Hi, everyone:

I'm from the Mass. Worker Education Roundtable and we've been setting up workplace education programs and to, mostly labor-management partnerships, in a variety of industries around Massachusetts for the last 15 years.  We have also developed curriculum and training for workplace educators.  

I am responding to Miriam's post because we also find it worthwhile to conduct a fairly thorough needs analysis.
We do interviews and/or focus groups with various levels of management (very important to include line supervisors), union representatives, and a cross-section of workers.  We are looking for what the education needs are in that workplace from the different points of view.  Then we look for the common interests that have been expressed by labor, management and workers.  As Lloyd David commented, a team approach is very helpful here.  The labor-management team reviews the needs we have identified, chooses which needs they want to tackle first and makes reasonable goals from those.  Good candidates are those interests important to all parties (often having to do with improved communication and/or safety issues) and ones which classes could reasonably effect.  Goals like increased productivity, for example,  have a lot of other factors, such as availability of materials and staffing levels. at play.  Also, only a few workers may be able to attend the classes.  We try to identify more specific goals, like being able to fill out routing sheets correctly, or having more people asking clarifying questions of the supervisor, or understanding the attendance policy.  

We don't do formal skills assessment at this stage, because many grant-funded programs require standardized assessments for those who actually enroll in classes.  At the needs analysis stage, we get an idea of the level through observation and interviews, but  it would be too costly to do individual assessments, and we also don't want people to get their hopes up for a class when they may not be selected for the class.  That's another job for the team--to come up with a fair selection policy that fits the particular workplace.  

Also, I want to thank Mary Lewis for the materials she suggested.  We also have adapted some workplace health and safety materials for use in ESOL classes.  They can be found on our website:  www.umass/roundtable.

Finally, in addition to some of the ideas presented here about workplace learners continuing their education, we have sometimes had education fairs where learners can find out about resources in their communities.  Sometimes waiting lists in community programs mean a while before learners can continue.  In a few cases, the team has chosen a provider with the ongoing educational opportunities in mind and our workplace learners are considered already enrolled.  We have also suggested distance learning programs, and welcome information about any more of those resources. 

Connie Nelson, Ed.D.   Director
Massachusetts Worker Education Roundtable
33 Harrison Avenue
Boston, MA 02111
tel. 617-983-3667
fax 617-983-3669
connie_nelson at hotmail.com

Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:57:34 -0400
From: mburt at cal.org
To: workplace at nifl.gov; djgbrian at utk.edu
Subject: [Workplace 1522] Re: Taking the Plunge into Work-Based ESL








RE: [Workplace 1513] Re: Taking the Plunge into Work-Based ESL




Hello, everyone.


I'm enjoying the discussion about setting up work-based ESL classes. I'd like to respond to this question:


 How do you go about identifying the language skills needed in the workplace? 


Years ago, while I was setting up the federally funded (under the U.S. Dept. of Ed's National Workplace Literacy Program [NWLP] ) Food & Beverage Workers Union and Employers Benefits Fund Skills Enhancement Training (SET) program, I was allowed free access to the workers and the workplace to determine the language skills needed on the job. This meant I observed workers on the job, during their breaks, and at meetings  to determine the skills needed for communicating with supervisors, with customers, with co-workers, and with union staff.  I took extensive notes, which I later clarified/confirmed during interviews with union personnel, supervisors, HR personnel, upper management, co-workers, and the targeted workers themselves. For the literacy demands of the job, I collected and reviewed both all formally required texts: contracts, memos, manuals, recipes, policies, and so on, as well as all environmental print…for example, signs and notices posted on the job. 

I did this complete oral/written scan for every worksite involved in the project.  It was great to have this extensive access to the worksite and the time it took up front was well worth the effort as it served to introduce me to all the players, to get them all on board. It also meant that I was able to develop a curriculum that truly addressed the language need/communication skills of each worksite. And each player was contacted and knew that he or she had been listened to. It also got co-workers to support the project as their valuable assistance and counsel was sought concerning the language skills needed by English language learners at their worksite.

Hanging around during the breaks was especially useful as I was able to see how co-workers communicate, topics discussed, level of formality of discourse, and so on. 

So I guess a summary of the above is that it's extraordinarily important to spend the time up front involving all players in this scan of language needs of the workplace.

Miriam


*********


Miriam Burt


Center for Applied Linguistics


4646 40th Street NW


Washington, DC 20016


(202) 362-0700 (phone)


(202) 363-7204 (fax) 


mburtcal.org (email)




-----Original Message-----


From: workplace-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:workplace-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Maria Caratini-Prado


Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2008 12:42 PM


To: Maria Caratini-Prado; workplace at nifl.gov; djgbrian at utk.edu


Subject: [Workplace 1513] Re: Taking the Plunge into Work-Based ESL



>>> Maria Caratini-Prado 07/22/08 11:36 AM >>>



Good morning!


Thank you Dr. Brian for reposting these questions. As the Program Director for ESL at Eastfield College in Mesquite, Texas, and with eight years experience in Business Industry ESL I will introduce our model.

Questions about Workplace Literacy:


-The terms workforce, workplace, and work-based are often used interchangeably in discussions of work-related literacy, basic skills, and English language instruction.  Is one preferred over the others and is there a marked difference in meaning? 

I perfer the term workforce because every important office in our state bears the word:  "Texas Workforce Commission" for example. And our college division bears the word in its title: "Division of Workforce Development."  Keeping to the term "workforce" allows businesses to relate and access our services faster.   

-If you recognize a local need for work-related literacy services in your community, what do you do about it?  How do you go about approaching the employer(s) to discuss needs? 

At Eastfield College, I use census demographics information and city statistical information to learn where in the area there is marked density of non-English language speakers.  I drive through those areas and meet with directors or managers to talk about what I see.  (I do this every summer in early July.)  I have a document that shows the different programs and courses my college offers and emphasize that those courses can be adapted to fit industry.

-What needs to happen at the initial meeting between a company/employer and a workplace ESL provider?  I like to provide a "mini-college fair" at the company.  Once I am in the door, I feel that the first person I need to speak to is the one needing the language because in significant numbers, the employees will clamor for the company to offer ESL.  I also provide my customary presentation to the CEO, managers, etc. and provide a sample of what a Business Industry ESL class is like.

-How do you go about identifying the language skills needed in the workplace?  Once I choose the perfect instructor, we request permission to shadow the company, collect brochures to create vocabulary logs.  This information is sorted and included in the various units presented in class.

-How can you address the work-related language needs of learners coming to your regular ESL classes?  Our program at Eastfield provides workforce content in our textbook series that is further enhanced with instructional handouts provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.  We have four posters provided by TWC that teach our students about getting a job, interviewing, calculating salary, and sustaining performance.  We use some handouts from Equipped for the Future that show the importance of mastering English for home, work and community.  In the spring of 2009, we will be offering a new program at our college, Basic Workplace ESL Skills, with a weekend college format, to allow students who want a greater emphasis on workforce skills to have their own program.

 


 






Maria Caratini Prado, M. Ed. TESOL


ESL/ESOL Teaching & Learning


Arts, Languages & Literature Division


Eastfield College, Texas


mcaratini at dcccd.edu


www.eastfieldcollege.com


(972) 860-7659 office


(972) 860-8392 fax


"Advancing English Education Globally"



>>> "Brian, Dr Donna J G" <djgbrian at utk.edu> 07/22/08 5:23 AM >>>



 


Colleagues,


For some reason, Barbara Tondre was unable to post directly to the list, and I was without electricity all of last evening due to a ferocious storm that passed through, and so was without computer access.  

 


The questions that Barbara provides below are all good jumping off places.  Which ones are of special interest to you?  To let us know, just reply to this post with your comments.

 


Donna


 


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


 


Dear Colleagues, 


 


It is only Monday, but I thought I would try giving our discussion a jump start by offering some prompt questions that Pat and I provided Donna Brian.  If you are just beginning to venture into matters related to the workplace, these questions may "speak to you".  If so, send a reply and let us know what peaks your interest.  If on the other hand, you've got questions you don't see here, or issues you would like to discuss, we hope that you will introduce them.  

 


Questions about Workplace Literacy:


 


1.      The terms workforce, workplace, and work-based are often used


interchangeably in discussions of work-related literacy, basic skills, and English language instruction.  Is one preferred over the others and is there a marked difference in meaning?

2.      If you recognize a local need for work-related literacy services


in your community, what do you do about it?  How do you go about approaching the employer(s) to discuss needs?


3.      What needs to happen at the initial meeting between a


company/employer and a workplace ESL provider?  (see page 74 of the Tennessee Handbook)


4.      How do you go about identifying the language skills needed in


the workplace?  (see section starting on page 75)


5.      How can you address the work-related language needs of learners


coming to your regular ESL classes?


 


Anything pop off the page?  Let us hear from you!


 


Barbara Tondre


 


________________________________


From: workplace-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:workplace-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Pat Sawyer


Sent: Monday, July 21, 2008 12:19 PM


To: workplace at nifl.gov


Subject: [Workplace 1503] What do we do first?


 


I know that many of you who are members of this discussion list are experienced educators who have established ESOL classes in the workplace.  There may also be others who have had little if any experience in the workplace. 

 


 I am an "educator" and my only experience in the workplace was to wrap Christmas presents at a department store when I was 18 years old. I didn't know who to contact  or how to approach someone in a business where we wanted to establish an ESOL class. This is the first and most common question asked by those who are beginning to work with workplace ESOL classes, "What do we do first?"

 


This question is answered many times and in many sections of our workplace book, but if you will read page 144 in Appendix B-1 you may begin to think about "what you do first."

 


Pat Sawyer




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