Prospects and recommendations for a new national workplace education policy

As we have seen, in the years since the end of the US National Workplace Literacy Program, in some states there have been noticeable positive changes and continued or increased state and private support. In at least one state, Massachusetts, organized labor has become a strong advocate for workplace literacy. State adult education directors in several states have chosen to use their state and/or federal funding to support workplace literacy programs and/or professional development within their states. Also, there continues to be interest in some industries and by some local and state Workforce Investment Boards in workplace literacy within a particular industry or sector. Examples of these industries include healthcare, some manufacturing industries, hotels and hospitality, and food service. If there were to be new national workplace literacy legislation, there would be a great deal to build on given what was learned from the first national demonstration and from the local and state level activity that began then and has continued to the present.

At the national level, even without specific national workplace literacy legislation, some federal funds are currently used for workplace basic skills. In addition to states, and Workforce Investment Boards within states, that use Workforce Investment Act resources for incumbent worker education, recent US Department of Labor (USDOL) grants have also supported workplace basic skills. For example, USDOL Community-based Job Training Grants have supported career ladders that involve strengthening English language and other basic skills. Another example of a national investment in workplace education is the National Work Readiness Credential (NWRC). A spin-off of Equipped for the Future, a 10-year national curriculum initiative supported by the federally funded National Institute for Literacy, the NWRC is now being implemented in more than 80 sites across the US and a national NWRC readiness guide has been developed to help people prepare for the credential’s assessment. [1]

Although there currently are no visible efforts to bring about a new federal workplace literacy policy—indeed the US Congress has repeatedly delayed reauthorization of the present Workforce Investment Act for several years—if anything, the need for workplace basic skills is now more widely recognized by US business, economists, and educators than it was in the late 1980’s. There is much that has been learned both from the National Workplace Literacy Program and, more recently, from state and local workplace literacy education programs that would be worth the attention of US federal policymakers. Continued workplace literacy at the state level and, to some extent, at the national level has laid a good foundation for a new national workplace education initiative.

The National Commission on Adult Literacy has commissioned a policy brief on workplace education. If it were to recommend legislation for a new national workplace literacy program, it would need a clear direction and goals for it. The Commission’s workplace education policy brief includes seven policy options for the Commission to consider, several of which suggest a stronger federal role. These include:

• more involvement in research and evaluation,
• support of state professional development
• improved federal measures for workplace education outcomes
• better federal agency collaboration
• national dissemination.

From my understanding of the successes and failures of the NWLP, and from what we have learned from the state workplace literacy efforts that have continued in the past decade, I would add the following policy recommendations for a new federal workplace literacy initiative:

1.  Conduct a national workplace needs assessment

 Establish a national process to collect from employers, employer associations and other intermediaries, data by industry sector on employee basic skills needs.

2.  Measure workplace education program outcomes

Outcomes should be based on employer and employee goals, and emphasize direct work-related measures rather than (only) level gains on standardized tests. Eliminate National Reporting System barriers to developing and reporting workplace education program outcomes. As James T. Parker urges in his policy options, the NRS should approve and encourage the use of work-based, contextualized basic skills measures and certifications and the federal government should pay to develop valid and reliable measures if they are required.

3.  Measure return on investment and other impacts.

Federally supported studies are needed to demonstrate the effect of workplace education on companies and workers. A national adult education and literacy research center is needed that includes research on workplace literacy education.

4.  Support federal, state, and local partnerships

Continue to base workplace education at national, state and local levels in a partnership of business, organized labor and adult educators. A federally-funded initiative should focus on developing and strengthening state initiatives, and should also require viable partnerships of federal agencies such as Education, Labor, Higher Education, Commerce, Health and Human Services and the National Institute for Literacy

5.  Use multiple funding sources

Use a range of federal, state and local public sector and private sector funding to support workplace education.

6.  Connect workplace education with community-based and distance education

Connecting workplace education with community based and distance education providers would give seamless opportunities for workers to continue their education beyond the limited opportunities offered at the workplace itself.

7.  Support a significant level of state professional and program development

This is needed to support states to train/re-train professional adult educators to provide high-quality work-contextualized instruction in the workplace, and to do so through the use of fee-for-service contracts as well as public support.

8.  National curriculum development.

Develop publicly available online, industry-specific contextualized basic skills curriculum, for example in healthcare, hospitality, financial services and other industries.

9.  Require in-kind private-sector match

Continue to include an in-kind match from companies for publicly-supported workplace education services

10.  Develop a program accreditation model

Develop program requirements and certification or accreditation for provider programs of workplace basic skills services that meet the requirements. Requirements might include consistently high program performance and student outcomes, and ongoing professional development.

11.  Disseminate information and study results

In the NWLP, information was effectively disseminated through the ERIC Clearinghouse, the National Diffusion Network, and through a private effort, the Business Council for Effective Literacy newsletter. A new national workplace education program needs a revitalized, Web-based, national dissemination system.

Will the United States again have a National Workplace Literacy Program? A new federal Administration and Congress in 1909 might be fertile ground for discussion of such a program, and there could be new support from state education departments, organized labor, and perhaps some specific corporations and associations. The National Commission on Adult Literacy could recommend this to Congress and the Administration as a basic skills priority. If this interest were organized, if there were a national advocacy effort, it is possible, but at this time it is uncertain.

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