The Impact of Basic Skills Programs on Canadian Workplaces

From LiteracyTentWiki

Below is excerpted from the Executive Summary of the PDF document The Impact of Basic Skills Programs on Canadian Workplaces: Results of a National Study for ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation by Ellen Long

Study highlights:

• • Central among the motivators for Canadian workplaces to start basic skills programs is the increased need for reading, writing, and verbal communication due to training requirements and technological developments.

• • Half of workplace basic skills programs are coordinated by joint labour-management committees. A further 47% are coordinated by the company alone, through its training department (in 12% of cases) or by appointed individuals (in 35% of cases).

• • In 96% of the workplaces surveyed, employees enter the basic skills programs on a voluntary basis.

• • Over half the workplace basic skills programs are held on a combination of employer and employee time. In 32% of the workplaces, programs are held on employee time alone. The remaining 17% of programs are on employer time.

• • Ninety-seven percent of respondents report that basic skills programs increase the confidence level of program participants.

• • Ninety-four percent of respondents state that basic skills programs positively influence participants reading, writing and oral communication skills in ways that benefit the workplace.

• • Eighty-seven percent of respondents believe that basic skills programs exert an independent, and positive influence on participants' ability to problem-solve.

• • Ninety percent of respondents indicate that employees who take basic skills programs have an increased ability to work independently.

• • Eighty-seven percent of respondents say that programs impact positively on participants' ability to use workplace-based technology.

• • Eighty-five percent of respondents report that basic skills programs enhance participants' ability to work within a team-based model.

• • Eighty-two percent of respondents link increased health and safety with their workplace's basic skills program.

• • Close to 90% percent of respondents indicate that employees are more promotable as a result of basic skills programs.

• • Sixty-three percent of respondents report that basic skills programs help workplaces to retain employees over time.

• • Ninety-three percent of respondents report that basic skills programs help to increase employee morale. Program participants feel better about their workplace, and about the unions that represent them.

• • Many respondents stated that basic skills programs help remove barriers in the workplace based on age, sex, race and language.

• • Eighty-five percent of company and employee representatives concur that basic skills programs have improved labour relations in their workplaces. Improved labour relations are particularly pronounced in large urban centres.

• • Close to 80% of the respondents report that their workplaces have seen increased productivity because of the basic skills programs.

• • Two-thirds of respondents have seen reduced error rates in people's work.

• • Eighty-five percent of respondents have seen increases in the quality of people's work.

• • Seventy-three percent of respondents have seen increases in work effort.

• • All respondents agree that workplace basic skills programs are a good training investment and would recommend them to other workplaces.

• • Central among the barriers to workplaces starting basic skills programs are perceived cost; lack of awareness of the need for a program; literacy needs being hidden by employees; companies not feeling responsible; lack of understanding about the outcome of programs; and mistrust between labour and management.