Helping your staff learn to read

Read Easy UK is a registered charity, established in 2010 to help adults learn to read currently has 26 affiliated groups offering 1:1  reading support from trained volunteer Coaches  provides the structure, resources, training and on-going support for each local group.

(Skills for Life Survey, 2011) 1 in 5 adults would not be able to use the index to find a plumber in the Yellow Pages (Skills for Life Survey, 2011)

(Skills for Life Survey, 2011) 5 million adults in England and Wales have reading or writing skills below that expected of the average 11 year old (Skills for Life Survey, 2011)

£10 billion a year is lost to the economy because employees have difficulty with literacy and numeracy skills

literacy problems cost the public purse anything up to £64,000 per individual over a lifetime. (KPMG report, 2009)

What is Read Easy doing about this? Your local group is run with support from Read Easy UK: Confidential, 1-1 tuition Trained Reading Coaches Half hour sessions twice a week Approved local venues Friendly, flexible and free

People can learn to read in 5 months to 2 years Phonics based programme with additional learning activities Readers work at their own pace Adults complete with reading skills that enable them to progress at work and with life Readers receive a certificate of achievement Many move on to further learning

Some Read Easy groups also provide a one year extension programme to introduce writing skills, called Moving Ahead

Why Read Easy is needed Very isolating – people usually hide their problems and won’t join a class Few classes can provide 1:1 support and classes have been cut because of funding Read Easy helps adults read sufficiently well to cope with everyday tasks and to feel confident to progress to further learning.

The Top 10 Reading Skills Needed At Work Understand Health and Safety information Read instructions Read forms Read directions Find and read information Read reports Read timetables, maps, charts, other graphical information Read staff information on posters Read technical information Use reference skills to find and sort information

Adults with reading problems are: able to develop coping strategies, but are likely to make mistakes and are unlikely to reach their potential likely to avoid training and promotion twice as likely to have been made redundant or sacked from their first job five times more likely to be unemployed four times more likely to experience long-term unemployment more likely to end up in low-paid work.

Some practical and personal barriers to seeking help: Isolation: “No-one else has this problem; I can’t let anyone else know.” No access to transport or costs of travel to classes “I’ll never learn…/ I can get by…” Concern about job security: “What if the boss finds out?” Shift work making it difficult to find a class Stereotyping and discrimination – labelled by others as “thick”

Employers can work with Read Easy to make a difference! Support staff to realise they are not alone and can learn to read Promote learning and the Read Easy offer Make it easy - invite Read Easy Coaches to run 1:1 sessions in the workplace during breaks or between shifts  or Work with Read Easy to identify venues for coaching sessions close to the workplace.

What are the possible benefits of your staff improving their reading? improved productivity improved customer care fewer errors increased effectiveness, confidence and flexibility in your workforce improved staff retention improved Health and Safety

Questions?

What next?

Contact {Name of group} To find out more, contact: Read Easy XXX {Team Leader} {name/email/phone number} To refer a Reader: Read Easy Coordinator {name/email/phone number} National readeasy.org.uk Further details are on the Read Easy publicity circulated today