionand quality demands? However, also canand do have an interest in helpingworkers achieve personal developmentgoals, if for no other reason than thisensures good worker morale and loyaltyto the company. Tend to be very busyand able to devote only limited time tomeetings.

Human Resourct Managers: Tend tohave a special interest in the "social" side

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of the organization. Increasingly areinterested in creating a "learningorganization" and thus are likely to beattracted to the integrated modeldiscussed in this Guide. Tend to havemore experience with "team facilitation"issues and might be called on to helplead team meetings and serve asresource person to learning groups.

tedoigglaaingra: Could be an in-houseprofessional trainer, a companysupervisor or team leader, a trainer froman external educational institution (e.g.,acommunity college), or a supplier (e.g., ofa particular piece of equipment). Trainerswith a longer-term relationship with theorganization are more likely to see avalue in participating in your team. Mayor may not understand how basic skillsinstruction can be merged with technicaltraining and vice versa.

Union_fielgeeentatives: May or may nothave a positive working relationship withthe company. Important to involve bothunion and management in the team ifpossible. Union representatives tend tohave a special interest in ensuring"quality of work life" (e.g., fair wages andbenefits, promotional and educationalopportunities, etc.) for workers. Unionsalso are concerned about maintaining theeconomic viability of the organization, toensure worker job security. Unionstewards are often seen as "one of us" byworkers and can thus serve as conduitsof information between the planning teamand workers.

Supervisors and Team Leaders: Canmake or break your efforts. Can "make"them by providing insights about day-to-day shop-floor learning needs and

opportunities, as well as by encouraginglearners to use what they are learningback on the floor. They, however, can"break" your efforts by blocking workerparticipation in classes, withholding usefulinformation, or not doing all they can toencourage workers to use what they arelearning. You might have to set upspecial mechanisms to help busysupervisors be part of your team. Youmight, for example, have to run special

t focus groups just for supervisors or go outon the floor and talk with them individuallywhere they can show you what they aretalking about.

Basic Education Instructors: Instructorsfrom an outside educational institutionmight feel bewildered by the foreignculture represented in the workplacethey've been asked to serve. They oftenare not paid much if at all for timespent in planning team meetings. Theymight for these reasons be reluctant toparticipate actively, even though the teamwould give them an opportunity to get theorganization better and build relationshipswith people who can help their classessucceed. Can serve as key sources ofinformation for other team membersabout learner needs, interests, andprogress.

Learners: With a range of questions andconcerns. They tend to want to knowhow the effort will improve their situationand help them meet their own goals.They don't want to be threatened in anyway either by participating in a class orin the planning team. Might feel inhibitedfrom speaking up in a planning teammeeting, but might be willing to give inputvia individual interviews and/or in a focusgroup just for learners. Having learners

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4 5

.

on the team can be a great way ofopening up communications with otherlearners and showing the value ofparticipating in your initiative. But howfree they feel to participate will depend ontheir own self-confidence and skills and

on how much you respect theirknowledge and needs and, thus, how'Welcomed" you make them feel.

The last point made about learners the,need to respect members' knowledge and

needs is true for all stakeholders onyour team. Another common thing tokeep in mind for all members: they are all

busy, so don't overwhelm them with toomany requests.

7. See the team as a forum for ongoingplanning.

The remainder of this Guide describeskey functions of a planning team:assessing organizational and individualneeds, developing a strategic plan for anintegrated effort, developing meaningfullearning opportunities, and monitoringprogress.

The planning team should be viewed as aforum in which the stakeholders involvedin changing the organization can figureout who takes responsibility for variousactivities, to ensure an efficient, high-quality, integrated effort.

SELF REVIEW

You have now reviewed reasons andsteps for creating a planning team. Withthat information in mind, think through

how you might build a team in theworkplace(s) you plan to work with, byanswering these questions:

1. In the workplace(s) you are to work with, who

are the stakeholders you might work with?

2. How much time, interest, and expertise are theylikely to have to work with you in a team?

3. What preparations do you personLay need to

prepare yourself to facilitate a team process?

4. If no planning structure already exists, whatsteps will you take to form an initial version of ateam and get a team process rolling? If some kindof planning structure already exists, how might youwork it to integrate your education activities withtechnical training and other organizational changeactivities?

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CHAPTER 5: CLARIFYING ORGANIZATIONAL AND INDIVIDUALNEEDS

Assessment is a tool for creating "highperformance" workplace developmentinitiatives. It can help stakeholders clarifywhat needs the initiative should serve andthen monitor operations to ensure thatthose needs are being met.

As outlined in Chapter 1, workplaceeducators are faced with the challenge ofresponding to the multiple, sometimesinterwoven, sometimes divergent needsof a number of stakeholders. An"integrated" effort is even more complex.Educators need to work with trainers andothers responsible for organizationalchange to affect not just individualworkers but the larger organization.

This chapter presents guidelines forconducting organizational and individualneeds assessment procedures. This twc-part assessment system can help identifythe needs of both, the organization andindividual employees in order to tailor arange of services to meet those needsand provide stakeholders withcomprehensive information about needsand progress which they must plan andcontinually improve.

SELF STUDY

To prepare yourself for the followingdiscussion on needs assessment, please

jot down'answers to these questions:

1. In your workplace education efforts, what kinds' of assessment activities have you used?

2. In those assessment activities, whatinformation did you come up with? Who used thatinformation?

3. What kind of problems, if any, did youencounter using those assessment activities?

4. Given your experience, what kinds ofassessment tools would you prefer to use in thefuture?

A 1WO-PART NEEDS ASSESSMENTSTRATEGY

In the early days of workplace education,practitioners tended to rely on "some kindof test" often a standardized readingtest taken directly (or adapted) fromschools to get some kind of estimate oflearner ability and need. These teststended to measure "literacy skills" in theabstract, not as they are applied to reallife tasks of the type found in theworkplace. As such these types of testshave increasingly been seen as not veryrelevant for job-related education.

In the mid 1980s, many workplaceeducators began to use a literacy taskanalysis (or literacy audit) to make theirprograms relevant "functionallycontextual" to the workplaces they

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wanted to serve. This process attemptsto zero in on the literacy skills which

participants in the worker educationprogram need to do their jobs. Theunderlying assumption is that this processcan help clarify the knowledge and skillgaps which prevent an employee fromperforming hisfher job. Instruction canthen focus on helping the employee to fill

those gaps.

More recently, workplace educatorsattempting to create more "integrated"initiatives have developed an alternativeway of identifying needs. This two-partneeds assessment strategy first looks atthe needs of the larger organization toclarify the range of activities this mightundertake to meet its goals. For thosewith a special concern about employeebasic skills, this workplace needsassessment can show whether and howeducation and training activities mightplay a role in the larger organizationalchange effort. This helps workplaceeducators to understand the "big picture"of the organization, and work with otherchange agents in the organization tocreate a sustained system of mutuallysupportive education, training, and otheractivities for maximizing employeepotential.

The second part of this needsassessment strategy is individualassessment. Once the workplace needsassessment has identified one or morepossible basic education or technicaltraining activities, planners can meet withindividuals to clarify those individuals'personal learning needs, interests, andabilities. Planners can then get a clearer

picture of how to tailor learning activitiesto the particular abilities and interests ofthe participating workers.

This two-part strategy for clarifying needsallows all stakeholders to have a say indefining what your integrated initiativeshould focus on. You can then use theresulting information to build an integratedstrategy for meeting the multiple goalsrepresented in the workplace. Theliteracy task analysis process and testsreferred to above might play roles in thisprocess, but are not by themselves seenas the needs assessment. Details of thistwo-part approach to needs assessmentare shown below.

What is a "WNA?"

A workplace needs assessment (WNA) isa systematic way of figuring out howeducation and training fits into theorganization's change strategy. A WNAhelps workplace educators and otherstakeholders to (1) understand the needsand interests of both the organization andindividual employees and (2) identifyeducation, training, and other activitieswhich might meet organizational andindividual needs.

For those responsible for employee basicskills issues, a WNA can document wherebasic skills related activities are neededand how those basic skills activities mightsupport and be supported bytechnical training and other changeactivities.

Why do a WNA?

A WNA can provide stakeholders with aknowledge base and a decision-making

mechanism which they can use to createa truly integrated workplace developmenteffort. By specifying a range of

educational, training, and other

organizational development activitieswhich an organization might undertake, aWNA ensures that realistic expectationsare set for each type of activity.

For example, rather than assume that asingle basic skill or other activity can byitself meet all of an organization's needs,stak'eholders will have a clearer picture ofwhat role education can reasonably play.

A WNA can also identify organizationalneeds which can become topics for basicskills and other education and trainingactivities. Planners can thereby make acloser "fit" between various education,training, and work-restructuring activities,in some cases merging them, andgenerally making them as mutuallyreinforcing as possible. A WNA can alsobuild awareness, ownership, and supportfor an integrated workplace developmentinitiative among all levels of theworkforce.

Who would conduct it?

A WNA would be the first major activityoverseen by a planning team. This teamwould oversee not only the WNA but allother components of the integratedorganizational development activities. Asdescribed in the previous chapter, thisteam would be composed ofrepresentatives of key stakeholdergroups: workers, managers andsupervisors, unions, technical trainers,and education providers.

Much of the work of the WNA would becarried out by one or a few teammembers with the time, expertise, and"neutrality" required. In many cases, anouide education agency represented onthe team might play this role.

How do you conduct a WNA?

agysjsmazgAltatemenifQE1he WNA.Clarify what the team hopes to achieve byconducting a WNA. (See "Why do aINNAr above for possible purposes.)

Diarify_ithaLdnfatmatm_ttp..12EMwants to collect

Decide where you'll get youriniamatigmanclsitaign_infQrmatiokgathminasigtivitigi. WNAs typically useinterviews, focus groups, and possiblyquestionnaires to collect the informationthey need from a representative samplingof the various stakeholders in theorganization and on the planning team.Information might also be gleaned fromvarious documents (e.g., annual reports,strategic plans, and education andtraining records) and through observationof workplace and education/trainingactivities. Help the team decide how itwill collect the desired information fromthose sources. Field-test your activitiesand refine them.

C9.11egtikeinfQrmatian.Y.Sanint mingthe_svetlYiti.eLymulelign.ed. One ormore designated team members willcollect the information from the agreed-upon sources. To ensure honestresponses, it might be useful to have a"neutral" person (such as an outsideeducator) conduct interviews and focusgroups.

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Company's Strategic Goals

( Systems Analysis

Management- Communication- Decision making- Supervision- Support Services

Operations- Processes- Equipment- Fealties

Human Resources- Skills- DistributionAnitization- Morale

Training

Foundation Skills- Reading- Writing- Math- Problem Solving- Learning to learn- Communications

Technical Skills- General vocational-Job-specinc- Quality control

Management-Team Management- Regulations- Personnel issues- Supervision

Evaluation- Impact on learner- Impact on job performance

on company

5oBEST COPY AVAILABLE

Organizo_andAummatizethainkrmatignaggiggigd. Designated teammembers need to carefully organize theinformation as it comes in and thensummarize key findings, identifyingpatterns and themes which emerge.

Analyzt_thatinfoinaliot andiMarilremit wittues&mmmAaligna. Teammembers should carefully review theinformation gathered and interpret it, witha special focus on "How can we use thisinformation to improve what we are doingso we can meet stakeholder needs?"

ErsianLysaff_nuari_ancLigret_an.actions to take. The team shouldpresent its findings to key stakeholdergroups, and then agree on actions to betaken to create a better-integrated systemof education, training, and otherorganizational development activities.

ELQPIMALLArefigiLlitsillitiraghtMLIIRlasnammthatactimumialien. Teammembers should prepare a detailed planto pilot and refine the agreed-uponactions, and then oversee theimplementation of that plan.

How does a WNA differ from othertypes of assessments?

As described above, "assessment' inworkplace basic skills programs has oftenrelied on individually-oriented tests andliteracy task analyses. This focus on theindividual, however, reinforces the notionthat job performance is primarily theindMduars responsibility. It ignores themore complex reality that jobperformance is a function of both theability and effort of the individual and thesupports (or lack of supports) provided by

Possible WNA questions

Mat kinds of changes am going on in theorganization?

How have work manses changed?

How has equipment changed?

Mat if any new standards or regulations (e.g., forquality, safety, environment) is the organizationresponding to?

How has the workforce changed?

How am stakeholders responding to thosechanges?

What goals are management, the union, and workerssetting for themselves?

Mat do they want the oiganization to be able to do?

What do they want individual workers to be able to do?

Mat strategies are they developing to mspond to thosechanges and meet their goals?

Mat obstacles are blocidng stakeholders from meetingtheir goals?

Mat roies do basic education andlor technicaltraining currently play in the organization?

Mat education and training activities are now in placewithin the organization? (And what other mechanismslike attending adult education courses on their ovm time

are learners using to meet their goals?)

How successful have those activities been in helping .

stakeholders respond to change and meet their goals forthe organization and indMduals?

Mat ant the strengths and limitations of those educationand training activities?

Mat education, training and otherorganizational change activities might now beintroduced?

Mich of the above stakeholder needs shouldthe planning team now focus on?

How might the current educational, training, and/or otherorganizational development activities be altered orelkninated to help stakeholders meet their goals?

Mat additional educational, training, and/or otherorganizational change (e.g., work restructuring, clearwriting, incentive systems, etc.) activities might beIntroduced?

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the larger contexts within which theindividual operates.

A WNA broadens the focus ofassessment to include the organizationwithin which the individual (in this casethe worker-participant) works. A WNAassumes that a healthy organizationrequires continuous improvement(change) by not only individual employeesbut also by other stakeholders in thelarger organization.

A WNA is a procedure for assessing theorganization's ability (readiness) toeffectively use the knowledge and skills ofits workforce. When combined withassessment of individual workers'abilities, a WNA can give acomprehensive picture of what theorganization and the individual workersneed to do to meet their goals forcontinuous improvement.

NEW DIRECTIONS FOR INDIVIDUALASSESSMENT

As noted above "assessment" inworkplace basic skills programs has untilrecently tended to rely on "testing" ofindividuals (often with some kind of nonworkplace-specific standardized test) andpossibly a "literacy task analysis" processfor identifying gaps between workerknowledge and job demands.

More recently, workplace educators havequestioned those forms of assessment onthe following grounds:

Rather than focus so heavily onlearner "deficits," assessmentshould instead generateinformation about what the learner

does know and is interested in.These abilities and interests canthen be built on, to create positive,dynamic learning opportunities.

Rather than focus on abstract, .

decontextualized "skills" (as canhappen when standardized testsare used), assessment should lookmore directly at learner abilitiesand interests related to taskswhich they and other stakeholdersagree are important. Learningactivities might thus include:

Relatively discrete knowledgeand skills: In some cases,stakeholders agree that a

particular cycle of learningactivities focus on helpingemployees master specific tasks(e.g., the math required to read agauge).

Multiple. transferrable skills: Inmany workplaces, insteadworkers are increasingly beingasked to perform multiple tasksrather than a few tasks over andover. Many of the newresponsibilities (e.g. ,"understanding systems,"Kworking in teams," "problemsolving," "decision making")embraced by workers requirewhat formerly were considered"higher order" skills but whichnow are more and more seen asfundamental competencies. (SeeChapter 1 for discussion ofSCANS.)

Interest_ancl_learning: In many cases,workplace development effortsfocus on building employeeinterest and skills for personallearning and growth. Thisnurturing of an interest in learningand trying something new is seenas a means of creating the

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foundation for a learningorganization." Preparing learnersfor the GED or community collegeand helping them get involved intheir children's schooling are thussometimes included as goals fora workplace developmentinitiative.

Those responsible for assessment shouldthus understand the broad range ofexpectations which stakeholders mightbring to a workplace development effort.Depending on what stakeholders wantlearners to be able to do, assessmentcould focus on tasks taken from learners'current or future jobs or from their livesoutside the job. The contextualizedcompetencies (skills) required to performthose tasks could range from fairly simpleto complex. The following grid usessample SCANS competencies andfoundation skills to show the range ofpossible focal points for individualassessment:

Possible focal points for individualassessment

Assessment would clarify the interest andability of the learner vis-a-vis sampletasks in the three categories of "currentjob tasks," "future job tasks," and "tasksfrom outside the job." The sample taskscovered would be agreed upon by theplanning team and learners.

Rather than use assessmentactivities which are seen assomething apart from learning(and perhaps disruptive orthreatening), programs should use

"seamless" forms of assessmentwhich are part of the learning

process and which respectlearners' desire for confidentiality.

Workplace educators with the aboveconcerns have begun developingalternative forms of collecting and usinginformation. These tools borrow from thereading and writing field and otherdisciplines. They are used to gatherinformation about learner interests,needs, abilities, and progress. Theresulting information is often stored in a"portfolio" for each participant. Thesetools are used continually through thelearning cycle: prior to and in the earlystages of instruction, regularly through thecourse of instruction, and at the end ofthe cycle.

Shown below is a process for using thesenew forms of individual assessment toclarify the "readiness" of indMduals toparticipate in the education, training, andother organizational change activities youidentified in the WNA.

A process for assessing individuals'interests and abilities

Let's assume that the WNA has indicatedthat the team should set up the followingeducation and training activities:

- a "communications and problem-solving" courseto help all workers participate actively in thecompany's new "quality team" work format;

- a "workplace health and safety" course toensure a safe workplace and to comply with OSHArequirements;

- "career planning" workshops to help workersprepare for job promotions, further education and

training, and/or retirement

- a "shop math" course to help workers prepare

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-7.

for technical training in SPC, blueprint reading, endwelding.

You now need to know if and howindividual employees might fit into thoseproposed basic education and technicaltraining activities. Let's take the proposed"communications and problem-solving"course as an example. The team seesthis as a way to prepare workers to useoral and written communications toidentify and solve work-related problems.This course would be seen as animportant part of the company's shift toteam decision-making.

You need to know to what degreepotential course participants already caneffectively use written and oral English forcollective problem-solving. You alsoneed to know how much they feel a needto upgrade those skills. You might alsowant to get some specific ideas frompotential participants about specificproblems and skills to deal with in thecourse.

To give you a complete picture of theparticular abilities and interests of each ofyour participants, you should assess eachparticipant. However, sometimes timeconstraints or other factors block you fromgetting access to all participants prior togetting a learning activity off the ground.In such cases, you might have to collectinformation from only a sample ofpotential participants. This will give you asense of where participants are "at" interms of the learning activities you have inmind. Use your best judgment about howmany employees you can interview andotherwise collect information from prior tothe start of a learning activity. Try to geta representative sample of potential

participants. Don't select only those withthe highest level of skill or motivation.

You can collect information via a

combination of interviews and, perhaps,.simulated problem-solving activities.Shown below are examples of aninterview and some simulations whichmight enable you to clarify learner interestand abilities vis-a-vis several areas whichmight be covered in a "communicationsand problem-solving" course:

Sample interview to a3S2Sti interests and abilities

Communications

1. VIM whom do you currently communicate on thejob?2. Describe the kinds of communications you have withthose people?3. What do you communicate about?4. How do you communicate? (By talking one on one?Talking in groups? In writing? Over the phone? Viacomputer? Via memos?)5. What is necessary for smooth communications onthe job?6. Do you think a communications course might be ofhelp to you?7. If no, why not?8. if yes, what topics might you cover in acommunications course?9. Would you like to learn how to communicate betteroutside the job? If yes, descnbe some situations whereyou'd like to improve your communications skills.

Problem-solving

1. What kinds of problems do you encounter on the job?2. How do you solve those problems? (Pick one anddescribe how you would solve it.)3. What makes it hard to solve problems?4. What is necessary to solve problems?5. Would a problem-solving course be of help to you?5. tf yes, what problems and topics would you like tofocus on?7. If no, why not?8. Are there problems you encounter outside the jobwhich you would Iike to learn how to solve? If yes, whatare they?9. Do you have any suggestions for other courses youmight like to have?

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Simulation related to "problem solving"

Explain to participant: Here's the situation. You have aco-worker who never listens to anything you say. Youhave been told that you should try to work with co-workers to solve problems, but every time you make asuggestion to this co-worker, he never seems to beinterested.

You aren't sure if you aren't making yourself clear, or theco-worker just isn't interested, or rf he has a problemunderstanding other people.

Describe how you would deal with this situation. Inparticular, (1) What is the problem? (2) What are itscauses? (3) What steps might you take to solve it?

In the interview and simulation outlinedabove, you and/or perhaps anothercolleague will have to document theparticipant's responses, to provide youwith clear evidence to review afterward.

In addition to assessing learner interestand abilities related to your proposed"communications and problem-solving"course, you can go through a similarprocess of using interviews andsimulations to assess learner readiness toparticipate in your proposed "workplacesafety and health" course, the "careerplanning" workshops, and the "shopmath" course.

When preparing these kinds ofinstruments, you should consult technicaltrainers, supervisors, unionrepresentatives, and learners who haveknowledge of particular workplaceproblems, terminology, and so forth. Youmight, as a subgroup of your planningteam, establish an "assessment"committee to help you prepareinstruments and review the informationyou collect.

Note, however, that you need to maintainthe confidentiality of individual learner

records. This committee might thus seeonly aggregate summaries of informationfor groups of learners rather than any oneindividual's results.

These ways of collecting information canhelp you establish trust and a spirit of"dialogue" with learners in ways whichmore formal "tests" usually can't. This isimportant not only to help you keep theprogram focused on relevant objectivesbut to help you overcome the resistancewhich many adult learners have to "tests."Learners, in fact, can help you design theinterviews and simulations you use, tohelp them understand the purposes ofthese activities and develop data-gathering skills they can use elsewhereon or off the job.

How the resulting information is used:

As you collect information with theseinterviews, simulations, and other tools,carefully store the results in an individualfolder for each learner. Privately go overthe results (including your comments)with each learner. This will provide abaseline set of information to plan yourinitial round of educational activities with.This baseline can also serve as ameasure against which you can monitorprogress (changes in learner interests,abilities, behaviors, etc.) during thelearning cycle.

You should also summarize the keyfindings for all the learners in anaggregate (collective) form. Summarize,for example, the range of interests andabilities represented among the learnersyou've assessed. You can then use this

-

information when preparing a strategicplan for the integrated initiative. You will,

for example, have clearer categories oflearning objectives for each of yourproposed courses and workshops.

This summary will also give you

aggregate information to present tofunders, managers, trainers, supervisors,union representatives, and others likely towant a picture of where your learners areas they enter the program. (Asmentioned earlier, you might establish anassessment committee on your planningteam composed of trainers, supervisors,union stewards, and others who can helpyou not only tiesign useful assessmentactivities but help you interpret theinformation you gather.)

Note that "aggregate" data whichsummarize information for a number oflearners at once have the advantages ofenabling you to (1) keep names ofindividuals "secret" and (2) identifypatterns of interests and needs to buildrelevant learning activities around.

- Ongoing data-gathering and decision-making

Let's now assume that your team hasused the information from the WNA andinitial round of individual assessments toget the four activities ("communicationsand problem solving," "workplace safetyand health," "career planning", and "shopmath") underway.

You can now continue to carry outmodified versions of the above interviews,simulations, and other assessmentactivities to monitor interests and abilitiesas they unfold. You might work with

learners to develop these instruments, sothey understand the purposes ofassessment and see it as a useful toolrather than as a threat. Learners might,for example, prepare "quizzes" forthemselves which assess their knowledgeof content matter and/or particulartransferrable competencies like findinginformation and writing.

You might also collect various "artifacts"which indicate learner progress. Artifactscan include samples of written work fromclass, the workplace, or other contexts; orlearner logs in which they describe howthey are using their skills, problemsencountered, and questions they have.You can aiso keep a checklist orobservation sheet for each learner inwhich you periodically recordobservations about how well learners aremeeting their learning objectives.

With the learners, agree on a system forstoring these "artifacts" in their respectivefolders. To avoid storing lots of"evidence" without making good use of it,decide with learners how they will usethat stored evidence. They might on theirown or in discussions with you pick outexamples of their best work. Or theymight choose to pay special attention tosamples of a particular type of writtenwork (e.g., workplace progress reportswhich they need to be able to fill out toqualify for a promotion). Learners canthen transfer these examples to a"portfolio" which will serve as a record oftheir evolving abilities and interests. (Formore details about portfolio assessment,consult the texts by Hanna Fingeret andJane MacKillop listed under "Suggestedreadings" below.)

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By working with learners to gather,review, and select samples of their work,you will help them pay greater attention to

and take greater responsibility fortheir own learning. This helps build thekind of "learning ethic necessary forhigh-performance learning organizations.

As instructor, you can also use thisprocess as a systematic means forcontinuously improving your teaching byidentifying emerging learning needs andtaibring instruction accordingly. Thisdiffers from more common over-relianceon tests which too often produceinformation which is abstract andintimidating for learners and doesn't tellyou much about what really motivateslearners.

The resulting portfolios can also, at theend of the program cycle, serve asevidence which you can use to assessprogress of individuals and of the group.These individual portfolios can becombined with feedback fromsupervisors, trainers, and union stewardsand with other kinds of information in anend-of-cycle summative evaluation of theprogram. (See the Chapter 7 discussionof "evaluation.")

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

By combining an upfront WNA with initialand ongoing individual assessmentactivities, you will create an assessmentsystem. This system will help you (1)clarify learning-related interests andabilities to build your integrated effortaround and (2) monitor how thoseinterests and abilities are changing overthe life of the initiative. Remember that a

well designed, user-friendly assessmentsystem is central to any "highperformance" effort.

As you develop this assessment system,keep the following considerations in mind:

Maintain confidentiality. If you wantpeople to participate in your initiative, youneed to encourage trust. In anyassessment activities in which you askpeople to frankly "reveal themselves" bysharing their opinions and feelings, youneed to ensure them that what they saywill not be used against them. Do so byasking all involved to abide by the groundrule, "what anyone says wili not beshared with others outside this group, norwill it be used against them."

Look beyond "assessing individuals."Get away from the "schoolish" concept ofassessment as "testing individuals."Redefine "assessment' as a positive toolfor identifying learning objectives andtracking progress. Understand that aworkplace development initiative requireschange by both individuals and theorganization as a whole. Assessmentshould therefore examine needs andchanges in not just individuals but thelarger organization, as well.

Look beyond current jobs to futurelearning needs. Don't define yourinitiative's goals narrowly as "fine tuningemployees' abilities to handle current jobdemands." Think in the longer-term andset up your initiative to help employees todevelop an interest in ongoing self-development, and the skills andknowledge they will need to evolve andimprove with the organization. Yourassessment activities should thus look at

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those broader and longer-term goalsrather than only short-term, narrow ones.

Don't view "improved jobperformance" and "personaldevelopment" as contradictory goals.Evaluations of workplace educationefforts show that most stakeholders hopethat learners will use their learning toimprove not only their job performancebut their lives outside the job, as well.The learning organization" conceptencourages all participants in anorganization to reorient themselves toongoing learning and continuousimprovement of themselves and theorganization they work in. Byencouraging constant use ofcompetencies in many contexts, themastery of those competencies is

speeded up. In this new approach toworkplace learning, the traditional wallbetween "learning for the job" andlearning for life" is broken down. A WMand individual assessment can encouragestakeholder interest in learning by gettingthem to think of the broad range oflearning objectives they might aim for.

Decide how "precise" you need to be.Realize that it is often not feasible ornecessary to come up with precisemeasures of impact for a complexundertaking like a workplace developmentinitiative. Understand that, in manycases, "rough carpentry" (quicklygathered, but not finely measuredinformation) is adequate evidence tomake day-to-day decisions with.

Involve learners and otherstakeholders in the assessmentprocess. Use your planning team tocarry out your assessment, evaluation,

and other planning activities. This wouldensure that all stakeholder groupsincluding learners see assessment as auseful tool rather than an imposition.

Be unobtrusive. Don't overwhelm yourinformation sources and team, memberswith complex, time-consuming,:distractingdemands on their time. They will likelyquickly grow tired of assessment andresent the initiative. Instead, create"seamless" assessment activities built intoday-to-day activities already carried outby participants and other stakeholders.

Use "triangulation." 'Triangulation" is afancy way of saying, "Don't put all youreggs in one basket." That is, don't relyonly on one source of information (e.g.,what the teacher or participants orsupervisors say) or one way of gatheringinformation (e.g., a questionnaire or afocus group). Remember that each,source and procedure for collecting;information has strengths and limitations.'Mix it up so you can get input from arange of sources in different ways.Compare what the various sources say,to get a balanced picture.

Consider both "numbers" and"narrative" information. You might tryto organize your assessment activities soyou will walk away with a mix of

"numbers" (quantified data) andinformation in "narrative" form ("stories,anecdotes"). Both formats haveadvantages and disadvantages. The"numbers" can be statistically analyzedover time, but tend not to capture the"feel" or nuances of what is going on in aninitiative. .Narrative information cancapture those nuances but be hard to boil

down into key, manageable findings.

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Reconsider "subjectivity" and

"objectivity." Don't assume that"feedback from individuals is subjectiveand inherently questionable," while

"numbers (e.g., test scores) don't lie."Understand that while what a person sayscan be limited by "subjectivity" (i.e., biasand limited understanding), a "test" canlikewise be limited if not constructedproperly. Control for bias by asking thesame questions of many different

sources.

Tie assessment in with evaluation andother planning activities. Rememberthat assessment is only useful if someoneuses it. Feed the information which your

assessment activities provide aboutneeds and progress into your strategicplanning, curriculum development,evaluation, and other planning activities.

SELF REVIEW

Now use the following questions toconsider whether and how you might

apply the above information to your own

work:

1. In the organization(s) you will work with, how

open will stakeholders be to assessing not onlyindividual needs but using a WNA to analyze the

needs of the larger organization?

2. How comfortable do you personally feel with

the above<lescribed approaches to organizational

and individual assessment?

3. What do you need to do to prepare yourself to

carry out effective assessment?

CHAPTER 6: CREATING MULTIPLE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

Curriculum should be viewed not as "a setof workbooks" but as a process. In thatprocess, educators, learners, and ptherstakeholders continually (1) identifylearning objectives, and (2) plan,implement, refine, and expand on avariety of activities to meet thoseobjectives.

SELF STUDY

To prepare 'yourself for this discussion ofcurriculum, jot down answers to thesequestions:

1. What does the term "curriculum" mean to you?

2. What forms of curriculum have you used inworkplace ectucation programs?

You start by identifying broad goals foryour various learning activities. You thenget down to lesson planning for specificlearning modules. Each plan focuses onmore specific learning objectives andoutlines activities and resources to meetthose objectives.

A two phase curriculum model ispresented as an example of a web ofmutually supportive workplace learningopportunities. Phase 1 is an introductory"Team Learning Course" in whichlearners and facilitators get introduced toeach other, to a team learning process,and to particular learning objectives whichthey can pursue in more depth later.Phase 2 is a series of follow-up activitieswhich range from formal to less formaleducation and training sessions torestructuring of various aspects of theworkplace to encourage learners totransfer what they learn in the classroomback to the organizational context.

3. What process was used to select and/odevelop those curricula?

4. Which cunicula have you found most useful .Why?

5. Which curricula would you avoid using again?Why?

6. What would a more ideal curriculum anccurriculum development process look like?

CURRICULUM DEFINED

Chapter 1 showed how the role oworkplace basic skills education hasevolved from ABE/GED in the workplaceto job-specific instruction to a focus on abroader array of competencies which aretransferrable to many situations whichworkers encounter.

With that evolution have come nedefinitions for the term curriculum. In thABE/GED approach, curriculum tended t

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be seen as pre-packaged, off-the-shelftextbooks typically used in ABE/GEDclassrooms. These texts often taughtskills out of any meaningful context.Those that did try to be contextualized insome way could not be focused on theactual contexts learners faced on and offthe job because of their prepackagednature

The second wave of curricula were thejob-specific variety. These were anattempt to gear instruction to enablelearners to perform specific tasks theyfaced on the job. In this case, curriculumtended to be more customized, weavingactual workplace thinking andcommunication tasks and work-relatedwritten materials into instruction. In somecases, the lesson plans and teachingmaterials used in these job-specificprograms were assembled into curriculumpackages adaptable by otherpractitioners.

More recently, a more process-orienteddefinition of curriculum has crept intoworkplace education from the reading andwriting field, adult education, and relatedd isciplincs. This process-orienteddefinition might be phrased as follows:

Curriculum should be viewed notas a set of workbooks but as theprocess through which educators,learners, and other stakeholderscontinually (I) identify learningobjectives, and (2) plan,implement, mfine, and expand ona variety of activities io meet thoseobjectives.

Such a perspective on curriculum isparticularly relevant for workplace

programs trying to operate in a highperformance workplace because itborrows from the TQM planning processof identifying customer needs, gearingwork processes to meet those needs, andcontinually monitoring and refining thoseprocesses.

This perspective is also pertinent for anintegrated approach to workplaceeducation and change because it shifts

r the focus of attention away from "runninga literacy class" to the creation of multiplelearning opportunities. These learningopportunities might include not onlytraditional "classes" but other activitieswhich enable learners to develop andpractice the competencies they need.These "non-classroom" activities mightinclude on-the-job mentoring,restructuring of work processes andediting of work-related documents tomake them more accessible to allworkers, and training of supervisors andtrainers to enable them to encourage allemployees to use their existingknowledge.

This broader view of curriculum is also inkeeping with the "learning organization"concept because it positions learning asan ongoing, pervasive, core function ofthe organization, rather than a series ofoccasional stand-alone classes.

This view of curriculum pushes plannersof education, training, and relatedactivities to figure out what mix ofactivities will enable all workers toparticipate actively in the continuousimprovement of the organization. Forcreative planners, this is at once excitingand intimidating. Where does one start toget a handle on this and to reorient all

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employees to a new way of integratingworkplace learning and change?

In the latter 1980s, a number ofworkplace literacy manuals were issued

which suggested steps for creating

curricula which were largely of the job-specific type described above. Elsewhere

in the adult literacy field, practitionershave been developing curriculumdevelopment approaches with can becharacterized as participatory in nature,

with learners given active roles in shapingobjectives and learning activities.

This chapter is not a recreation of those

previous guides on curriculumdevelopment. Instead, it is an attempt to

help those responsible for planningworkplace learning activities to create a

system of integrated learningopportunities. These opportunities are to

meet a number of learning objectives forthe organization and individual workers.

The rest of the chapter is divided into two

parts. It begins with a discussion of the

why's and how's of setting clear,

meaningful learning objectives. It thenoutlines a two-phase process of planningand implementing a series of integratedlearning activities. This model draws onrecent field work and is presented as aworking model which others might learn

from and adapt.

SETTING CLEAR AND MEANINGFULLEARNING OBJECTIVES

Adult educators should know the value ofsetting clear objectives to guide their work

with learners. How successfully weactually do this depends on the training,

experience, and perspective we have,how much time is available to us, andwhether the learners, funders, and otherswe work with are on the same wavelength with us about what objectives tofocus on and how to decide thoserobjectives.

Adult educators are often faced with asituaatn which doesn't support

investment in setting of meaningfulobjectives. Often the learners we workwith don't understand the value oftakingthe time to negotiate objectives; theN,

instead just want to get on with theprogram and "be taught." Funders alscoften push us to aim at increasing

learners' grade-level scores orstandardized tests rather than to wori<

with learners to set. learning goals which

are more meaningful to them and theorganization.

Experience in adult education settings -in workplaces and elsewhere - indicates

that a process which continually involves

learners, instructors, and other kesstakeholders in setting clear, meaningftilearning objectives can:

Ensure that teaming activities ar"on target";

Increase stakeholdeunderstanding, buy-in, and supporvis-a-vis those learning activities;

Provide evaluation criteria againswhich program success can bEmeasured.

Workplaces adopting a continuous qualitimprovement (TQM) approach tc

management should understand thE

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value of taking the time to set clearlearning objectives. If we apply thisperspective to our workplace educationand training efforts, we should place aheavy emphasis on understanding our"customers" (stakeholders) needs andgear our learning activities to meetingthose needs.

In fact, that is what the needsassessment process presented in theprevious chapter attempts to do: clarifythe needs of the organization andindividuals and map out a range ofpossible activities to meet those needs.

Let's assume that your planning team hasgone through that needs assessment andstrategic planning process and agreedthat the initiative will conduct four learningactivities in the coming months:

a "communications and problem-solving" course to help all workersparticipate actively in thecompany's new "quality team"work format;

a "workplace health and safety"course to ersure a safe workplaceand to comply with OSHArequirements;

a "shop math" course to helpworkers prepare for training inSPC, blueprint reading, andwelding.

In your WNA and initial individualassessment activities, learners and otherstakeholders will have given you inputabout the content and format of thoselearning activities. They will also haveshown you what interests, prior

knowledge, abilities, and needs learnerswould bring to those activities.

With this information in hand, you cannow get down to more detailed planningfor each activity. For each activity (e.g.,course, workshop series, etc., you can gothrough a process to:

Map out goals for each "module"(session);

For each module, prepare lessonplans which identify...

more-specific learningobjectives;

specific learning activitiesto meet those objectives;

any resources (materialsand/or persons) required.

While it is important to try to have broadgoals for the various modules mapped outin advance as well as a good number ofspecific lesson plans to get thecourse/workshops started, it is importantnot to be too rigid and set objectives inconcrete prior to starting the learningactivities. While it might be comforting tofeel as though you know exactly what youare going to be doing in the course aheadof time, be careful. You are in danger ofviolating the principle of "continuousimprovement" if you aren't willing to alteryour objectives and activities in light ofevidence which emerges once thelearning activity gets underway.

A true "continuous improvement"approach requires you to be incontinuous dialogue with your"customers," continually asking them"how are we doing?" and being open to

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new needs and suggestions for how tomake the activities more relevant and

efficient. Note that these concepts of

"continuous improvement" and "servingcustomer needs" should sound familiar toadult educators who advocate a learner-

centered, participatory approach to adult

learning.

This curriculum model is thus an

"integration" of concepts and practices

from two sources: the "continuousimprovement' approach to organizational

development and the participatoryapproach to contextualized adult basiceducation. As such, it provides a processand language which both adult educators

and workplace chang, agents can feelcomfortable with.

HOW TO DEVELOP MULTIPLELEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

Outlined below is a two-phase process ofplanning and implementing a series ofintegrated learning activities. They are"integrated" in several ways:

They weave rmerge") practice inkey workplace competencies inwith developing knowledge ofparticular content areas deemedimportant by stakeholders;

The initial phase of learningactivities (the introductory 'TeamLearning Course") feeds intosubsequent learning activities byproviding a forum in whichstakeholders can identify whatkinds of learning activities to focuson next.

They are a direct outgrowth of theneeds assessment activities whichprecede them.They provide opportunities fortechnical trainers and otherresource persons to work as co-facilitators with basic . skills

instructors.

The following two-phased approachallows learners and other stakeholders tofirst "get their feet wet" and to get.accustomed to the notion of "teamlearning" via an introductory course. In

such a course, participants could try outmany of the topics you want to cover inmore depth in subsequent learningactivities. They would get accustomed tolearning in a group and help your teamidentify how to make subsequent learning

activities relevant to learners' particularinterests, knowledge, and abilities.

In the following description of the two-phase process, we will continue to usethe topics of "communications andproblem-solving," "workplace health andsafety," and "shop math" which weidentified in our hypothetical needsassessment activities. In "real life,"however, you would of course weave in

topics and learning activities which youidentified in your own needsassessments. Consider this process not

as something to be rigidly adopted but asone example of how to merge a number

of mutually-supportive learning activitietogether in an integrated learning system

Phase 1:Introductory "Team Learning'Course

In this first phase, you plan, implementand evaluate an introductory course. Fo

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the purposes of this discussion, we willcall it the "Team Learning Course," butyou can name it whatever you want. Thiscourse would aim at a number of goals:

enable you as educator to get toknow the learners, clarify therinterests and abilities, and identifywhat to focus on in subsequentlearning activities. (This is an

example of "seamless"assessment-- assessmentintegrated into learning activities.)

enable participating employeesto...

Understanding the organization:Helping employees understand the "bigpicture" of the organization (i.e., itsmission, structure, functions, policies) andwhere they fit into it;

Analyzing jobs:

Helping employees to be able to analyzeand improve particular jobs;

Preparing for the future:

Helping employees to preparethemselves for future changes/challengesthey will face.

practice key workplace competenciesthey need to participate actively in theorganization, while better understandingthe organization, improving their ability toanalyze and improve jobs (with particularemphasis on health and safety-relatedissues), and planning for futurechallenges they will face.

practice learning and making decisionsas a team.

This framework would allow you tointroduce learners to the topics of"communications and problem-solving,""workplace health and safety," and "shopmath" you identified in your needsassessment. They and you wouldthen be better prepared to tackle thosetopics in more depth in subsequentlearning activities.

help the company shift to alearning organization model.

Here are steps for putting together thisintroductory course:

1. Identify learning objectives.

With your education planning team,review the range of learning-relatedactivities you identified in your needsassessment. Typically an integratededucation/training/change initiative has amix of objectives which include:

To make best use of the time available forinstruction, it is important to have a clearset of learning objectives and interesting,stimulating activities and resources inplace prior to the beginning of instruction.It is also important, however, not toapproach planning in a rigid way,assuming that you can plan everythingout in detail ahead of time. Learnerinterests, schedules, etc. will change overthe life of the program, and you must beprepared to adapt and change your plansaccordingly.

As a way of balancing the need to be wellprepared with the need to be flexible andresponsive to emerging needs and

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conditions, we suggest that you preparea curriculum for the introductory coursewhich begins with discussions of topicsyou are already familiar with andgradually moves to ones which emergeover the life of the course. Shown belowis a framework of activities for a coursewhich meets approximately twice a week(two hours per session) for ten weeks.(You can adapt this framework to suit thetime, interests, etc. represented in yoursite.)

2. Develop lesson plans.

Using the three categories (e.g.,understanding the organization, analyzingjobs, and preparing the future) as aframework and referring to your strategicplan, brainstorm with your team a numberof topics which might fit into those threecategories. Organize those topics into aseries of learning modules to be coveredover a given time period.

For each module, develop a detailedlesson plan in which you map out specificlearning objectives, time requirements,materials needed, resource persons, anda step-by-step series of activities whichlearners and facilitators should go throughto meet the learning objectives.

As you do so, rethink what kind of contestwe are trying to prepare employees for.(rhat is, we are now being asked toprepare people to carry out a number ofworkplace roles, not just rotely followorders and do the same task over andover.) And rethink the process we use fordeveloping meaningful curricula. (That is,don't use a flop-down" approach in whichyou as expert figure out what learnersneed in advance and the "teach" it to

them; instead involve all stakeholders ina collaborative process of planning andcarrying out learning activities, puttingthem in the role of defining what theyneed to know and then helping themfigure out how to learn it.

Consider how you can structure thegroups as "learning teams" whichemphasize active learner involvement insetting goals, peer-instruction, research,and monitoring of progress. Such astructure mimics the team-learningprocess which employees need to use inself-directed work teams and other highperformance workplace contexts.

Consider building each module around aquestion, problem, or issue culled from

your WNA and individual needs

assessments. When a workplaceproblem is the topic at hand, structureactivities not as "lectures" in which youspoon-feed the issue and solutions tolearners. Instead, create activities whichchallenge learners to analyze the problemand potential solutions.

Learning activities are built around aseries of questions which learners usevarious SCANS competencies to develop

answers to.

3. Prepare learning materials.

The above kind of course is customized

to particular issues unique to yourorganization. It also is structured to elicitactive input from learners and other

stakeholders.

You will likely have to draw on materialstaken from that workplace (e.g., annual

reports, job descriptions, training

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,

documents) or create your own materialswhich present information relevant to yourparticular context. Note that this courseencourages learners to go out andcompile information and then createaction plans which summarize whatthey've learned and their own views.These learner-generated materials can bemore valuable than any prepackagedannual report.

4. Prepare facilitators and resourcepersons.

An important feature of an effectivecurriculum is the people who will facilitatethe learning process. The abovecurriculum is a challenging one andrequires facilitators with particular valuesand skills. (See Chapter 2).

Even the best facilitator is unlikely to havea full grasp of all the content areas whichmight be covered in an integratedcurriculum. Consider bringing in resourcepersons (such as supervisors or teamleaders, union stewards, technicaltrainers) to help you shape and carry outrelevant learning activities. Note thatthese content area specialists might beunfamiliar with how to "facilitate learning"rather than "lecture students." Figure outwhat preparations (training-of-trainingworkshops, handouts) they might needand perhaps team them with facilitatorswith whom they can "team teach."

5. Implement the introductory course.

Once you have done the abovepreparations, conduct the introductorycourse as planned. Add new topics andrevise activities as you go along and asyou get input from learners and other

stakeholders. Keep the planning teaminformed and invite their support.

6. Evaluate the introductory course.

With the team, continually monitor learnerneeds and interests as the courseproceeds and make changes as needed.Emphasize your desire for "continuousimprovement" and the fact that thisintroductory course is a stepping stone to

, further learning activities. At the end ofthe course, conduct an end-of-cycleevaluation to summarize what you'velearned and to inform future planning.The following chapter discussesevaluation in more depth.

Phase 2: Opportunities for ongoinglearning

This above introductory course will not bethe final answer to participants' learningneeds. They will need other supportssimultaneous with the introductory courseand after the course is completed. These"supports" include not only formal andinformal education and training activities,but restructuring of the contexts in whichlearners operate to enable them to usewhat they are learning "in class."

F o r example, youreducation/training/change initiative mightalso include:

"Special focus" courses orworkshops:

Recall that the introductory course wasdesigned to introduce learners to anumber of subject areas andcompetencies which might be covered inmore depth later on. It is also likely that

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:

in the introductory course some

participants would identify additionalparticular needs/interests around whichsubsequent instruction might be

organized. Examples include "shopmath," "preparing for technical training,"

"preparing to be a group leader,""communicating electronically". In Phase2 you can organize longer courses orshorter workshops on these specializedtopics.

individual counseling:

Learners meet with instructors to discusstheir educational needs and options formeeting them.

Individual tutoring:

The instructor or others (employeevolunteers) meet with participants (asindividuals or in small groups) todiscuss/practice particular topics/learningactivities. These might take the form oflunchtime study groups.

Special interest groups/clubs:

Groups of learners sharing a commoninterest (e.g., computers, typing...) meetperiodically with resource persons (e.g.,the company or union computerspecialist, someone skilled in word-processing) to go through informallearning activities/mentoring.

Clear communications activities:

A "clear writing" group (composed ofcommunications and training departmentpersonnel, instructors, learners, etc.)reviews workplace materials (e.g., forms,memos, instructions, warnings, etc.) and

training plans and revises them to enableall employees to use them. (Editing ofworkplace materials might become aclassroom activity.) Supervisors, unionstewards, and trainers might be givenspecial training, to show them how tocommunicate clearly and encouragelearners to use what they have learned inthe classroom back to the job.

Publishing projects:

One or more employees with a specialinterest in writing serves as mentors to agroup of learners to put together anemployee newsletter, an anthology oflearner writing (mini-biographies, poems),or an employee electronic bulletin board.

Brown bag lunch series:

The organization hosts a series ofweekly,lunchtime presentations or debates ontopics of interest to learners. Learnerswould be invited to participate as

speakers and audience members. Theissues covered might be woven back intoclassroom learning activities.

Learning resource room:

The organization creates a learningresource room which is "user-friendly" tolearners. It should be stocked withpopular reading (newspapers, magazines,paperbacks) and reference (dictionaries,encyclopedias), comfortably furnishedand lighted, and perhaps have computerswhich learners can use to pursue

objectives like learning how to type,writing a resume, practicing math, etc.This room would be a place wherelearning is valued and encouraged. Allemployees would be welcomed, and the

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instructor might use it as a "home base"to informal interactions with learners.

Creation of incentives for learning:

Learners need to be encouraged to usewhat they are learning in the classroomand to recast themselves as thinking,active problem-solvers. This can be donethrough restructuring of jobs and trainingto provide workers with opportunities andincentives to use what they know. This,in turn, requires the cooperation ofsupervisors, team leaders, and co-workers, as well as the creation of clearfinancial incentives for learning (e.g.,tuition assistance, release time, andpromotions, bonuses, and pay increasesfor demonstrated improvements in skilland use of those skills. VVithout suchopportunities and incentives, "learning" islikely to be viewed by all as an academicexercise which while nice in manyways doesn't put bread on the table.

The above ongoing learning opportunitiesare means of really integrating learningactivities into the larger organization'sday-to-day operations. By combining theintroductory course with these"curriculum" which changes bothindividuals and the larger organization.

This integration of miscellaneous learningactivities is not easy. Keeping all theseballs in the air requires the planning team,learners, and other stakeholders to do anumber of things simultaneously. Youneed to:

Carefully plan, implement. andmonitor each of these aclivities.Individual members of the teammust carefully map out objectives,

steps, logistics, and assessmentmechanisms for each activity, asthey did with the planning of theintroductory course in Phase 1.

Coordinate the activities toprevent confusion,unnecessary redundancy,or simply overwhelminglearners and otherstakeholders with too much"learning." It is importantfor the team to be clearwhich courses/activities itwill offer and how theyrelate to each other, so thatlearners see a naturalprogression ("path") whichwill keep them interestedand involved in learningover an extended period.This will give learners more"time on task" to really buildand sustain their skills whilegiving the organization areal chance to move to alearning organizationmodel.

If you do it right, you will help individualsdevelop their abilities in several ways andto ensure that the organization supportsthe transfer of what it learned back to"reality."

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SELF REVIEW

Now that you've read the discussion of an

integrated curriculum model, consider:

1. Would the above model be feasibleand desirable in the workplace(s) in which

you will work?

2. If you wanted to pursue this model,how would you adapt it?

What topics/objectives would it likely focus on?

Who would participate as learners?Who might serve as facilitators and resource

persons?

3. To create a more integratedcurriculum, what steps will you have to

take?

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nr,

CHAPTER 7: EVALUATION FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

In workplace education settings,evaluation is often thought of as a reportdone by an external expert for someoneelse. Workplace educators might beaccustomed to thinking of evaluation assomething cumbersome ("paperwork"),intimidating ("to please the funder"), andirrelevant ("tests which don't really tell mewhat I need to know to meet myobjectives").

Recently workplace educators have beencreating new forms of evaluation whichattempt to be both user-friendly andmeaningful to stakeholders, using termsand procedures familiar to those involved.These approaches intentionally involvestakeholders in clarifying goals,monitoring progress, and refiningprogram operations.

A systematic approach to evaluationrequires extra work but should be seen ascentral to any workplace developmentinitiative that is guided by the spirit of"continuous improvement."

SELF STUDY

To prepare yourself for the followingdiscussion of what evaluation might meanin an integrated initiative, please jot downanswers to the following questions:

1. What was/were the purpose(s) of thoseevaluation activities?

2. Who was involved in your evaluation activities?What were their roles?

3. What activities have fallen under the heading of"evaluation"?

4. What did you find useful about those evaluationactivities?

5. What problems did you encounter trying to doevaluation?

HOW DOES EVALUATION DIFFER/OVERLAP WITH ASSESSMENT?

The terms assessment and evaluation areoften used interchangeably. In this guide,however, we make the followingdistinctions.

Assessment activities are the proceduresused to identify the evolving interests andabilities of both the organization andindividual employees. Upfront (initial)assessment thus can provide agroundwork for planning of programoperations. Assessment data can alsoserve as a baseline for evaluationpurposes.

Ongeing assessment of changes in thoseinterests and abilities providesinformation which program planners canthen weigh, judge or value. Planners canuse this information to decide what isbeing achieved and whether and how tocontinue the initiative. These functions of

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using information to "value" and makedecisions about the program are what

constitutes evaluation.

Ey these definitions,

Assessment focuses on the

organization and individualemployees. It documents theirevolving interests and abilities.

Evaluation focuses on theprogram or initiataive. It looks atthe training process and usesassessment information tomeasure program impact.

Thus, in a workplace developmentinitiative, evaluation is an ongoingprocess of...

1. clarifying the initiative's goals (what dothe stakeholders want it to achieve), and

2. gathering and analyzing information toenable stakeholders to...

determine what is being achieved,

decide whether to continue theinitiative and, it so,

how to improve it.

This way of viewing evaluation is

consistent with the values and proceduresof high performance learningorganizations, where evaluation is centralto ensuring that operations arecontinuously improved to meet customerneeds.

WHAT ARE PROMISINGAPPROACHES TO EVALUATION?

Traditionally, grant and contract fundedprograms such as workplace literacy andcustomized training initiatives have eitherused an external evaluator or their ownstaff to conduct evaluation. Recentlyhowever, workplace educators in the U.S.and Canada have developed . teamevaluation models which involve thevariotis stakeholders. Typically, theevaluation team members are thoseserving on the program's planning teamwhich also helps with the needsassessment and the curriculumdevelopment. In this way, evaluation isseen as an integral part of theorganizational development effort ratherthan as a distracting obligation.

As illustrated in the Haartz case study,the evaluation team can: help determinethe scope of the evaluation (what dopeople want to know), decide the successindicators, pilot test the instruments,collect the data and help disseminate thefindings. Their involvement in the designphase can reduce the anxiety aboutevaluation resulting in greaterparticipation by others. More importantly,having representatives from all levels ofthe organization ensures support for anyneeded changes that may berecommended to improve the traininginitiative.

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Case Study

Haartz Corporation set up a team to evaluatethe basic education program it operated at its250 employee plant in Action, Massachusetts.The dozen team members included: thecompany president, plant manager, qualitycontrol specialist, two supervisors, threeprogram participants, three representatives ofthe outside education agency, and an outsideevaluator. About half of those membersparticipated in all of the team activities, and theother half participated as their schedulesallowed.

Members used a pre/post questionnaire in whichlearners monitored changes in their uses ofcommunication skills. Learners alsoparticipated in a focus group and completed a"math mid-course critique" questionnaire. Theprogram coordinator kept a program log todocument anecdotes capturing issues,problems, ideas, and successes which emergedin the program. This log was made available toother planning team members. Team membersalso developed standards for the variouscomponents of their program and used thesestandards to monitor whether the program wasmeeting these standards and, if not, whatactions were needed to enable it to do so.(Source: Sperazi and Jurrno, 1994)

The focus of most federal and state-financed workplace retraining iseconomic development. Therefore,successful programs are expected toimprove both the marketability of theindividual and the business performanceof the company. That is why workplaceeducation programs are starting to linkevaluation to company performance.In these companies educators have beenable to correlate the results of trainingwith direct benefits to the organization.(See Magnavox Case Study.)

However, keep in mind that it may bedifficult to isolate the effects of training on

company performance since manyexternal factors affect productivity andsales including: working conditions,management practices, rapid changes ina company's markets or overall economicconditions.

Case Study

Magnavox Electronic Systems Company is amid-sized high-tech manufacturer in Torrance,California. ft designed a training program toaddress the basic skills needs of itspredominately immigrant workforce in order toimprove the quality of production and reducecosts. Its training partner, El CaminoCommunity College, provided customized ESL,math and literacy instruction.

Testing showed that employees not onlyincreased their reading and math skills but alsotheir efficiency ratings. Before training, theaverage monthly efficiency of students was 18percent of ideal for their positions. In the fourmonths since the program started, the averageefficiency rose to 26 percent, a 45% increase inemployee efficiency that could be directlyattributed to the training program.

Additionally, the company evaluated results inproductivity. Scrap and rework rates declineddramatcally during the course of the workplacetraining. The company saved $262,000 onscrap costs over the prior year, a 35% reduction.It saved $74,000 on rework costs, a 25%decline. The company estimated that the resultsdirectly attributable to the training translated intoa dollar benefit of $2,300 a month.(Source: Training and Development, 1992)

While quantitative data is useful fordocumenting program outcomes,workplace educators are turning to morequalitative information to guide theirevaluation of the training process. Someworkplace education programs are

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adapting the concepts of ihdividualportfolio assessment from education,progress reports from business, and casestudy research from the social sciences,to create a new evaluation tool referred toas "program portfolios." Through thelife of the education program, teammembers collect pieces of evidence ofprogram progress and needs. This mightinclude minutes from team meetings,aggregate summaries of informationstored in individual learner portfolios,sample reports or other documentsproduced by learners, and a program"log" in which team members recordanecdotes and other evidence ofprogram impact.

The planning team periodically reviewsthe contents of this program portfolio,selects evidence which it wants to sharewith other audiences, analyzes thatinformation, and attaches to the evidencean explanation of what that evidencerepresents and the team's interpretationof it. The resulting summary and analysisof evidence can then be given toappropriate audiences for considerationand follow-up action.

DESIGNING AN EVALUATION PLAN

Most workplace training/retrainingprograms share a common mission toimprove the nation's workfre-ce so thatemployees and companies L n be morecompetitive. Yet each program uses adistinct approach to meeting theparticular needs of a company. Tocapture the uniqueness of each situation,evaluation efforts should be tailored to

the company and its workplace trainingprogram/initiative.

You should plan your evaluation activitiesat the beginning of your program. Thiswill allow you to do formativeevaluation, the ongoing monitoring ofprogress and quality. The feedbackpromotes a "dynamic" programincreasing the likelihood that your trainingwill be successful.

Summative evaluation provides a

cumulative snapshot of what the programhas achieved. This data can informfunding agencies, business partners andother program developers. To measurelong term impact on job performance andfuture training, good evaluation continuesfor at least 90 days after initial traininghas been completed.

Following are some steps you and yourevaluation team might take to build aunique evaluation approach that is

responsive to the needs of yourstakeholders.

m Delegate evaluationresponsibilities

A good evaluation requires a commitmentof time by one or more people willing andable to do the leg work of designing thedetails of information-gathering activities,going out and collecting information,recording it, ana?yzing k, and so forth.agislmLhich team mernberp_vjilistatjkwork and which will play other roles assources of information and "audience" foryour evaluation report. For those whoare to take more acdve roles, have them

"do some homework" by reading andconsulting with the sources you used inyour own preparations. Take the time totalk with them about any questions theymight have. Review with them the"special considerations" at the end ofChapter 5.

wbatime.s.c1 to bring inothers with s ecial evaluation exorise,You might conclude that you don't havethe time or the expertise you need toconduct an evaluation on your own. Youmight want someone else who can bringin new ideas and sample instrumentsfrom other workplace programs.

Keep in mind that this person need nottake on the traditional role of "outsideevaluator" who essentially controls theevaluation's content and process.Instead, this person might be asked tobecome a member of your planning team.In that role, she or he can serve as afacilitator of a process in which teammembers are actively involved indesigning and carrying out theevaluation.

at Determine parametersevaluation

Although your funding agency may be theonly one requiring an evaluation,answering other stakeholders questionswill help develop understanding andsupport for your program. Evaluationalso gives them the information they ney.e.dto decide whether to continue investing inthe training and how to improve it.

The Parameters of Evaluation Chartillustrates the kind of responses a team

r might come up with. By going through asimilar exercise with your team, you canhelp members understand the potentialpurposes, focal points, and benefits of theevaluation. Because of time limitations,you may have to select the questionsthey feel are most important to answer.

Next, clarify the success indicators foryour initiative's goals. To know what theinitiative is achieving in terms ofoutcomes, you need to know what kind ofevidence, proof, or clues to look for.What evidence, for example, would youlook for to know if your initiative ismeeting the goal of helping learners toprepare for SPC training? You mightconsider:

of test results showing learners canperform the necessary mathcompetencies required for SPC, or

Ask your planning team to decide whatkind of evaluation might be appropriatefor your situation. To do so, glarly2_w _howants what information for whatgLirjamE. That is, for whom are youpreparing an evaluation? What do thoseaudiences want to know about thevarious goa:s and activities of theinitiative? Why do they want thatinformation?

MIGNM111EMIM.IRI....

surveys of the technical trainerand the learners indicatingsatisfactory performance in theSPC class.

Often, the outcomes are measured interms of learner gains as well as impacton job performance and the company.

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PARAMETERS OF EVALUATION

Who What information For what purpose

Learners "How am I doing?" (How do instructorsfeel I'm doing?)

Where should I go next in terms oftraining and education?

To demonstrate ability and effort tothe company and others.

To plan for future career andpersonal development.

Management What impact did the training have onthe employees and the company?

Was training coordinated with otherO.D. and training efforbs?

Is this initiative helping the companymeet Its strategic goals ?

What was the return on theinvestment?

To evaluate the training provider.

To determine the relationship ofbasic skills to other companyactivities?

To clarify whether and how to .

continue supporting the initiative.

To determine the cost effectiveness.

Basic skills staff Have the learners acquired new skills,knowledge or personal qualities?

Was the training "on targerresponsive to company needs andappropriate to learners? (Do learningactivities need to be revised?)

What topics/ objectives should futurebasic skills related activities focus on?

To demonstrate program's successto stakeholders.

To identify areas for programImprovement. .

To have evidence to show to fundersin future funding proposals.

Technical trainers Have employees mastered the basicskills needed for technical training?

Have technical information or materialsbeen incorporated into the basic skillstraining?

To determine employee's readiness.

To gear technical training to abilitiesand needs of learners.

To identify areas for programImprovement.

Union representatives Is this program helping learners toachieve job security, promotionalopportunities, and other personalgoals?

Is this program helping learners bemore Invotved in union affairs?

To clarify whether and how tocontinue supporting the initiative.

Outside funders Did the program meet Its objectives?

Has the program helped the learnersand the company become morecompetitive?

To evaluate the grantee'sperformance.

To clarify whether and how tocontinue supporting the initiative.

76 71 BEST COPY AVAILABLE

Developmethods

data collection

For the questions you've chosen to givehighest priority to, decide how and whereyou mioht get the information. TypicaHyyou'll want activities which help youclarify (1) what the initiative is achieving(its impact) and (2) how it might beimproved. The Outcome EvaluationChart shows possible data sources andinformation-gathering activities you mightuse to measure impact.

For program improvement purposes,you'll probably want to get some feedbackon how well the various components areworking. The Process Evaluation Chartidentifies characteristics of effective,integrated workplace education that youcan use to ascertain your program'sstrengths and weaknesses. It alsoprovides you with sample strategies tocollect your feedback.

Use these kinds of grids to decide whichsources to go to for the data you want, aswell as the means you wiil use to get thatinformation. Before creating newinstruments, review assessment activitiesau've alreacsin and existinacompany data sources. To identifyadditional information-gathering activities,refer to Chapter 5 and the referencescited under "Suggested Readings".

Remember to use myltple evaluationstrategies and sources so that bothqualitative and quantitative data arecollected. To corroborate the findings,you should collect data from various keyplayers management, supervisors,participants, and program staff.

Designing information-gathering activitiesis not easy. You should also give thetools a trial run within your planning teamto iron out any snags and ensure thatthose who will use the tools can do sosmoothly. This will ensure that the toolsare clearly worded, non threatening andget at important information you might nothave thought of yourself.

Lastly, decide when the evaluationactivities will take place. Some activities'such as learner assessment of skillsshould be done on an ongoing basis aspart of instruction. On the other hand, areview of workforce data to determineimpact on job performance may only needto be done as a pre/ post training activity.

Disseminate Evaluation Results

Closing the loop in the evaluationprocess is essential. This means sharingevaluation results with all thestakeholders - participants, supervisors,management, project staff and fundingagencies. Feedback of this typepromotes a "training culture" withincompanies and in the community at large.

Disseminating your results in businessrelated publications is also a usefulmarketing tool. Evaluation reports usuallycontain four sections:

a description of the company andthe program,

the methodology used,

results of the data collected, and

recommendations for programimprovement and institution-alization.

72 BEST COPY AVAILABLE

OUTCOME EVALUATION

Purpose Data Collected Sample Strategies

Measure impact on learner Learning Gains:Job specificglobal/general

Affective Changes:Self-esteemMotivationIndependence

Further training:enrollment/retentionperformancecompletion rates

Marketability:retention rateearnin gspromotions

Standardized testsTeacher-developed testsCompetency checklistsCertificates awarded (GED)PortfoliosSelf appraisalSupervisors appraisalCo-worker feedback

Student follow-up surveyReview of training recordsVoc. Teachers appraisal

Review of employmentrecords

Self reporting

Measure impact on jobperformance

-Workforce data:

output per employeeabsenteeism rateturnover rateaccidents/injuries

Employee relations:increased communicationreduced supervision

.

Review of personnel recordsSupervisor surveyDept/unit work records

Performance appraisalsEmployee survey

Measure impact oncompany performance

Customer relations:complaintssatisfactionnew customers

Production:quality of outputquantity of outputtime on delivery

Company cost savings

mormemem.

Management surveyCustomer survey

Company records:.

return raterework/scrap percentvariance reports

Return on investment'

`Note: Divided savings by training cost and multiply by 100.

73

7 8

PROCESS EVALUATION

_Program Area Effectiveness Criteria Strategie:-11

Planning Participatory (Ail stakeholders)Measurable goals & training objectivesTraining tied to strategic planManagement & labor supportBased on comprehensive needs

assessmentEvaluation used for program

improvement

Minutes of advisory meetingsStaff interviewsCompany interviewsProposal reviewReview of data collectedLog of program changes

Curriculum Responsive to company and individualneeds

Related to critical job tasksTransferable skills taughtIntegrated with technical training

Observation .

Review of curriculumWritten surveys

Instruction andMaterials

Competency-basedContextualizedTeaches for applicationAppropriate to learnerAccessible (scheduling, facilities)Individual and group instructionOngoing monitoring of student progress

ObservationTrainee surveyInterviewsReview of trainee recordsReview of instructional materialsRecruitment and retentionnumbers

Coordination Ongoing communication betweenteachers and supervisors

Shared materials among literacy andtechnical trainersTraining sequencedTransition to other training facilitated

Staff interviewSupervisor surveyTechnical trainer survey

Resources Competent, trained staffAdequate facilities & equipmentAvailable support services

Program observationStaff questionnaireTrainee survey

.

However, remember to keep your variousaudiences in mind. Present your resultsin ways that are tailored to each audience(e.g., executive summaries, oralpresentations, informal meetings) etc.).Once your audiences have responded toyour reports, follow up and make surethat agreed upon actions are carried out.

SELF REVIEW

To prepare yourself for using evaluationin the contexts you are now to work in,consider these questions:

1. What would you now consider to becharacteristics of "good" evaluation?

2. How comfortable do you personallyfeel with the idea of organizing a teamevaluation like the one described in thischapter?

3. What activities would you implementto strengthen your evaluationprocedures?

4. How would you prepare yourself tomore systematically build evaluation intothe work you do?

75

Appendix A

SUGGESTED READING

Evolving Trends

Capacity Building for States Project (1993). Bridges to employment: Vocational ESLlesson_planning. Cary, IL: Northern Illinois University, Office of Applied Innovations.

Capacity Building for States Project (1994). Teaching the language of employment and

trainin . Consultations in brief, 2, 2.

Cichon, D.J., Grover, J. & Thomas, R.J. (1990). Industry-based bilingual vocationaltraining: A review of related literature. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education,

OVAE.

Chisman, F. (1992). Ahead of the curve: Basic skills programs in four exceptional firms.Washington, D.C.: The Southport Institute for Policy Analysis.

Congressional Office of Technology Assessment (1990). Workertthe new international econom . Pittsburgh, PA: Superintendent of Documents.

Draper, J.A. (1991). Understanding values in workplace education. In Basic skills for theworkforce. Toronto, Canada: Culture Concepts.

Falcone, L. (ed.) (1994). The critical link: Community colleges and the workforce.Washington, D.C.: American Association of Community Colleges.

Folinsbee, S. and Jurmo, P. (1994). Collaborative work lace develo ment. An overview.

Don Mills, ON: ABC Canada.

Friedenburg, J.E. (1991). The vocational ESL handbook. Rowley, MA: Newbury HousePublishers, Inc.

Grubb, W. N., et al (1990). The cunning hand, the cultured mind: Models for integratingvocational and academic education. Berkeley, CA: National Center for Research inVocational Education.

!mei, S. & Kerka, S. (1992). Work lace literac A euide to the literature and resources.Columbus, OH: Center on Education and Training for Employment, Ohio State University

Lewe, G. (in press). Basic skills in the total sualit work lace: An or anizational focus.Philadelphia, PA: National Center for Adult Literacy.

77

82

Proper, L. (1994). Models of excellence: A review of Ohio's award-winning workplaceagiasurg_p ram. Columbus, 'OH: Office of Workforce Development, Ohio Bureau of

Employment Services.

Sarmiento, T. & Kay, A. (1990). Worker-centered learnin A union uide to work lacelitmcy. Washington, D.C.: AFL-CIO Human Resources Development Institute.

Stein, S.G. & Sperazi, L. (1991). Tradition and change: The role of workplace educationin the transformation of the workplace, a paper presented at the AAACE Conference in

Montreal. Washington, D.C.: American Association for Adult and Continuing Education.

The Center, Workplace Education Division (n.d.) Best practices for quality basicsprograms in the manufacturing industry. Des Plaines, IL: Author.

U.S. Department of Education (1992). Work lace education: Voices from the field.Proceedings of the National Workplace Literacy Program Project Directors Conference onSeptember, 1991. Washington, D.C.: Division of Adult Education and Literacy, U.S.D.E.

Training in Small Businesses

Berkeley Planning Associates (1991). Workplace education efforts in small business:Learning from the field. Washington, D.C.: Small Business Administration, Office ofAdvocacy.

Black, D., Berger, M., & Barron, J. (1993). Jolid costs in srnall andlarge firms. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Commerce.

Chisman, F. (1992). 31-le missirc. Work lace education in small bus:ness.Washington, DC: The Southport Institute for Policy Analysis.

Harwood, R.C. (1989). Closiragt tja.gao: Meeting the small business training challenqgin Connecticut. Cambridge, MA: Jobs for the Future.

Hollenbeck, K & Kline, K (1992). Wryk lace education ro rams in small business:Results from a survey cf Michigan firms. Kalamazoo, MI: W.E. Upjohn Institute forEmployment Research.

McCrossan, L. & Garrett, C. (1992). writing critical thinkina for second levelegipigyees in small and Allentown, PA: Adult Literacy Center ofthe Lehigh Valley.

Petrini, C. (1992). Four by four: Small firms think big. Training and development, 46, 9,pp. 17-26.

78

3

U.S. Small Business Administration & the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (1992). Today'ssmall business for tomorrow: A skilled workforce. Washington, DC: Small Business

Administration.

Vencill, M.P., Clausen, L.K., 8. Drury, D.A. (1991). VVa_.-kalase education efforts in small

business: Learning from the field. Washington, DC: U.S. Small Business Administration,

Office of Advocacy.

Assessment

Fingeret, H.A. (1993). It belongs to me: A guide to portfolio assessment in adult education

ingiarris. Durham, NC: Literacy South.

Grover, J. G. , Seeger, A. J., & deVries, D.K (1990). Researqhlevel of literacire_guired in specific occupations. Final Report. Hampton, NH: RMCResearch Corporation.

Lewe, G.R. (1993). liter, task analysis. New Westminster, British Columbia: B.C.Construction Industry Improvement Council.

Lytle, S.L. & Wolfe, M. (1989). Adult literac education: Pros ram evaluation and learnerassessment. Columbus, OH: ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career and VocationalEducation.

Taylor, M.C. (1991). How to approach worker testing and assessment.tijeworl_s_lace. Toronto: Culture Concepts.

Waugh, S. (1991). How to assess organizational needs and reguiremenfor the worlgiagg, Toronto, Canada: Culture Concepts.

Young, C.D. (1994). Assessing : Ast.y_tioCivil Service Employees Association.

Curriculum & Instruction

In Basic skills for

ts. In Basic skills

ns. Latham, N.Y.:

Broad, M. Newstrom, J. (1992). Transfer of training. Reading, MA: Addison Wesley.

Cheren, M. (ed.) (1987), jAgaling_Maiggeatzt. Emerging directions to learn in theyvejLa< [gm_ Information series N. 320. Columbus, OH: ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult,Career, and Vocational Education.

84 1.3kST COPY AVAILABLE

Cook, C & Goddey, V. (ed.) (1989). Work lace literac A curriculum develo ment uide.

Wilimington, MA: Altron, Inc.

Dowling, W.D. and others (1992). Workplace literacy for world class manufacturing.

Eraglilekart. Columbus, OH: College of Education, The Ohio State University.

!mei, S., Kerka, S., & Pritz, S. (1994). Using small group learning in adult basic and

literausclu(,-..ation. Columbus, OH: Center on Education and Training for Employment.

Mager, R.F. (1992). What am...manager should know about training. Belmont, CA:

Lake Publishing.

Lopez-Valadez, J. & Hathaway, V. (1991). Content reading in vocational training. In

Planning for student success- Inservice modules. Macomb, IL: Curriculum Publications

Clearinghouse, Western Illinois University.

Pelavin Associates (1993). ABE/ECL instructor trainin modules: Im rovin thinking

skills for adult learners. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, USDE.

Sticht, T.G. (1987). Functional context education: WorkshoSan Diego, CA: Applied Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences.

resource notebook.

U.S. Department of Education (1992). Work lace literacy: Reshapinthe American

woridorce. Washington, D.C.: Clearinghouse of Adult Education and Literacy.

Evaluation

Creticos, P.A & Sheets, R. (1992). Evaluating state-financed, workplace-based retraining

programs: _case stLicJig.scI-etrainirjamojects. Washington, D.C.: National Commission

for Employment Policy and the National Governor's association.

Creticos, P.A & Sheets, R. (1990). Evaluatin state-financed work lace-based retrainin

prograr_m ALe_portgn the feasibility...gig. business screening and performance outcome

evaluation system. Washington, D.C.: National Commission for Employment Policy and

the National Governor's Association.

Davidove, E. A. & Schroeder, PA (1992). Demonstrating ROI of training. TroirLgi aridDevelopment, 46, 8, pp. 70-71.

Jurmo, P. & Folinsbee, S. (1994). Collaborative evaluation: A handbook for wo1_iplas,2

developmenlplanners. Don Mills, ON: ABC Canada.

85 "t

3M1WWww.....

Mikulecky, L. & Lloyd, P. (1993). _Ttork lasL_sliteraratta_.for evaluatingliminmictof worl_sp_Lactiliglamr . Philadelphia, PA: NationalCenter on Adult Literacy.

Phillippi, J.W. (1992). How Do 'ou know ifs workin ? Evaluatin the effectiveness oflacell_y_erac mamma. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, OVAE.

Sticht, T.G. (1991). Evaluatin national wpilsplace ljtgagysi2grml_Washington, D.C.:U.S. Department of Education, OVAE.

Sperazi, L., Jurmo, P. & Rosen, D. (1991). ripc_s_rii_gicaches to evaluatingoutcomes and cie.si nina in_mgrjp_clAgg. mli.lotiojimg_garm. Newton, MA:

Evaluation Research.

Sperazi, L., & Jurmo, P. (1994). Team evaluation: Case studies imm.js_verlaceedlisatinns. East Brunswick, N.J.: Literacy Partnerships.

Sperazi, L., & Jurmo, P. (1994). Team evaluation: A ayicift,,e_gejLiggii.L:n2ar_o_gmn_s_. East Brunswick, N.J.: Literacy Partnerships.

81o U

::.:

a-EE

L

WORKPLACE EMJCATION HANDBOOKS

Barker, Kathryn. A program evaluation handbook for workplace literacy. Availablefree. Department of Multiculturalism & Citizenship, National Literacy Secretariat, Ottawa,Ontario, K1A 0M5, Canada. Phone (819) 953-5280.

This handbook contains guidelines for evaluating workplace literacyprograms. The publication is addressed to practitioners who are notexperts in evaluation techniques. It stresses that program types andevaluation needs differ widely among programs, making it impossibleto identify a universal approach to evaluation. It includes "focusquestions" to help users re/ate the guidelines to their programs.

California Department of Education (1993). The workplace learning provider's manual.Available for $25.00. Bureau of Publications, Sales Unit, California Dept. of Education,PO Box 271, Sacramento, CA 95120. Phone (916) 445-1260; Fax (916) 323-0823.

This volume provides a broad overview of the stages and activities tobe undertaken to establish Workplace Learning Programs. it startswith the initial design and planning of a program, progresses througha number of stages of implementation, and ends with approaches forimproving programs after they have been evaluated.

Carnevall, Gainer & Meltzer (1990). Workplace basic training manual. Available for$38.95. Jossey-Bass, Inc., 350 Sansome Streec San Francisco, CA 94104. Phone(415) 433-1767.

This manual provides guidelines for planning and implementing aworkplace skill program, including how to perform a task analysis,design the curriculum, do a cost-benefit analysis, and evaluateresults.

Center for Educational Telecommunications (1993). Retraining the workforce: Meetingthe global challenge. Available for $495.00. Dallas County Community College District,9596 Walnut Street, Dallas, TX 75243-2112. Phone (214)952-0332.

A video and print training package for developing job-linkedworkplace literacy with six how-to manuals including: MarketingWorkplace Literacy, Identifying Critical Job Tasks, Conducting TaskAnalyses, Designing Training Content, Implementing Assessment andRecruitment, and Measuring Program Effectiveness.

" .1

41.1.1.011rnmm,'

83

88

room:.

;r1..

Folinsbee, S. & Jurrno, P. (1994). Collaborative needs assessment: A handbook forworkplace development Warmers. Available for $ 20.00 ABC Canada, 1450 Don MillsRa., Don Mills, On'ario M3B 2X7

A rationale and procedures for an education planning committee toconduct a workplace needs assessment as a first step in planning ofan ovganizational change initiative. Positions basic education as oneof many poesible training and organizational change initiatives anorganization might undertake.

Sperazi, L. & Jurmo, P. (1994). Tearnrevaluation: A guide for workplace educationprograms. Available for $18.00. Literacy partnerships, '14 Griffin Street, East Brunswick,NJ 08816-4806. Phone (908) 254-2237.

Snows stakeholders in workplace education programs how to planand cany out a collaborative evaluation. Based on an 18-monthproject funded by the National Institute for Literacy.

Manly, D. (1991 ). Workplace educational skills analysis (WESA) training guide andworkplace educational skUls analysis (WESA) training guide supplement (1994). TheTraining Gude is available for $12.00, the Supplement is $14.00. Center on Education andWork, Urgversity of Wisconsin-Madison, 1025 W. Johnson Street,,Room 964, Madison,WI 52705. Phone (8)0) 446-0399,

The v.orkplace educational skills analysis (WESA) is a process toidentify and analyze basic educational skills required to perform a jobor cluster of jobs. The Training Guide covers developing workplace-specific eurricukim, assessment instruments, career pathingalternatives and individualized educational plan. The WESA TrainingGuide Suppi'ement includes a checklist with workplace relatededucational skills, support information.for conducting the WESA andsample reporting formats.

Philippi, J. (1991). Literacy at work: The workbook for program developers.Developed by Performance Plus Learning Consultants. Available for $100.00 first book,$50.00 each additional book. Computer Curriculum Corporation, 5429 Highfield Dr., StoneMountain, GA 30088 . Phone (404) 469-7856.

This manual provides detailed instructions for developing a workplaceliteracy program based on a functional context approach. Theworkbook includes a step by step demonstration of procedures andtechniques for getting started, making plans, gathering information,designing instruction, selecting and keeping participants, and

......Irusa.Minswimmenneamera,

8084

evaluating functional context programs. Self instructional exercisesare provided to master content.

Sperazi, L. (1991) Education in the workplace: An employer's guide to planningadult basic skills programs in small business and industry in Massachusetts.Developed for the Massachusetts Dept. of Employment Training. Available for $35.00.

L. Sperazi, Evaluation Research, 130 Warren St., Newton Center, MA 02159. Phone

(617) 527-6081.

A guidebook on how to assess workplace literacy needs and designa program to meet a companys needs. Includes sample case studiesof literacy programs in small businesses.

Thomas, R.J., et al. (1991). Job-related language training for limited English

proficient employees. A handbook for program developers and A guide for decisionmakers in business and industnj. Available for $59.95. Development AssistanceCorporation, 1415 11th Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20001. Phone (202) 234-8842.

The handbook provides direction for the development andimplementation of a workplace ESL program. Discussed areestablishing partnerships, removing barriers to participation,evaluation, procedures for literacy task analysis, curriculumdevelopment, instructional techniques and cross-cultural awarenesstraining. The guide is designed to help employers plan and developpartnerships.

Westberry, S. (1990). The BEST blueprint: Quality ABE in the workplace. Availablefor $15.40. EDRS, 7420 Fullerton Rd. Suite 110, Springfield, VA 22153. Phone (800)

443-ERIC.

The handbook is a guide for developing a workplace literacy progn.based on the Basic Edurational Skills Training Program (BP. r)model developed in Columbia, Tennessee. The program provideseducation to multiple employers simultaneous!y, onables straight andswing shift works to attend training without requiring released time.The handbook includes a simple test to identify learning disabled

students.

85 3 0 BEST COPY AVAILABLE

1.&.4..f,' -

. .

3.

. .

Appendix C

86

91

WORKPLACE LITERACY CURRICULA

The following list represents a sampling of applied, contextualized workplace literacymaterials identified during the literature search phase of the project, as such, it is not allinclusive. Their inclusion is not intended to convey a recommendation.

Agency for Instructional Technology, Box A, Bloomington, IN 47402-0120. Phone (800)

4574509. Materials available at $31.00 each:

APPUED COMMUNICATION is a competency-based curriculum which appliesreading, writing, listening,speaking, and problem-soMng to on-the-job situations in five

major occupational areas: agriculture, business/marketing, health occupations,home economics, and technical\tradandustrial. It includes 15 multimedia modulesthat give the learner as well as the instructor many topics to choose from depending

on their own needs: Module 1- Communicating in the workplace; Module 2-

Gathering and using information; Module 3- Using problem-soMng strategies; Module

4- Starting a new job; Module 5- Communicating with co-workers; Module 6-Participating in groups; Module 7- Following and giving directions; Module 8-Communicating with supervisors; Module 9- Presenting yeur point of view; Module 10-Communicating with clients; Module 11- Making and resp priding to requests; Module

12- Communicating to solve interpersonal conflict; Module 13- Evaluatingperformance; Module 14-Upgrading, retraining, and 'changing jobs; Module 15-

Improving the quality of communication.

Center for the Study of Adult Literacy, Georgia State University and Grady MemorialHospital. Available from ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career & Vocational Education.Center on Education and Training for Employment, Center Publications, 1900 Kenny RoadColumbus, OH 43210-1090. Phone (800) 848-4815. Material available:

THE HOSPITAL JOB SKILLS ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM: A WORKPLACELITERACY PROJECT CURRICULUM MANUAL describes the curriculum portion

of the Hospital job skills enhancement program (HJSEP); this curriculum wasdesigned to improve the literacy skills of entry-level workers in housekeeping, foodservice, and laundry departments. Presents a detailed description of the literacy audit

and curriculum development process. Price: ED 328-666

Colorado Community College and Occupational Education System, 1391 N. Speer Blvd.,Suite 600, Denver, Colorado 80202. Phone (303) 794-4584, Contact Mary Gershwin. Allmaterials are available on a cost recovery basiG

LEARNING TO LEARN is designed to enable participants to identify their ownlearning styles and to raise awareness of how to work with other employees who havedifferent learning styles. Author: Jane Ile Diller

READING I focuses on basic reading skills of previewing information, integratingknowledge, and ;walling information in an organized fashion. Vocabulary building

is also emphasized. Author: Rita Moore

87

92BEST COPY AVAILABLE

READING II focuses on reading for specific kinds of workplace information,interpreting that information, and summarizing main ideas. Identification ofrelevantdetails, facts, and specifications are explored. Author: Rita Moore

The Conover Company, P.O. Box 155 Omro, WI 54963. Phone (800) 933-1933.Materials available:

THE INTEGRATOR: INTEGRATING BASIC SKILLS INTO THE WORKPLACE is acompetency-based, applied academic program, integrating an assessment processto a comprehensive skill enhancement process. There are four modules in theseries: math, communications, interpersonal skills and problem soMng, each onedriven by indMdual interests and needs. Each job-specilic diagnostic targets the keycompetencies necessary to successfully function on the job. Utilizes computersimulations in Mich learners can clearly see the relationship between basic academicskills and their use in the workplace. Prices vary.

Cord Communication, P.O. Box 21206 Waco, TX 76702-1206. Phone (800) 231-3015.Cont-ct Satyra Austin. Materials Available:

APPUED MATHEMATICS: A CONTEXTUAL APPROACH TO INTEGRATEDALGEBRA AND GEOMETRY is a competency-based curriculum that emphasizesproblem solving, decision making, and hands-on learning. As part of the curriculumthis program includes scale drawings, measuring in English and metric units, graphs,charts ano tables, precision, accuracy and tolerance, and many other subjects thatthe students will find applicable to their day-to-day jobs at the workplace. Includes avideo program that will take students into the workplace and demonstrate the use ofmathematics on the job. Available in Spanish. Some of the occupational areasavailable in this program are: business & marketing, home economics,agriculture/agribusiness, health occupations and industrial technology. Prices vary.

Finger Lakes Regional Education Center for Economic Development, 27 LackawannaAve., Mount Morris, NY 14510. Phone (800) 441-4540 and (716) 658-2291; Fax (716) 658-2444. Contact David Mathes. Materials available:

WORKPLACE ORAL COMMUNICATIONS, is a small group/one-on-onecommunications, speaking and listening skills and interpersonal communicationsskills. (108 pages) Price: $15.00

WORKPLACE UTERACY WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS Modules I-1V: readingmechanics, writing effective sentences, paragraphs (400 pages). Modules V-IX:vocabulary, 5 paragraph essay, business correspondence, library research essay,reading comprehension (400 pages). Price: $32.00 each.

WORKPLACE MATHEMATICS. Modules 1 & 2: whole numbers, decimals, fractionspercents, measurements, ratios, graphs and charts(233 pgs). Modt__

algebra, geometry, trig, probability, statistics, variance, standard deviation, computers,calculus, slope (372 pages). Price: $32.00 each.

88

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Limited English Proficient Garment Industry Workers, Chinatown Manpower Project Inc.,

70 Mulberry Street, New York, NY 10013. Phone (212) 571-1690. Contact Ivy Tse.

FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE: A SET OF GARMENT REL.ATED ESL.

Curriculum available through ERIC, CMS Federal, Inc., 7420 Fullerton Road, Suite

110, Springfield, Virgina 22153. Phone (800) 443-3742. (208 pages) Price: $ 38.70

New Mexico State University. Available from Eric Clearinghouse on Adult, Career &

Vocational Education. Center on Education and Training for Employment, Center

Publications, 1900 Kenny Road Columbus, OH 43210-1090. Phone (800) 848-4815.

Materials available:

STEP AHEAD: A PARTNERSHIP FOR IMPROVED HEALTH CARE

COMMUNICATIONS is a series of modules designed to improve various

communication skills of workers in health care settings. All are aimed at individuals

with mid-level literacy skills an all use a job context approach to instruction. Modules

include: The write stuff: Memos, and short reports; Communication for Supervisors;

Effective presentations. Communicating in Health care settings; Straight talk.

Communicating in Health care settings.

Piney Mountain Press, Inc. P.O. Box 333 Cleveland, GA 30528. Phone (800) 255-3127.

Materials Available:

VOCATIONAL WRITING SKILLS PACK builds writing and communicabons skills for

students in their specific training area, and provides practical job-related writingpractice. With a wide variety of vocational fields, each reproducible activity pack

involves three basic writing skill competencies,: constructing paragraphs, writing

complete sentences, and writing steps in performing specific occupational tasks.

Price: $ 195.00 per title.

VOCATIONAL MATH PACK is used for teaching in a vocational context. Helpsdevelop math skills for students in their specific training area by providing a wide

variety of job-related problem solving activities. Each pack provides a year's worth of

instruction and reproducible worksheets that review competency areas such as

addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, etc.

Price: $ 295.00 per title.

Print Industry Workers, Catonsville Community College, 800 S. Rolling Rd., Baltimore, MD

21228. Phone (410) 455-4501. Contact person Laura E. Weidner, Project Director.

Materials available:

FOUNDATION SKILLS FOR MANUFACTURING: A WORK-BASED CURRICULUMaddresses 20 Competencies identified as essential for workers in a manufacturing

setting. The learning activities are based on documents and task analyses from a

variety of manufacturing firms in the Baltimore area. It is designed to be used by

experienced work-based education instructors in conjunction with other materials.

Price: $40.00 Prepaid,

SKILLS TODAY FOR TOMORROW: A BASIC SKILLS CURRICULUM FOR THE

GRAPHIC ARTS INDUSTRY addressees 24 competencies identified as essential for

industry workers. It is designed to be used by experienced workbased education

89 94

instructors in conjunction with other learning materials. Price: $15.00 Prepaid.MATHEMATICS FOR THE TRADES: A GUIDED APPROACH Corman, R.A., andSaunders, H.M. (1986). Self paced material to teach or renew practical math in avariety of trade and technical occupations. 2nd Edition. From: John Wiley & Sons,One Wiley Dr., Somerset, NJ 08873. (582 pages) Price: $27.95.

Project STEP, The Center for workforce education, Miami-Dade Community College,Kendall Campus, 11011 S.W. 104th Street, Miami, FL 33176-3393. Phone (305) 237-2878.Contact person Regina A. Guaraldi, Director. Materials available:

PROJECT STEP UNIT ONE (Skills for Documentation) emphasizes in oral andwritten communication to better documentation, listening comprehension, math andvocabulary for better judgement synthesis, evaluation and applicaton of skills.Price: $ 65.00 includes postage.

PROJECT STEP UNIT TWO (Skills for Understanding) focuses in oral and writtencommunication plus math, spelling, comparison and contrast, skimming andscanning, and listening comprehension for better judgement, application, evaluationand analysis. Teaches about medications and their medical side effects.Price: $ 40.00 includes postage.

PROJECT STEP UNIT THREE (Skills for nutrition and meal time) provides helpwith reading, vocabulary, math and writing documentation for better judgement anddecision making in serving, buying and preparing food to satisfy client dietary needswithin a nutritional context. Price: $ 65.00 includes postage.

THE PROJECT STEP UNIT FOUR (Skills for supported routines) emphasizesvocabulary, reading and oral communication. Price: $ 45.00 includes postage.

THE PROJECT STEP UNIT FIVE (Skills for Effective Supervision) focuses in oralcommunication, listening, comprehension, class]fication and categorization, reading,grammar, vocabulary and spelling for better application in any supervisory position.Price $ 40.00 includes postage.

Schoolcraft Publishing, A division of Telemedia, Inc., 750 Lake Cook Rd., Buffalo Grove,IL 60089. Phone (800) 837-1255. Materials Available:

SHOP MATH. VHS tapes that provide remedial instruction in basic arithmeticoperations and covers the highest level of math needed in production shops. Price:$ 279.99 for the set of 3

MATHEMATICS FOR METAL FABRICATORS AND WELDERS. VHS tapes thatexplain the mathematics needed by professional metal fabricators and welders.Including fractions, decimals and mixed numbers, formulas, geometry, trigonometryand cost estimating. Price: $379.00 for the set of 6.

BASIC MATH FOR AUTO TECHNICIANS. VHS tapes that emphasize numbers,fractions, decimals, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, percentages, ratiosend rates. Price: $ 329.00 for the set of 4

90

BEST COPY AVAILABLE

BASIC DIGITAL MATH, VHS tapes that introduce digital technology as well asidentifying number systems, using binary numbers, boolean algebra and its basiclaws. Price: $ 399.00 for the set of 5

BASIC MATH FOR ELECTRONICS. VHS tapes that teach the powers of ten and

metric prefixes, how to work with Ohm's law, series circuits and parallel circuits.Price: $ 379.00 for the set of 4.

**NOTE: Industrial tapes may be purchased separately: price varies.

Texas Community and Technical College, Workforce Education Consortium, do El PasoCommunity College, Literacy Programs, P.O. Box 20500, El Paso, TX 79998. Phone(915) 542-2745. Contact Andrea Binder. All materials are available on a printing cost only

basis. Materials available:

COMMUNICATIONS FOR HVAC TECHNICIANS, Authors: Deborah Palmer,JimmyHeadstream; Angelo State University, San Angelo, Texas.

MATHEMATICS FOR HVAC TECHNICIANS, Authors: Deborah Palmer, JimmyHeadstream; Angelo State University, San Angelo, Texas.

ESL FOR RHVAC TECHNICIANS, Authors: Donna Rowland, Maxie Berrera, RogerManning; Texas State Technical College, Sweetwater, Texas.

ESL FOR HEALTH CARE WORKERS - LEVEL I (beginningl, Authors: TerryShearer, Federico Salas-lsnardi; Houston Community College Without Walls,Houston, Texas.

ESL FOR HEALTH CARE WORKERS - LEVEL 2 (intermediate), Authors: TerryShearer, Federico Salas-lsnardi, Anna Albarelli; Houston, Texas.

Workplace Education Division, The Center, 1855 Mt. Prospect Rd., 2nd Floor, DesPlaines,IL 60018. Phone (708) 803-3535 Contact Linda Mrowicki, Project Director. Materialsavailable:

WORKPLACE LITERACY CORE CURRICULUM FOR BEGINNING ESLSTUDENTS uses a competency-based approach and teaches basic oral and literacyskills for a variety of entry-level manufacturing jobs. The curriculum contains a list ofcompetencies, instructional units and a sample assessment test. Price: $ 8.00Prepaid.

A BASIC SKILLS CORE CURRICULUM FOR THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRYcontains a description of the project model, a core curriculum, sample lessons anda section on customized assessment. Price: $ 8.00 Prepaid.

Workplace, National Association of Printers & Lithographers (NAPL), 780 PalisadeAvenue, Teaneck, NJ 07666. Phone (201) 342-0707. All materials are available fromNAPL, Member: $80.00; Non-Members $105.00.

91 96

WORK-RELATED PRINT LEARNING AND CAREER ENHANCEMENT(WORKPLACE) bolsters basic skills and prepares NAPL's employees for careeradvancement in graphic arts and printing companies. A Manager's Sourcebook andSample Assessment Package including Inventory and administrators manual are

also available.

WORKPLACE ON-THE-JOB MATH COMPUTATIONS focuses on mathematical

operations including an introduction to statistical process control (SPC).

WORKPLACE CRITICAL THINKING AND PROBLEM-SOLV1NG is a program tohelp employees define goals and objectives, generate possible solutions and bench

mark results.

WORKPLACE COMMUNICATIONS is a program that teaches reading, writing sadlistening skills through job related materials.

-

BIBLIOGRAPHIES OF INSTRUCTION MATERIALS

Bilingual Vocational Education Project (1990). Bibliography of career, vocational and

VESL materials for the LEP. Curriculum Publications Clearinghouse, Western Illinois

University, Horrabin Hall 46, Macomb, IL 61455. Price $ 4.50.

ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career, and Vocational Education (1991). ERIC update:

Basic. skills and vocational education. Center on Education and Training for

Employment, Ohio State University, 1900 Kenny Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1090. Price

$ 7.00.

Lane, M.A. (1991). Workplace Literacy: Employment and workplace materials. A

guide to recent and recommended books. Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA

19104. Price: FREE.

OTAN VESL/Workplace Clearinghouse (1995). VESliworkplace clearinghouse catalog.

OTAN VESL/Workplace Clearinghouse, San Diego Community College District, 5350

University Avenue, San Diego, CA 92105-2296.Price: FREE.

Workplace Education Division, The Center (n.a.). Resource list of commercialworkplace basic skills materials for the manufacturing industry. Workplace Education

Division, The Center, 1855 Mt. Prospect Road, Des Plaines, IL 60018. Price: $8.00

prepaid.

Wisconsin Literacy Resource Network (1994). Curriculum materials: A review forworkplace education programs. Center on Education and Work, University of

Wisconsin-Madison, 1025 W. Johnson Street, Room 964, Madison, WI 53706.

Price: $ 15.00.

94

9 9

CLEARINGHOUSES AND NATIONAL CENTERS

Services Offered

PublicationsClearinghouse on Adult Education and LiteracyU.S. Department of EducationOffice of Vocational and Adult EducationDivision of Adult Education and LiteracyMall Stop 7240, Room 4414400 Maryland Avenue, S.W.Washington, D.C. 20202-7240(202) 205-9872/9996

ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career,and Vocational EducationOhio State University Publications1900 Kenny Road MaterialsColumbus, OH 43210-1090 Searches(614) 292-4353 or (800) 848-4815 On-Line Services

National Center on Adult LiteracyUniversity of Pennsylvania Research3910 Chestnut Street PublicationsPhiladelphia, PA 19104-6216 Materials(215) 898-2100

National Center for Research inVocational EducationUniversity of California at Berkeley Training2150 Shattuck Avenue, Suite 1250 SearchesBerkeley, CA 94704 On-Line Services(800) 762-4093 Research

PublicationsNational Clearinghouse onESL Literacy Education (NCLE)1118 22nd Street, NW MaterialsWashington, DC 20037 Publications(202) 429-9292 Searches

National Institute for Literacy800 Connecticut Ave, NWSuite 200Washington, DC 20202-7560(202) 632-1500

National Workforce Assistance CollaborativeNational Alliance of Business (NAB)1201 New York Ave. NW, Suite 700Washington, DC 20005(202) 289-2910

,

OTAN VESLI Workplace Clearinghouse5350 University AvenueSan Diego, CA 92105-2296(619) 265-3458

Training Technology Resource CenterEmployment and Training AdministrationU.S. Department of Labor, N6511Washington, D.C. 20210(800) 488-0901

Services Offered

ResearchPublications

ResearchPublicationsSearches

Materials

On-Line Databases

=--'.,;,i.

NATIONAL NETWORK FOR CURRICULUM COORDINATION INVOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION

The following six centers offer a variety of curriculum related services including: library

lending services, conducting searches, technical assistance and inservice training.

East Central Curriculum Coordination CenterIllinois Vocational Curriculum CenterSangamon State UniversityBuilding F-2Springfield, IL 62794-9243(217) 786-6375

Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana,Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware,Maryland, District of Columbia

Northeast Curriculum Coordination CenterNJ State Department of EducationDivision of Vocational EducationCrestwayAberdeen, NJ(908) 290-1900

Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont,Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut,New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico,Virgin Islands

Western Curriculum Coordination CenterUniversity of Hawaii at ManoaCollege of Education1776 University Avenue, WIST 216Honolulu, HI 96822(808) 956-7834

California, Hawaii, Nevada, Athona,Guam, American Samoa,Republic of the Marshall Islands,Northern Marianas, Republic of Palau,Federated States of Micronesia

Midwest Curriculum Coordination CenterOklahoma Department of Vocationaland Technical Education

'1500 West 7th AvenueStillwater, OK 74074-4364(405) 743-5192

Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri,Oklahoma, Louisiana, Texas,New Mexico, Arkansas

Northwest Curriculum Coordination CenterSt. Martin's CollegeOld Main Building, Room 478Lacey, WA 98503(206) 438-4456

Washingon, Oregon, Idaho, Montana,Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, North Dakota,South Dakota, Alaska

Southeast Curriculum Coordination CenterMississippi State UniversityResearch & Curriculum UnitP.O. Drawer DXMississippi, MS 39762(601) 325-2510

Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina,South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama,Mississippi

99

NOTE: STATE LITERACY' RESOURCE CENTERS ARE NO LONGER FUNDED WITH FEDERAL APPROPRIATIONS

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NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF INDUSTRY SPECIFIC TRAINING DIRECTORS

ALABAMA

Ed Castile, DirectorAL Industrial Development TrainingOne Technology CourtMontgomery, AL 36116-3200(205) 242-4158

Steve ZimmerCalhoun Community CollegeP.O. Box 2216Decatur, AL 35609

ALASKA

Kathy Brown, Grants AdministratorDept. of Community & Regional AffairsRural Development DMsionPO Box 112100Juneau, AK 99811(907) 465-4890

ARIZONA

Marilyn Truitt, DirectorIndustry Training SenriceEducational Program SpecialistArizona Dept. of Education1535 W. Jefferson -Bin 39Phoenix, AZ 85007(602) 542-5393

Jacqueline R. FloodJob Training ManagerArizona Dept. of Commerce3800 North Central Suite 1500Phoenix, AZ 85012(602) 280-1358

ARKANSAS

Richard L. Cochran, Deputy DirectorIndustry Training ProgramArkansas Industrial Dev. CommissionOne Capitol Mall, Suite 2C-250Little Rock, AK 72201(501) 682-1246

CAUFORNIA

Gerald Geismar, Executive DirectorEmployment Training Panel800 Capitol Mall -KC 64P.O. Box 826880Sacramento, CA 94280-0001(916) 327-5640

COLORADO

Bonnie AllisonBusiness Development CoordinatorOffice of Business DevelopmentColorado Office of Economic Dev.1625 Broadway, Suite 1710Denver, CO 80202(303) 892-3840

CONNECTICUT

Alice CarderOperations Support UnitConnecticut Dept. of Labor200 Folly Brook Blvd.Wethersfield, CT 06109(203) 566-4288

Janice HasenjagerProgram ManagerOffice of Job Training & Skil Dev.200 Folly Brook Blvd.Wethersfield, CT 06109(203) 566-2450

DELAWARE

Jan Abrams, DirectorEducation, Training & RecruitmentDelaware Development Office99 Kings Hwy.PO Box 1401Dover, DE 19903(302) 739-4271

FLORIDA

Judy Cui !breath, DirectorQuick Response ProgramDepartment of Commerce107 Gaines Street, Suite 466Tallahassee, FL 32399-2000(904) 922-8645

GEORGIA

Jackie Rohosky, Asst. CommissionerEconomic Development ProgramsDept. of Tech. & Adult Ed.Georgia Quick Start1800 Century Place, Suite 300Atlanta, GA 30345(404) 679-1700

Ben Walton, ManagerExisting Industry OperationsGeorgia Quick Start Program1800 Century Place, Suite 300Atlanta, GA 30345(404) 679-1700

HAWAII

Patricia DautermanProgram CoordinatorASSETDept. of Labor & Industrial Relations830 Punchbowl Street, Room 321Honolulu, HI 96813(808) 586-8864

IDAHO

Dick Winn, DirectorPost-Secondary Short Term TrainingState Division of Vocational Education650 W. State StreetBoise, ID 83720(208) 334-3216

ILLINOIS

Jerry Burger, ManagerIndustrial Training ProgramDept. of Commerce & Community Affairs620 E. AdamsSpringfield, IL 62701(217) 785-6004

Lod Clark, ManagerOffice of Industrial TrainingDept. of Commerce & Community Affairs100 West Randolph, Suite 3-300Chicago, IL 60601(312) 814-2809

Dennis SienkoChief Executive OfficerPrairie State 2000 Authority100 W. Randolph, Suite 4-800Chicago, IL 60601(312) 814-2700

INDIANA

Kathy MacDonaldDirector of Business & IndustryIvy Tech CollegeOne West 26th StreetIndianapolis, IN 46208(317) 921-4950

IOWA

JoAnn S. Callison, ChiefBureau of State ProgramsDivision of Workforce DevelopmentDept. of Economic Development200 E. Grand Ave.Des Moines, IA 50309(515) 281-9017

Al Clausen, Section SupervisorBusiness & Industry TrainingIowa Dept. of Economic Dev.200 East Grand AvenueDes Moines, IA 50309(515)281-281-9003

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WAIMEGNIMINVINNIIMININIMMOVIIM

74

KANSAS

Steve Jack, ManagerWorkforce TrainingKansas Dept of Commerce & Housing700 S.W. Harrison, Suite 1300Topeka, KA 36603-3712(913) 296-3483

KENTUCKY

Kenneth Carroll, Executive DirectorBluegrass State Skills Corp.500 Mero St.,Capital Plaza Tower, 24th FloorFrankfort, KY 40601(502) 564-2021

Clarence Johns, CoordinatorBusiness & Industry ServicesU KY Community College System111 Breckenridge HallLexington, KY 40506-0056(606) 257-5653

Jeanette Dawney, CommissionerKentucky Dept. of Tech. EducationWorkforce Dev. Cabinet/ KY Tech500 Mero St., 20th Fl.Frankfort, KY 40601(502) 564-2326

LOUISIANA

Felix Goodrum, Jr.Dept. of Economic DevelopmentP.O. Box 94185Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9185(504) 342-5893

Gerald Saucier, Program ManagerQuickstart Industrial Training ProgramLouisiana Dept. of EducationBureau of Post-Secondary Voc. Ed.P.O. Box 94064Baton Rouge, LA 70804(504) 3424343

MAINE

Mary Lou DyerBureau of Employment & Trag.Maine Depaitment of LaborState House Station #55Augusta, ME 04330-0055(207) 287-3377

MARYLAND

Joe De Santis, SpecialistPost-Secondary Adult Ed.Maryland Dept. of Educafion200 W. Batfimore St.Baltimore, MD 21201(410) 333-2566

Alan B. Kutz, DirectorOffice of Business AssistanceDept of Economic & Employment Dev.217 E. Redwood St., 10th FloorBaltimore, MD 21202(410) 333-6975

Paige Ruse II BethkeIndustrial Development OfficerDept. of Economic Dev. (OBA)2660 Rive Road, Suite 200Annapolis, MD 21601(410) 974-7385

MASSACHUSETTS

Erik P. Butler, Executive DrectorBay State Skills Corporation101 Summer St.Boston, MA 02110(617) 292-5100

Suzanne Teegarden, Executve DirectorMass. Industrial Svcs. Program100 Cambridge St., Rm. 1302Boston, MA 02202(617) 727-8158

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MICHIGAN

Deryl Beasley, Program ManagerStrategic Fund/Capitol ResourcesMichigan Dept. of CommerceLaw Bldg. 3rd FL, P.O. Box 30234Lansing, MI 48909(517) 335-3325

MINNESOTA

Roger Hughes, Executive DirectorMinn. Job Skills PartnershipDept. of Trade & Economic Dev.500 Metro Square Bldg.121 7th Place EastSt. Paul, MN 55101-2146(612) 296-0388

William Weiser, Assoc. Vice ChancellorSystem Operations/Custom ServicesMinn. Technical College System350 Capitol Sq. Bldg./550 CedarSt. Paul, MN 55101(612) 296-0668

MISSISSIPPI

Nancy Alley, DirectorIndustrial Svcs. Div.Miss. Department of EducationP.O. Box 771Jackson, MS 39205(601) 359-3077

MISSOURI

Irvin Whitehead, Acting DirectorDiv. of Job Development & Trng.Dept. of Economic Dev.221 Metro DriveJefferson City, MO 65101(314) 751-7796

Dennis Harden, SupervisorIndustrial Trng.Dept. of Elem. & Second. Ed.P.O. Box 480Jefferson City, MO 65102(314)751-4212

r

MONTANA

T. Gary Curtis, Acting AdministratorLabor & IndustryMontana Labor Dept.P.O. Box 1728Helena, MT 59624(406) 444-2648

NEBRASKA

Pat Prieb, Job Training LiasonDept. of Economic Dev.P.O. Box 94863Uncoln, NE 68509-4863(402) 471-3780

NEVADA

Barbara Weinberg, DirectorQuick Start Job Training ProgramState Job Training OfficeCapitol ComplexCarson City, NV 89710(702) 687-4310

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Maureen Johnson, DirectorAdult SenricesJob Training Partnership OfficeNew Hampshire Job Training Council64 Old Suncook Rd.Concord, NH 03301(603) 228-9500

NEW JERSEY

Leo Turetsky, ChiefOffice of Customized TrainingNew Jersey Dept. of Labor600 Washington Ave.Carlstadt, NJ 07072(201) 939-5972

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NEW MEXICO

Carlos Gonzales, State SupervisorIndustrial Dev. Training ProgramDept of Education Vocational Div.Santa Fe, NM 8751,11(505) 827-6676

NEW YORK

George PalmerBureau of Economic & Workforce Dev.New York State Education Dept.Cultural Education Center, Room 5D45Albany, NY 12230( 518) 474.4809

Peter Menne lla, DirectorOffice of Skills Training ProgramNY State Dept. of Economic Dev.One Commerce PlazaAlbany, NY 12245(518) 474-0672

David Van Nortwick, DirectorCommunity College Adm. ServiceOffice of Community CollegesState University of New YorkUniversity PlazaAlbany, NY 12246(518) 443-5129

NORTH CAROLINA

Joe Sturdivant, DirectorBusiness & Industry ServicesDept. of Community Colleges200 W. Jones St.Raleigh, NC 27603-1337(919) 733-7051

NORTH DAKOTA

Don Roloff, SupervisorState Board for Vocational Ed.State Capitol Building600 E. Blvd. Ave..Bismarck, ND 58505-0160(701) 224-2259

OHIO

Kathleen Faust, DirectorEnterprise OhioOhio Board of Regents3600 State Office Tower30 East Broad St.Columbus, OH 43266-0417(614) 752-9487

Linda O'Connor, ManagerOffice of Industrial Training

'Ohio Dept. of DevelopmentEconomic Business Dev. Div.77 S. High St., 28th FLColumbus, OH 42366-0413(614) 466-4155

OKLAHOMA

Mark Taylor, DirectorTechnical ServicesMeridian Technology Center1312 South Sangre RoadStillwater, OK 74074-1899(405) 377-3333 Ext. 216

Larry KeenIndustry Training & DevelopmentState Department of Vo-Tech Ed.1500 West 7th AvenueStillwater, OK 74074-4364(405) 743-5559

OREGON

Robert Baugh, ManagerWorkforce Dev. Sec.Oregon Economic Dev. Dept.775 Summer St., NESalem, OR 97310(503) 378-2285

PENNSYVANIA

Peter BaumhardtCustomized Job Training CoordinatorBureau of Vocational Tech. Ed.333 Market St., 6th Fi.Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333(717) 783-8506

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RHODE ISLAND

Lee Arnold, Deputy DirectorWorkforce 2000101 Friendship St.Providence, RI 02903-3740(401) 277-6700

SOUTH CAROUNA

Robert Taylor, Associate DirectorEconomic Dev. Div.Board for Tech. & Comp. F.d.111 Executive Center Dr.Columbia, SC 29210(803) 737-9333

Ed Homback, DirectorTraining & DevelopmentSoutheast Manufacturing Tech CenterSwearingen Engineering CenterUniversity of South CaroiinaColumbia, SC 29208(803) 777-7348

SOUTH DAKOTA

Gene Dickson, State AdministratorAdult Basic EducationVocational Education DivisionSouth Dakota Dept. of Ed.700 Governors Dr.Pierre, SD 57501-2291(605) 773-4716

James Walsh, SpecialistIndustrial TrainingSouth Dakota Dept. of Labor700 Governors Dr.Pierre, SD 57501-2291(605) 773-5017

TENNESSEE

Robert D. Parson, DirectorIndustrial Training ServiceDept of Economic & Comm. Dev.Volunteer Plaza, Suite 660500 James Robertson Pkwy.Nashville, TN 37243-0406(615) 741-1746

TEXAS

Ray Pericola, SupervisorWorkforce Dev. Incentive ProgramTexas Department of CommerceP.O. Box 12728, Capitol StationAustin, TX 78711(512) 472-5059

Carolyn Smith, SpecialistWorkforce Dev. Incentive ProgramTexas Department of CommerceP.O. Box 12728, Capitol StationAustin, TX 78711(512) 472-5059

UTAH

Dale Stephens, State SpecialistCustom FIT Training ProgramUtah Office of Education250 East 500 SouthSalt Lake City, UT 84111(801) 538-7867

VERMONT

Philip Fagen, Training LiaisonVermont Dept. of Econ. Dev.Pavillion Office Bldg.Montpelier, VT 05602(802) 828-3221

VIRGINIA

Preston Wilhelm, DirectorWorkforce Services Prog.Dept. of Economic Dev.901 E. Byrd St.P.O. Box 798Richmond, VA 23206-0798(804) 371-8120

WASHINGTON

Michael FlorPolicy & Planning Div.Workforce TrnJEd. Coord. BoardP.O. Box 43105Olympia, WA 98504-3105(206) 586-8680

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WEST VERGINIA

Mark R. Julian, DirectorGovernor's Guaranteed Workforce Pro.West Virginia Dev. OfficeCapitol Complex, Building 6, Rm 517Charleston, WV 25305(304) 558-3083

David H. Lieving, CoordinatorSeivices to Business & Industry(GGWFP)West Virginia Dept. of EducationDivision of Tech. & Adult Ed. ServicesCapitol Complex, Building 6, Rm 517Charleston, WV 25305(304) 558-3083

WISCONSIN

Jimmy Wilson, Program SpecialistOffice of Department FinanceDepartment of DevelopmentP.O. Box 7970Madison, WI 53707(608) 266-2766

Salvatore Notaro, Section ChiefEconomic DevelopmentBoard of Voc., Tech., & Adult Ed.310 Price PlaceP.O. Box 7874Madison, WI 53707(608) 266-7697

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SKILL STANDARDS PROJECTS

The following agencies have received funding from the Department of Education or theDepartment of Labor to identify the technical and basic skills standards for their given

industry.

Industry Grantee

Supermarket Grocers Research & Education Foundation

(entry level) 1825 Samuel Morse DriveReston, VA 22090(703) 437-5300Project Director: June Williams

Advanced Manufacturing Foundation for Industrial Modernization1331 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.Suite 1410 - NorthWashington, D.C. 20004(202) 662-8960Project Director: Leo Reddy

Agriscience/Biotechnology National FFA FoundationP.O. Box 15160Alexandria, VA 22306(703) 360-3600Project Director: Bernard Staller

Welding American Welding Society(entry-level) 550 N.W. LeJume Road

Miami, FL 33126(305) 443-9353Project Director: Dr. Nelson C. Wall

Chemical Process IndustriesTechnical Workers

American Chemical Society1155 Sixteenth StreetWashington, D.C. 20016(202) 872-8734Project Director: Kenneth M. Chapman

126 1 1_5

Industry

Human Services(Direct care)

Photonics Technicians

Hazardous MaterialManagement Technician

Grantee

Human Services Research Institute2335 Massachusetts Ave.Cambridge, MA 02140(617) 876-0420Project Director: Dr. Virginia Mulkern

Center for Occupational Research & Development601 Lake Air DriveWaco, TX 76710(817) 772-8756Project Director: Darrell Hull

Center for Occupational Research & DevelopmentP.O. Box 21689Waco, TX 76702-1689(817) 772-8756Project Director: James Johnson

Heavy Highway/Utility Laborers - AGC Education & Training FundConstruction & Environmental 37 Deerfield RoadRemediation and Demolition P.O. Box 37

Pomfret Center, CT 06259(203) 974-0800Project Director: John Tipple

Computer Aided Drafting Foundation for Industrial Modernization (FIM)1331 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.Suite 1410, North TowerWashington, DC 20004-1703Project Director Jane Beardsworth

Air Conditioning, Southern Association of Colleges & SchoolsRefrigeration and Power V-TECS(residential & light commercial) 1866 Southern Lane

Decatur, GA 30033-4097(800) 248-7701Project Director: Victor Harville

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Industry

Automotive, Autobody,Truck and Technicians

Bioscience(entry & mid-level Laboratory)

Electronic IndustriesTechnicians

Printing(Press Cluster)

Health Science & Technology(Medical office assistant,Radiology Technologist,Home Health, Medical RecordsTechnician, Medical Secretary,Surgical Technologist)Technologist)

Industrial Laundry

Grantee

National Automotive Technicians Education

Foundation13505 Dulles Technology DriveHemdon, VA 22071(703) 713-0100Project Director: Pat Lundquist

Education Development Center55 Chapel StreetNewton, MA 02160(617) 969-7100Project Director: Dr. Judith Leff

Electronic Industries Foundation919 18th StreetWashington, DC 20006(202) 955-5814Project Director Irwin Kaplan

The Graphics Arts Technical Foundation4615 Forbes Ave.Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3796(412) 621-6941Project Director: John Burgess

Far West Labs for Educational Research and

Development730 Harrison StreetSan Francisco, CA 94107-1242(415) 241-2725Project Director: Sri Ananda

Institute of Industrial Launderers1730 M. Street NWSuite 610Washington, DC 20036(202) 296-6744Project Director: Goeffrey Northey

industry Grantee

Hospitality & Tourism

Metalworking

Electronics (Assembler,Production Associate,Operator, AdministrativeServices Support, andPre/Post Sales)

Electrical Construction

Retail Trade

Council on Hotel, Restaurant& Institutional Education1200 17th Street NWWashington, DC 20036-3097(202) 331-5990Project Director: Doug Adair

National Tool & Machining Association9300 Livingston RoadFt. Washington, MD 20744(301) 248-6200Project Director William Ruxton

American Electronics Association5201 Great American ParkwaySanta Clara, CA 95056(408) 987-4267Project Director: Cheryl Fields Tyler

National Electrical Contractors3 Bethesda Metro Ctr., Suite 1100Bethesda, MD 20814(301) 657-3110Project Director: Charles Kelly

National Retail Federation701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW,Suite 710Washington, DC 20004(202) 783-7971Project Director Robert Hall

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a