[NIFL-4EFF:2257] Re: EFF and workforce development

From: Andy Nash (andy_nash@jsi.com)
Date: Fri Dec 13 2002 - 10:03:17 EST


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From: "Andy Nash" <andy_nash@jsi.com>
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Subject: [NIFL-4EFF:2257] Re: EFF and workforce development
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Diane,
Guaranteed hires? Unfortunately not. That's why it's particularly
important to focus on the transferable skills and general work issues.
As for the timeframe, this is a 10-month pilot, and we can set up
whatever class schedule we believe will work. At the hospital sites,
where release time is an issue (as it is in most workplace programs),
the classes need to be chunked into short blocks or modules (perhaps by
BAR) that workers can participate in. At the community agency sites, we
intend to have longer-term classes (probably two cycles over the 10
months) that will address more thorough work preparation.
Andy  

>>> dgardner@utk.edu 12/10/02 10:06 AM >>>
Andy,

This sounds really interesting to me. I hope that you will keep us
informed 
about how this initiative goes. It also seems to be an example of a 
business-education partnership that might be replicated elsewhere or
used 
as a model for other communities.

  Are the classes open-ended or is there a certain length of time you
have 
to cover the curriculum?  Have the hospitals agreed to hire these folks
if 
they achieve the agreed upon competencies?

Diane

At 05:07 PM 12/9/02 -0500, you wrote:
>I've been working on a workforce development initiative for hospital
>workers (or those who would like to be hospital workers), using a
>curriculum development model that others might find useful. The
>initiative is made up of 2 hospitals and 3 community organizations that
>work with adults who are seeking employment. There are to be classes at
>each of these 5 sites - preparing the unemployed adults (at the
>community organizations) for entry-level jobs in the hospital and
>building the skills of workers (at the hospitals) so that they can move
>up the career ladder.
>
>The model we'e using is anchored in the EFF Worker Role Map. All the
>necessary work competencies that were identified during the initial
>needs assessment are clustered by Broad Area of Responsibility (BAR):
Do
>the Work, Work with Others, Work within the Big Picture, and Plan and
>Direct Personal and Professional Growth. Then each competency is linked
>to the related EFF standards that will be the focus of instruction. And
>finally, we will develop a set of performance tasks by which the skills
>and competencies can be demonstrated (and documented in a portfolio).
>
>For example, one of the pre-employment competencies under "Work within
>the Big Picture" is "Know the departments of a hospital and be able to
>find them." The primary standard required for that is "Read with
>Understanding" and it will be demonstrated by having students rely on
>hospital signage to actually find various departments and offices.
>
>Another competency, under "Plan and Direct Personal and Professional
>Growth," is  "Understand trends in health care occupations," for which
>students will work on the "Use Technology" and "Learn through Research"
>standards to find out where there is projected job growth and what
>skills those jobs require. Based on this information and some
>self-assessments, students will describe the jobs they are most
>interested in working toward.
>
>This initiative, which is primarily designed to serve the needs of
>employers, does not leave much leeway for learning and discussion that
>is not immediately related to those needs. It will be difficult, for
>example, to include important discussions about the work speed-ups in
>health care (which we may experience as rushed doctors' visits but
which
>have also affected the pace of work for environmental service, dietary,
>transport, and other low-wage workers).  However, we will do the best
we
>can to address all the "big picture" issues for health care workers.
>
>The partners in the initiative are pleased with this approach an see
>it as a way to bridge the learning of the unemployed and the employed.
>If you're involved in similar collaborative efforts (related to any of
>the roles), please share with us!
>
>Andy Nash
>NELRC/World Education
>EFF staff
>anash@worlded.org

Diane P. Gardner
The University of Tennessee
EFF Center for Training and Technical Assistance
Center for Literacy Studies
600 Henley Street, Suite 312
Knoxville, TN 37996-4135
865-974-9949



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