Timely Topics: A Collection of Articles from Literacy Links

The Continuum of Language, Literacy, Civics, and Workforce Development:
Nothing Supports Literacy and Community Like Gainful Employment!

by Barbara Tondre-El Zorkani

A new idea? Hardly. But the real focus here is on connections rather than differences among programs - differences sometimes based on little more than funding sources. Supporters of one or the other programs may argue that goals and objectives differ dramatically from program to program: English language acquisition, family literacy, adult education, civics, workforce development. However, since a large percentage of the adult learners we serve have multiple needs that transcend funding constraints, it behooves us to explore ways to join efforts, combine forces and resources, and collaborate in providing a continuum of services to our customers -- the adult learners in our communities.

Now more than ever, adult educators are aware of the multiple needs of the ever-growing number of limited English proficient adult learners seeking our services. In response to recent national and international events, as well as current immigration laws, many others remain invisible. The 2000 U.S. Census Report reveals that at least 10.5 million American residents speak little or no English. Many of these adults had limited access to extensive education in their own countries, or upon arrival here in the United States, pursued their most critical and immediate goal of seeking employment, with literacy and education taking a back seat to supporting their families.

Those involved in family literacy programs such as Even Start will tell you that while a mother may be very committed to her role as her children's first teacher, the family's stability and its continued participation in education initiatives is often heavily dependent upon the father's employability.

Others familiar with Equipped for the Future's role maps for citizen/community member, parent/family, and worker quickly point out the overlapping connections among the three domains. But too often, employability training begins and ends with teaching adult learners to complete a job application, prepare for an interview, and dress for success. Or under the auspices of "training," the focus on specific skills limits instructors in addressing the broader scope of skills needed by learners in order to succeed in roles as citizens, parents and family members, and participants in today's workforce. Still other adult educators do an impressive job of integrating workforce development with literacy and basic skills training, but fail to recognize the importance of what they are doing or cannot articulate the connections. As a result, students are often unaware of just how complex and multi-faceted learning is and just how much they are learning! The good news: all of our efforts are compatible and actually complimentary to one another.

How can literacy services to the parent/family member, citizen, and worker be effectively integrated to ensure that employed parents maintain gainful employment, thereby making it possible for other family members and themselves to attend to community and civic responsibilities as well? El Paso Community College's Workforce Literacy Training and Technical Assistance Project (WLTTAP), housed at the Center for Workforce Preparedness, and the Office of Workforce Adult Literacy, housed at the Texas Workforce Commission in Austin, are both engaged in efforts to address this question through research, pilot projects, technical assistance, and professional development. If more than cosmetic changes are wanted in workforce-related education initiatives, definitions of teaching and learning must be revisited, teacher training restructured, and guidance in curriculum development provided. Most importantly, institutional support must be made systematic and substantive, and linkages with employers strengthened.

A number of resources are available to adult educators (administrators and instructional staff) and their local workforce development partners:

The WLTTAP's Web site provides a resource adult educators and local workforce development boards can use to identify local strengths and weaknesses, and improve plans for continuous improvement in integrating workforce development with adult literacy/education. This resource, a packet called Are You Ready? enables communities to:

• evaluate their preparedness to systematically integrate education and training services;
• identify and prioritize programmatic and instructional needs;
• identify resources for continuous improvement (training, technical assistance, partnerships, other funding, etc.); and
• develop an effective action plan for successfully implementing and sustaining local workforce-related education programs.

The packet is one of several developed by Barbara Tondre-El Zorkani and now available to adult educators through WLTTAP. It can be downloaded by going to www.wlttap.net, then clicking on products. For professional development opportunities available to adult educators and their local workforce development partners, click on training.

The Office of Workforce Adult Literacy is making available via its Web site the field guide, Planning Literacy and Language Services for Texas' Spanish Speaking Dislocated Workers. This product is the result of a 2000/2001 research initiative sponsored by the Texas Workforce Commission and prepared by Barbara Tondre-El Zorkani. The guide is designed to assist communities in:

• effectively surveying current and potential employers' labor needs;
• determining appropriate assessment instruments for use with limited English proficient workers; and
• accessing curricular resources adaptable to the specific needs of workers.

This guide was developed with input from numerous stakeholders, including a focus group made up of Texas adult education practitioners as well as a workgroup of representatives from Texas-Mexico border area businesses, adult literacy initiatives, front-line workforce development personnel, and higher education.
While the targeted goal of this research initiative was to identify and recommend innovative approaches and products to meet the literacy and employment needs of Spanish-speaking dislocated workers, the guide also provides valuable resources and strategies for use with other populations served under the Workforce Investment Act. It should be of particular interest to program providers relatively new to customizing workforce-related English language instruction to community needs.

TWC's Office of Workforce Adult Literacy has also funded four workforce adult literacy demonstration pilot projects with the intent of increasing Texas' capacity to prepare individuals to compete for current employment opportunities.

Meeting the demands of today's workplace requires the best efforts of employers, educators, and job seekers to collaborate and cooperate in addressing work-related literacy needs.

Table of Contents | Next Article