[NIFL-WORKPLACE:760] Re: Workplace Teachers Handbook

From: Laura Beach (lxb39@psu.edu)
Date: Mon Nov 03 2003 - 13:12:07 EST


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From: "Laura Beach" <lxb39@psu.edu>
To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-workplace@literacy.nifl.gov>
Subject: [NIFL-WORKPLACE:760] Re: Workplace Teachers Handbook
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Dear Bill,
The Pennsylvania Workforce Improvement Network (PA WIN) supports the
expansion of adult basic education organizations' abilities to provide
customized foundation skills training for employees in their workplace. 
Over forty-five Adult Basic Literacy Educators in the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania have been selected as PA WIN affiliates. Each affiliate has a
designated PA WIN program developer who works to bridge the worlds of
education and business. Affiliates and their program developers work with
one-stops, Workforce Investment Boards, and employers, assisting them in
assessing employers' and workers' foundation skills and designing high
quality, customized foundation skills training programs to meet those needs.


In Pennsylvania, foundation skills are defined as those skills that workers
need to be effective and safe in their work environment.  For a complete
description of foundation skills and supporting resources for workplace
training, go to:  www.foundationskills.org.  

PA WIN has developed a guide for growth and a series of training modules
that we offer to agencies affiliated with the network.  PA WIN professional
development opportunities incorporate the systematic use of the following
quality model to ensure that the service provided meets the specific need(s)
of each workplace and its workers.  The following 5 steps briefly detail the
model we use.

Step 1:  Build A Team Of Stakeholders
PA WIN requires that all basic skills training bring together the various
stakeholders to develop and advise the planning process.  Who has a vested
interest in the basic skills proficiency in the company/organization?

Step 2:  Conduct A Foundation Skills Needs Analysis
PA WIN uses a variety of investigation tools to identify knowledge, skills
and abilities employees need to perform on the job.  It is important to
identify current levels of performance and ability of workers before
prescribing appropriate interventions. 

Step 3:  Define Business Goal & Project Objectives
PA WIN makes the point of connecting the business goal being affected by the
lack of basic skills with measurable training objectives.  The basic skills
training must always focus on what the worker is supposed to do as a result
of the training.  The training must always connect with the larger business
goal.

Step 4:  Design & Deliver Customized Curriculum
The information from the needs analysis and involvement from workers and
frontline supervisors is used to incorporate materials, resources, and
examples from the workplace into the classroom. Adult learning theory and
best practices also guide the process to ensure transfer of skills to the
job. 

Step 5:  Evaluate training
Impact evaluation is critical.  PA WIN requires that a variety of tools be
used to determine if learning occurred in the classroom and whether it
transferred to the workplace. In the evaluation process, PA WIN analyzes the
impact of the training.   Findings are reported to  the various
stakeholders.

PA WIN has been funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Education's Bureau
of Adult Basic and Literacy Education (ABLE) since 1999.  Over 110 workplace
basic skills training projects have been funded.  49 of those projects have
documented return fee-for-service contracts between the employers and the
training providers.  The PA WIN project is managed by the Institute for the
Study of Adult Literacy at The Pennsylvania State University.  If you would
like to learn more about PA WIN, go to www.pawin.org.

Best regards,
Laura Beach
PA WIN Co-Director
Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy
The Pennsylvania State University
814-865-6604

nifl-workplace@nifl.gov
nifl-workplace@nifl.gov writes:
>We're a volunteer organization with a growing workplace literacy program.
> 
>As the number of our trained volunteers gets larger we're feeling the
>need 
>for a "handbook" that we can give to our workplace teachers.  Our concern
>is 
>that we don't want our teacher corps "drifting' off because we failed to 
>provide some overall philosphical/administrative/ service oriented set of 
>guidelines they can review from time to time.  Before we go off
>re-inventing 
>the wheel---has  anyone developed such a handbook for their workplace 
>teachers?  it would certainly help to see what sorts of things others
>have 
>included in their efforts before we tackle our first draft.
>
>Many thanks
>
>Bill Zaner
>Adult Literacy League of Sonoma (CA) County
>
>_________________________________________________________________
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