Workplace Basic Skills
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This c o urse is p a rt o fa p o rtfo lio o fo ne -d a y c o urse s fu rth e ring e xp e rtise in sp e c ific a sp ec ts o fW o rkp la c e Ba sic Sk ills. O the r c o u rse s in th is p o rtfo lio inc lud e : • M a rke ting W o rkp la c e Ba sic Sk ills • O rg a nisa tio na lN e e d s A na lysis • A d a p ting the C u rric ulum (H e a lthc a re ,Re ta il& C a re sectors) • ESO L in W o rkp la c e Ba sic Sk ills • A w a re ne ss R a ising • U sing the Em p lo ye r To o lkit • D ysle xia in th e W orkplace A m o ng st o u r o the r P ro fe ssio na lD e ve lo p m e ntc o u rse s,B re a kin g D o w n Ba rrie rs le vel1 c o ve rs m a ny o fth e to p ic s liste d a nd is a c c re d ite d to le ve l4. It o p e ra te s o ve r thre e d a y s. Ple a se c o nta c t u s o n 01524 593 405 re g a rd ing a va ila b ility o fth e se a nd o the r c o urse s.
Transcript of Workplace Basic Skills
This c ourse is part of a portfolio of one-day c ourses furthering expertise in spec ific aspec ts of Workplac e Basic Skills.
Other c ourses in this portfolio inc lude:• Marketing Workplac e Basic Skills•Organisational Needs Analysis• Adapting the C urric ulum (Healthc are, Retail & C are sec tors)• ESOL in Workplac e Basic Skills• Awareness Raising• Using the Employer Toolkit• Dyslexia in the Workplac e
Amongst our other Professional Development c ourses, Breaking Down Barriers level 1 c overs many of the topic s listed and is ac c redited to level 4. It operates over three days.
Please c ontac t us on 01524 593 405 regarding availability of these and other c ourses.
Pauline Rossi
National Network Trainer
Workplace Basic Skills
The business case –
What’s the issue?
Why are good basic skills necessary in today’s workplace?
What is the impact of poor basic skills on business?
How may problems manifest themselves?
The next step …
Percentage of adults with literacy skills at the lowest Percentage of adults with literacy skills at the lowest levellevel
Source: Literacy Skills for the Knowledge Society, OECD,1997
Percentage of adults with numeracy skills at the lowest Percentage of adults with numeracy skills at the lowest level level
Source: Literacy Skills for the Knowledge Society, OECD, 1997
In England - 23 million adults in employment
approximately 3 million have poor levels of literacy
approximately 9 million have poor levels of numeracy
Who Moved My Cheese? Dr Spencer Johnson
Organisational structure & culture
Nature of work JIT, Kaizen, TQM Production
methods Technology & IT Multi-skilling Communication
Customer focus Niche markets Local > national,
global markets Legislation – H&S,
mandatory quals. etc
Quality – ISO, IiP Job security
“Employers want employees who are able to cope with the fast-changing demands of the workplace ….”Institute for Employment Studies, Feb. 2004
The Impact
High wastage rates Administration errors with customer orders Poor communications with colleagues and
customers Incorrect measurements/calculations Incorrect production of orders Machine downtime problems
The Impact cont’d
Poor time-keeping Inefficient production or provision of
services High staff turnover / absenteeism Problems adapting to change – new
methods of working and new technology / flexibility
Discrimination / bullying Implications for H&S legislation
The Bottom Line
In the UK, estimated potential benefit to industry of improving language, literacy and numeracy to level 2: £10 billion Ernst & Young
Estimated annual cost of poor basic skills in an organisation with:51 – 100 employees could be: £86,0001,000 or more employees could be: £500,000The Cost to Industry, Basic Skills Agency Survey from Gallup Poll Ltd. (from ‘Not my Problem’)
Fact:1/3 of employers have no training plan to build on the skills of their staff
Fact:1/5 of job vacancies remain unfilled because of a lack of skilled applicantsDfES: ‘Skills for Life – Why make it your business?’
How Would My Company Benefit?
Written instructions – understood and followed
Improved quality – product produced correctly first time, quality procedures followed and understood, workers more able to problem-solve independently
Increased accuracy – less wastage of materials, forms filled in accurately
Better customer relations – fewer customer complaints
Benefits cont’dcont’d
Better team performance – workers able to participate, share ideas, create solutions
Improved workforce morale – greater confidence and job satisfaction – less absenteeism, less staff turnover
Fewer accidents – better understanding of safety procedures, hazards identified
Equal employment opportunities – increased ability and confidence to participate in training and take on increased job responsibilitiesBasic Skills Agency ‘Not my Problem’
Indicators of Skills Gaps Reluctance:
to do certain jobsto take on extra responsibilitiesto accept promotion to take up training opportunitiesto complete paperworkto contribute to, or attend meetings
Hostility to change Lack of understanding of written instructions Workers covering for their colleagues with
difficulties Absenteeism
Identifying the need
What skills are required in your organisation?
Which staff need which skills? Do they have them?
Conduct job task analysis
Carry out screening
Assessment
At induction
At appraisal
With introduction of new equipment, procedures etc
With other vocational training
Training modelsBenevolent - programmes considered beneficial for individuals, not necessarily for company.
Soft - most prevalent model – training relevant to workplace needs but lack of structures to evaluate impact. Ownership issues.
Hard - deals with specific production problems – knows desired outcome so can assess impact.
Integrated - fits with TQM approach – develops staff at all levels – holistic & participatory – embraces concept of a learning organisation, performance appraisal and career management. Benefits assessed according to effect on production and quality and on company culture.From Wilkinson & Gillespie in ‘Breaking down Barriers’, NIACE 2003
“Commitment to improving the workplace basic skills of employees begins with corporate leadership and direction, and progresses with input from all stakeholders including unions and employees.”Conference Board of Canada: Breaching the Barriers to Workplace Literacy, 2001
Basic Skills by any Other Name
Essential Skills for WorkUsing a Calculator at WorkCommunication Skills for
SupervisorsCustomer Care for Carers
Make the Most of Meetings
Telephone SkillsBetter Report Writing
Resistance
Cost Time Money No problem here We already train our staff / they don’t
want or like training Not our problem – govt. problem Employees will move on to work elsewhere
UK National Initiatives
DfES / ABSSU Get On campaign & Marketing Toolkit Move On campaign Gremlins Champions – employers, TUC, CBI Employer Toolkit
UK National Initiatives cont’d
Basic Skills Agency Video – Basic Skills in the Workplace Not My Problem Making it Happen IiP and Basic Skills Getting the Basics Right Broker training
Regional Projects (North West)
Learner Awards Manchester
The Awards, which recognised the difference people have made to their lives through learning, were a huge success.
Learner forum –
A video,CD ROM and a Booklet of learner writings entitled 'Opening Doors’ was produced. These will be a valuable resource for tutors and brokers in the area.
Contact Details
Pauline Rossi – [email protected]
Workplace Basic Skills Networkwww.lancs.ac.uk/wbsnet
Conference Board of Canadawww.conferenceboard.ca
