Hi Margot - a fascinating question. I certainly don't know of any studies on
this, although the old adage about training (esp. LLN?) being the first
casualty of tight times probably means that things do not augur well. We in
New Zealand have been riding a period of reasonable prosperity and now see
the same rainclouds on the horizon as you do. With unemployment in the low-
3% range, employers have been more interested in upskilling their present
workforce, but as unemployment rises, there will probably be a tendency to
'solve' these issues by being more selective with new staff I would guess.

 

I look forward to hearing of any studies on this

 

Regards, John

 

John Benseman

Principal Researcher

Upskilling Project

*   john.benseman at criticalinsight.co.nz

*   641 9 627 1882  Cell  027 454 0683

* 52a Bolton St, Blockhouse Bay, Auckland 0600, NZ

Skype: boltonstbunch

  _____  

From: workplace-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:workplace-bounces at nifl.gov] On
Behalf Of Margot Walsh
Sent: Tuesday, 1 July 2008 10:41 a.m.
To: The Workplace Literacy Discussion List
Subject: [Workplace 1454] Research Project on impact of recession on
ALNEpolicy

 

Dear all
I wonder if you can help me, I'm doing a research study on the impact of
recession on workplace ALNE policy.  I wanted to compare impacts and
reactions from 2-3 countries.  Have any of you any experience of this or
suggestions for what countries would be best to study?
Ireland is about to slip into recession, so I'd like to have a look at
impact elsewhere, outcomes, see what worked well, what to avoid etc.
 
Many thanks all
Margot Walsh
Workplace Basic Education Coordinator
Co Clare
Ireland



  _____  

Date: Tue, 1 Jul 2008 08:39:39 +1200
From: sreid at workbase.org.nz
To: workplace at nifl.gov; workplace at nifl.gov
CC: sclout at workbase.org.nz
Subject: [Workplace 1452] Re: Research Project for New
ZealandDepartmentofLabour

Hi Dorian and Carol

thank you so much for your responses 

see my earleir replies that the Dept is not looking at workforce readiness
credentials 

I appreicate you taking the time to reply 

kind regards Susan Reid 

 

  _____  

From: workplace-bounces at nifl.gov on behalf of Spears, Dorian (Memphis)
Sent: Tue 7/1/2008 3:57 AM
To: The Workplace Literacy Discussion List
Subject: [Workplace 1441] Re: Research Project for New
ZealandDepartmentofLabour

Hi Christina,

 

We have begun to use this process here in the Shelby County in regards to
getting those on public assistance placed into jobs. Since it's been
introduced, we have a feeling that it will be in the trend in the
pre-employment process for local employers.

 

Just wanted to share.

 

Have a great day!

 

Dorian

 

Dorian Spears

Program Assistant

Seedco, Mid-South Regional Office

22 North Front Street, Suite 900

Memphis, TN 38103-2162

Main: 901.255.2955

Direct: 901.528.2456

Fax: 901.528.1401

 <http://www.seedco.org/> www.seedco.org

 

"Bloom where you are planted."

  _____  

From: workplace-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:workplace-bounces at nifl.gov] On
Behalf Of Christy Nelson
Sent: Monday, June 30, 2008 8:01 AM
To: The Workplace Literacy Discussion List
Subject: [Workplace 1438] Re: Research Project for New Zealand
DepartmentofLabour

 

The link listed below might be of use to you.  The state of Michigan is in
the process of looking at the National Career Readiness Certificate to
determine work readiness levels.  A NCRC (National Career Readiness
Certificate) is based on WorkKeys testing in the areas of Reading for
Information, Applied Mathematics and Locating Information.  The link to find
more information about this certificate and the testing is:

 

http://www.act.org/certificate/works.html

 

 

Christina Luckey-Nelson

Adult Education Coordinator

1209 S. Garfield Suite C

Traverse City, MI 49686

231-922-3710

  _____  

From: workplace-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:workplace-bounces at nifl.gov] On
Behalf Of Susan Reid
Sent: Sunday, June 29, 2008 7:36 PM
To: The Workplace Literacy Discussion List; The Workplace Literacy
Discussion List
Subject: [Workplace 1437] Re: Research Project for New Zealand Department
ofLabour

 

Dear Donna 

 

I am hoping some people on the list can assist with the following 

 

The New Zealand Department of Labour has contracted Workbase to
undertake some desktop research as part of the Department's Upskilling
the Workforce initiative.  The Department is going to develop a public 

awareness campaign for both employers and employees to encourage 

them to have workplace literacy programmes. Currently there is an 85%  

government subsidy (subject to some conditions) available to employers 

who decide to run a programme. 


The Department would like to know if the US has developed any diagnostic
tools to help employers and employees assess the LLN needs of their
workplaces and the individual employees.   The Department identified in
its brief to Workbase that:



"There is consensus in New Zealand that to effectively address the
barriers that employers and employees face in tackling the development
and utilisation of LLN skills, we will have to develop responses in
partnership with the business community, trade unions and industry
bodies. This approach acknowledges that employers and employees
significantly influence the demand for vocational foundation learning.



In order to raise the demand for LLN programmes the Department of Labour
is going to develop a publicity campaign in order to raise an awareness
of the issues associated with low LLN skills in the workplace so that
demand can be generated by employees and employers.



As part of servicing and meeting this demand we need to have tools that
employers and employees can use to find out what their level of need is.



Desktop Research for Diagnostic Tools



The Department of Labour is looking to find out about the types of
business diagnostic tools that are being used in countries such as
England, Ireland, Australia, Canada and the United States.



The tools are those that can be used by employers to assess the literacy
and numeracy requirements of their workplaces and to recognise issues in
their workplaces that may be caused by poor literacy and numeracy
skills.


Desktop Research for Self-Assessment Tools



The Department of Labour is looking to find out about the types of
self-assessment / screening type tools that are being used in countries
such as England, Ireland, Australia, Canada and the United States.



These are tools that can be used by individuals to assess whether or not
they have a literacy or numeracy issue. We are interested in tools that
are online and that people can access from their homes or workplace"


I have a vague recollection that someone in the US did develop these
sorts of tools ( maybe not online) back in the early or mid 90s - maybe
Nicky Askov did them when she was a fellow at NIFL 

Would anyone else know - we have got quite recent material from the UK and
Ireland  and soem stuff form the Conferecne Board in Canada

but I am sure you will have done something like this in the US

We would really appreciate any assistance or referrals

Regards




Susan Reid

Manager, Learning and Development



Workbase: The New Zealand Centre for Workforce Literacy Development

2 Vermont Street, Ponsonby - PO Box 56571, Dominion Road, Auckland 1446
Phone: 09 361 3800 - Fax: 09 376 3700          
Website: www.workbase.org.nz - Email: sreid at workbase.org.nz

Caution - This email and its contents contain privileged information
that is intended solely for the recipient.  If you are not the intended
recipient you are hereby notified that any use, dissemination,
distribution or reproduction of this email is prohibited.  If you have
received this email in error please notify admin at workbase.org.nz
immediately.  Any views expressed in this email are of the sender and
may not necessarily reflect the views of Workbase: The New Zealand
Centre for Workforce Literacy Development


 

 

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