Workforce/Workplace Education PreConference

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Workplace 1306 4/24/08

The Workplace Learning Conferences (held for several years in Milwaukee, Detroit and the last one in Chicago 2003) were primarily funded by the US Dept. of Labor and had a lot of Canadian participation, and some from other countries as well, which was great. Perhaps they will renew this effort under a new administration? I also think a preconference at the next COABE is a good idea. For starters, maybe some of us workplace folks who are going to this COABE next week (this will be my first time) could meet informally one evening? I'd be willing to help organize this.

Connie Nelson, Ed.D. Director
Massachusetts Worker Education Roundtable
33 Harrison Avenue
Boston, MA 02111
tel. 617-983-3667
fax 617-983-3669
connie_nelson@hotmail.com

Workplace 1307 4/24/08

Connie, I won't be at the conference, but count me in to help move plans along.
Barbara Tondre btondre@earthlink.net
Texas LEARNS

Workplace 1310 4/24/08

That's great, I Will let the Board of Directors know, thanks
Andy Tyskiewicz atyskiewicz@crec.org

Workplace 1311 4/24/08

I like where this is going. Unfortunatly, I will not be at the COABE this time. However, if you get together next week, count me in for the next step of planning. I will be willing to help on any committee.
Mary
Dr. Mary B. Henderson
Program Officer
J. Marion Sims Foundation
PO Box 818
Lancaster, SC 29721
mhenderson@jmsims.org
(803) 286-8772

Workplace 1314 5/24/08
Hi, Connie--Thanks for offering to do this. I won't be able to be at COABE this year, but I think it's a great idea to get people together who are doing workplace education, and to try to organize a pre-conference at the next conference. I'd be glad to help in any way I can.
I hope you and everyone have a great experience at the conference next week. Last year's workforce and workplace sessions were really valuable and well-attended, and quite interesting. I'm so sorry not to be there, and look forward to hearing about others' experiences there.

Laurie
Laurie Sheridan, Workforce Development Coordinator World Education/SABES Central Resource Center
44 Farnsworth St.
Boston, MA 02210
(617) 385-3737
lsheridan@worlded.org
SABES: Training Leaders in Adult Basic Education

COABE 08 takes place in St. Louis

Workplace 1357 5/8/08

Where is the COABE 2009 conference? If it’s in a state where workplace/workforce education is well supported (like PA in 2007) the odds of a successful pre-conference day are greatly enhanced.
Jim Parker jtparker@atlanticbb.net

Workplace 1358 5/9/08

COABE next year is April 18 – 22 in Louisville, Kentucky. Before this year’s COABE conference, we floated the idea on this discussion list of trying to get a workforce/workplace ed pre-conference for next year. Several of our list members said they would be willing to help get this idea off the ground, and I’m guessing there are additional list members also willing to help. There were not many work-related presentations this year, but my guess is that if there were a pre-conference next year, there would be more COABE proposals resulting in more workplace education sessions, and therefore more of you in attendance. Jim brings up a good point about the location of the conference having a lot to do with the potential success of the pre-conference, in that there are always more attendees from the home state. If we have the support of the Kentucky workforce/workplace people, our success potential is increased. Who on the list is from Kentucky or knows who in Kentucky would know and could share with us what is going on in Kentucky as to workforce/workplace literacy education?
Donna
Donna Brian
Moderator, LINCS Workplace Literacy Discussion List
Off-list contact djgbrian@utk.edu
To post a message:
workplace@nifl.gov
To subscribe/unsubscribe/change options/access archives:
http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/workplace

Workplace 1359 5/9/08

Actually, COABE 2009 is in Louisville, Kentucky. And lucky for us all, Kentucky has a rich history in providing workplace education, particularly contextualized. And for those of you who were in St. Louis you may have been in the session "Beyond the GED: Preparing Students for Entry Level Positions" and heard from John Greenwell who is the workforce coordinator right there in Louisville where they are embarking on some wonderful employment partnerships for their students.
As a member of the COABE 2009 planning board, I will bring this suggestion forward, because we know from the "bursting at the seams" attendance at many of the workforce sessions this year, there is a demand for more emphasis on workforce and bigger rooms for those sessions :)
If any of you have projects to share, please be sure to submit to present later this year. That is how we all grow - in those sessions where we learn best practices from one another.

Tonya Crum, Director
Workforce Development & Training
KET - Kentucky Educational Television
859-258-7009 office
800-432-0951 x7009 office
859-258-7393 fax
TCrum@ket.org

Workplace 1360 5/9/08

The COABE Board is very supportive of expanding this focus. Thanks for your interest. A Tyskiewicz, pres. Elect. atyskiewicz@crec.org

Workplace 1361 5/9/08

CT is deeply involved in workforce education and would be very interested in getting involved in organizing a pre-session on this extremely relevant topic. I was disappointed to arrive at COABE this year to discover that the pre-conference session on workplace education for which I had registered had, in fact, been cancelled.
I'm on board to help in any way that seems appropriate.
Thanks.
Maureen (Wagner) Maureen.Wagner@po.state.ct.us

Workplace 1362 5/9/08

This is all very encouraging. Here’s the list of people who have expressed an interest in a workplace pre-conference coming about next year, possibly at COABE:
Maureen Wagner – Connecticut
Mary Henderson – J. Marion Sims Foundation, Lancaster, SC
Connie Nelson – Massachusetts Worker Education Roundtable, Boston
Andy Tyskiewicz – Massachusetts? Kentucky? Didn’t get contact info from email
Laurie Sheridan - World Education, Boston
Barbara Tondre – Texas LEARNS
Tonya Crum - Kentucky Educational Television
Jodi Crandall (perhaps?)
Jim Parker
Are there others who would be willing to make this come about?
And who would like to take the lead? Connie, maybe? With Tonya, perhaps? Someone else?

Donna
Donna Brian
Moderator, LINCS Workplace Literacy Discussion List
Off-list contact djgbrian@utk.edu
To post a message:
workplace@nifl.gov
To subscribe/unsubscribe/change options/access archives:
http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/workplace

Workplace 1363 5/9/08

I do not mind participating as representation from Georgia. I am relatively new as the Workplace Ed Coordinator. However, I am willing to assist in any way my experiences and knowledge base may be beneficial. This would also give me an opportunity to network and learn what others are doing as best practices.
Melissa Hodge-Penn
Health Literacy/ Workplace Education Coordinator
Technical College System of Georgia/Office of Adult Literacy
1800 Century Place, Suite 300
Atlanta, GA 30345-4304
Office: 404-679-5269
Fax: 404-679-1630
Email: mhodge-penn at dtae.org

Workplace 1364 5/9/08

Andy T - CT
Andy Tyskiewicz atyskiewicz at crec.org

Workplace 1365 5/9/08

The Center for Literacy Studies is also interested in a workforce/workplace ed pre-conference next year. I would be happy to help in planning and/or facilitating such a session.
Diane
Diane P. Gardner
Associate Director
Center for Literacy Studies
600 Henley Street, Suite 312
Knoxville, TN 37996
865-974-9949

Workplace 1366 5/9/08

I’m happy to participate in planning as well.
Regina Suitt rsuitt@pima.edu
Advanced Program Manager
Community and Workplace Programs
Pima Community College Adult Education
520-884-8628
Regina.Suitt@pima.edu
linking community and business to opportunity
Mission: To develop our community through learning.

Workplace 1368 5/9/08

I would be very interested in a pre-conference session focused on workforce preparation. Are people primarily interested in incumbent workers -- i.e, workplace education -- or more broadly on workforce preparation?

Jodi Crandall crandall@umbc.edu

Workplace 1369 5/11/08

Donna – I would be very interested in coming to a workplace conference – such events are rare anywhere in the world from what I can see. By the middle of next year we should have most of the results in from our workplace literacy study (500+ learners spread over 19 projects), so would be able to make a contribution to the conference on this. Alison Wolf and Karen Evans from the UK should also have all of their results in by then from their big study.
Regards, John
John Benseman
john.benseman@criticalinsight.co.nz
641 9 627 1882 Cell 027 454 0683
52a Bolton St, Blockhouse Bay, Auckland 0600, NZ
Skype: boltonstbunch

Workplace 1370 5/12/08

This is getting quite exciting getting John Benseman from New Zealand and the UK folks who are doing research in workplace literacy involved. I’m hoping that we might have even have a sub strand that focuses on the integration of immigrants who are (relatively) new to English into the workforce and into jobs with wages that can sustain a family.
I’m involved in a number of different projects this year that deal with these issues (including a couple with Jodi Crandall).
So count me in
Heide
Heide Spruck Wrigley heide@literacywork.com
Literacywork International

Workplace 1372 5/12/08

With reference to the email sent on Saturday asking for those interested in a workplace literacy pre-conference session next year at COABE Kentucky – count me in!
We are doing some great things at Harris County but it is so useful to share ideas and learn from others. As our program grows and develops, we need to constantly evaluate and revise according to our students’ needs and current capabilities. Addressing the issues of responding to those needs and working within our individual programs’ parameters, we can only strengthen our programs and services by the exchange of information. I thoroughly enjoyed the workplace and transition sessions that I attended in St. Louis, but like the rest of you, I had hoped to see more.
Have a great week!
Janice Strohmeier jstrohmeier@hcde-texas.org
Harris County Department of Education
Adult Education
Instructor/Transition Advisor
713-692-6216 Ext. 2408

Workplace 1373 5/12/08
I am so glad to see this level of interest. My own focus is workplace education, and I attended 3 good workshops at the recent COABE--2 involving McDonald's workers and 1 from the interesting Indiana model. I would like to see a preconference involving models, tools, policy, research. Another possiblity is a strand, so there could be relevant workshops in each time slot. I can do some work on this (i.e. be on a committee) but can't commit to chairing said committee. Tonya, can you represent our ideas to the planning committee?
Connie Nelson, Ed.D. Director
Massachusetts Worker Education Roundtable
33 Harrison Avenue
Boston, MA 02111
tel. 617-983-3667
fax 617-983-3669
connie_nelson@hotmail.com

Workplace 1375 5/12/08

I would also be interested in helping to get a workplace pre-con session developed.
Melissa Young
National Transitional Jobs Network
Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights
4411 North Ravenswood
Chicago, IL 60640
Telephone: 773.728.5960 x 6286
Email: myoung@heartlandalliance.org
Fax: 773.506.6649
www.transitionaljobs.net

Workplace 1376 5/12/08

Donna - Will there be a call for presentations? If so, do you know when that information will become available? Thank you.

Melissa MYoung@heartlandalliance.org

Workplace 1377 5/12/08

I can do a preconference TTT (Train the Trainer) on how to set up (business side)/market/sell/teach Workplace ESL. My company does this often and I have started doing some preconference versions of the training. I’m doing one in September and it’s going to be a four hour session and the participants will pay $99 each. When we do it for corporations, we charge $1595 for a whole day session (it’s a bit more customized for them though )
Or, I can just help in other ways. I love the idea of a conference just for us.
Ronna Timpa ronna@WorkplaceESL.com
55 South Valle Verde #235-110 Henderson, NV 89012
(702)873-3520
www.WorkplaceESL.com

Workplace 1378 5/12/08
We just began using Workkeys testing and developing new certificate programs in our community education classes. We have developed some local business partnerships in this process. I would be willing to assist and interested in learning from others in this area as well.

Suzette Fox <foxs@billings.k12.mt.us>
Adult Basic Literacy Education
Computer and Business Instructor
Billings, Montana
(406) 247-3714

Workplace 1379 5/12/08

I would be interested in focusing broadly on workforce preparation, as well as incumbent worker education.
Laurie
Laurie Sheridan, Workforce Development Coordinator World Education/SABES Central Resource Center
44 Farnsworth St.
Boston, MA 02210
(617) 385-3737
lsheridan@worlded.org
SABES: Training Leaders in Adult Basic Education

Workplace 1380 5/12/08

The term "work-based" instruction seems to do a good job of including emerging, encumbent, and displaced workers. I suggest that we include all three pops if we're talking COABE pre-conference.
Barbara Tondre-El Zorkani btondre@earthlink.net

Workplace 1382 5/12/08

I like the way Connie outlined the potential makeup of the pre-conference:
models, tools, policy, research. Strands would work. We ended up shying away from policy at our first ever workforce literacy summit in San Antonio last month (too hot in Texas - and I'm not referring to the weather), but we did look at funding options. Focus is the key. My problem with so many other conferences is that they try to be all things to all people.
Barbara Tondre-El Zorkani btondre@earthlink.net

Workplace 1383 5/12/08

having attended COABE last year I found a lot of workplace strands were about workforce readiness more than 'incumbent worker education like John I would be really interested in attending and presenting ata conference on workplace literacy as there are so few of them and we are really focussed on scaling up workplace provision in New Zealand annd our appraoch to provision was based on what had happened in the US and Australia there is a foocus on workplace literacy in Canada now as well as the UK happy to contribute in any way to conferecne planning form a distance regards Susan Reid <sreid@workbase.org.nz>
Learning and Development Manager
Workbase the New Zealand Centre for Workforce Literacy Development
www.workbase.org.nz

Workplace 1385 5/12/08

Please add Ann Beck and Carrie Morgan Cannella from Literacy Volunteers of Coconino COunty, Flagstaff, AZ to the list of interested folks? We have very little experience, but want to begin offering meaningful programs for the workplace, especially readiness for entry level unskilled workers. ABeck@VCCReads.org

Workplace 1387 5/13/08

Up till now I have been a ”silent partner” in this list, but after reading John’s input (hi, John, nice to hear from you again! :-) ), I’d like to convey my enthusiastic support for the idea of an international conference on workplace literacy education. We’re working on this theme here In Norway, too. You may find some information about our work at www.vox.no/english. We would indeed be very interested in presenting our national programme for Basic Competence at the Workplace.
Graciela Sbertoli <Graciela.sbertoli@vox.no>
Assistant Director
Head of Unit for Basic Skills and International Co-operation,
Vox, Norwegian Institute for Adult Learning
P.O. Box 6139 Etterstad, N-0602 Oslo
Phone: +47 23381346
Fax: +47 23381301
http://www.vox.no

Workplace 1388 5/13/08
We are interested in participating in a pre-conference also. One area we are having difficulty with is transitioning and supporting new workers – such as out-of-school youth and welfare-to-work clients, about half ESOL and half native speakers. Would this fit with what has already been offered?
Howard Dooley <hdooley@riral.org>
RI Regional Adult Learning

Workplace 1391 5/13/08

If anyone is interested I’d be happy to present the model used in Bridgeport CT for about 10-11 manufacturing and one very large bank; how we started, the stages of progression and the current work that gets done. I will check with the current director of Lit Volunteers in Bridgeport who expanded in to the Naugatuck Valley under his leadership. It is a slightly different model than originally designed.
Jack Hickey-Williams <JackH@ccgb.org>

Workplace 1392 5/13/08

If there was interest, the National Transitional Jobs Network would be happy to share its work and the efforts of individual Transitional Jobs programs across the country in transitioning people with barriers to employment into work at a pre-conference session at COABE. TJ programs work with diverse populations of people with barriers to employment; including populations of at-risk youth, people with criminal records, TANF recipients, people experiencing homelessness, refugees, immigrants, and veterans. Visit; www.transitionaljobs.net to access our fact sheets and other information. In addition, Howard, I'd be happy to talk with you individually about our efforts in RI with regards to developing TJ programs and interest in the strategy. Please feel free to contact me directly.
Melissa Young
Coordinator, National Transitional Jobs Network
Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights
4411 North Ravenswood
Chicago, IL 60640
Telephone: 773.728.5960 x 6286
Email: <myoung@heartlandalliance.org>
Fax: 773.506.6649
www.transitionaljobs.net

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