Addressing
Workforce Literacy
While Remaining Focused on Adult Ed
by Barbara Tondre-El Zorkani
The tiresome debate about education versus training has outlived its
usefulness. While politics, turf issues, and finger-pointing are
clearly part of the American political theater, they do little to
address the needs of many adult learners.
True, there are adult learners in our classes who will never work;
but almost every one of them is supported by someone who works, or
they provide care for the next generation of workers. For most of
us who are working today, tomorrow’s workforce is critical
to our future.
For too long, adult educators have had little more than learners’ attainment
of a GED certificate as proof of a program’s success. But to
bet one’s retirement on the hope that all adult learners in
Texas will obtain GED certificates is risky business and jeopardizes
future funding. Responding to the needs of the growing number of
adult learners who need to get a job, learn to survive on the job,
and thrive in the workplace – but who may be far from obtaining
a GED – is critical to the Texas economy. Our well-being is
closely tied to future generations of children who will surely be
left behind unless their parents’ family, community, and work-related
literacy needs are addressed by adult education.
While the National Institute for Literacy’s future commitment
to adult education issues may be uncertain, it appears that the phenomenal
work done under the auspices of Equipped for the Future (EFF) has
found new and vigorous support. State partners are growing in number,
and business leaders in manufacturing and retail are joining forces.
The National Governors’ Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce,
and the Institute for Educational Leadership have reached consensus
on
a national Work Readiness Credential.
The credential is based on a profile that amplifies what new workers
in entry level jobs need to be able to do. The profile confirms what
most adult educators have known for some time: employers want new
workers with strong communication, interpersonal, and problem-solving
skills, who are responsible and can work as part of a team.
The recently developed Work Readiness Profile identifies skills
workers need to be able to do well enough to successfully carry out
critical entry level tasks. The tasks are organized according to
SCANS categories, and incorporate ten of EFF’s sixteen standards
appearing on the EFF standards wheel.
So? What else are adult educators expected to do? Isn’t this
just adding to what is already a very full plate of responsibilities?
The answer: No. Rather, it may provide a means for adult education
to capture efforts not currently captured by standardized instruments
or the National Reporting System.
The Work Readiness Profile and Credential can help adult educators
accomplish a number of objectives:
- it can serve as a guide for
curriculum preparation;
- it can assess the soft skills
employers say they care
about but which are not currently assessed by any of the instruments
available to
adult educators;
- it supports the state’s com
mitment to the development of quality content standards that link curriculum
to instruction to assessment to real
world achievements;
- it can provide learners with a
means to document that they
are work ready; and
- it can demonstrate to stake
holders the relevance of adult
education to the business
world.
But perhaps most importantly for adult educators, the credential fills a gap
in adult education’s current arsenal of assessment tools, and is aligned
with the National Reporting System for Title II of the Workforce Investment
Act. More than 20 states have already begun the process of integrating EFF into
their instructional and professional development systems.
The voluminous research and products developed by EFF over the
past ten years are overwhelming when taken as a whole. But for those
of us who are simply looking for ways to connect adult education
with workforce literacy while addressing the real world needs of
adult learners, the Work Readiness Profile and Credential are refreshingly
straightforward solutions. Why not view the profile yourself and
affirm that it includes the knowledge and skills crucial to the competency
of entry level workers? Or consider becoming a pilot site for the
assessments currently being developed. Find out more at http://eff.cls.utk.edu/workreadiness/default.htm.
A Workforce Literacy Scenario: What Would You Do?
A company is hiring increasing numbers of entry-level employees with
limited English language skills.
Some are turned away because they can not pass the entrance exam, although
those doing the hiring recognize that these individuals possess skills
needed by the industry (dexterity, keen attention to detail, a strong
work ethic). The director of the company’s learning resource
center has convinced upper management that offering English language
classes on site would be an excellent investment of time and money,
with immediate benefits to production time and quality control. The
director has received approval to establish onsite ESL classes for
a new group of employees who will begin work in three months. He is
seeking an appropriate service provider. He wants to use this first
class as a control group, comparing job performance with that of another
group hired six months earlier and not receiving English language instruction.
- What additional information would you need to design a program
for this company?
- How can curriculum be designed to upgrade workers’ language
and occupational skills within a limited period of time?
- What support services would be critical to an initiative of
this nature?
This scenario and the accompanying questions can be used as a staff
development activity in your local program. To receive feedback on
your answers to the questions, submit answers via email to: btondre@earthlink.net.
ESOL Worker Competencies:
To Get a Job, Survive, or Thrive on the
Job
This activity can be used to raise awareness among ESOL instructors
regarding the work-related Addressing Workforce Literacy While Remaining
Focused on
Adult Ed
skills and knowledge needed by English language learners. Makes for
stimulating discussion about instructional activities!
ESOL Worker Competencies
With a partner, indicate which of the following competencies are
necessary to get a job (G), to survive on a job (S), or to thrive
on the job (T):
1. __ give and follow oral and written directions
2. __ give personal information
3. __ participate in discussions
4. __ express ability, likes and dislikes
5. __ follow oral and written instructions
6. __ know how to access and use written information
7. __ understand and use safety language
8. __ state a position or opinion
9. __ negotiate
10. __ cross reference and verify text info with charts, diagrams
11. __ ask and answer questions
12. __ ask for clarification and request reasons
13. __ read a job ad
14. __ teach others
15. __ hypothesize and predict outcomes
16. __ locate information / specifications in text materials
17. __ make small talk
18. __ determine meaning of technical vocabulary
About the Author
Barbara Tondre-El Zorkani began her work in ESOL in Germany thirty
years ago, then taught for the Defense Language Institute in San
Antonio, Texas, and in Amman, Jordan. After four years with the
English Language Institute at American University in Cairo, Egypt,
Barbara and her family returned to Texas where she has continued
to work in the fields of ESOL and workforce development, She is
a nationally recognized researcher, trainer and consultant and
is co-author of Tennessee’s ESOL in the Workplace statewide
initiative.
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