1. Building a Skilled Workforce
Bridging Literacy and Workforce Development
Presented by:
Laureen Atkins
Cuyahoga County Department of Workforce Development

2. What We Know . . .
There is a direct correlation between education and income
There is a direct correlation between literacy levels and workplace productivity
Five of the eight top concerns of employers involve reading, writing, communication, and math skills
In 2000, median earnings for workers 25 and older
Master’s - $55,300, Bachelor’s - 46,300, Assoc – 35,400, Some coll - $32,400, HS –
$28,800, other - $21,400
According to National Center on the Educational Qualify of the Workforce
Manufacturing –
10% increase in one yr or more of schooling = 8.6% increase in productivity as
compared to 10% increase in hours (5.6%) or capital stock (3.4%)
Non-Manufacturing
10% increase in one yr or more of schooling = 11% increase in productivity as
compared to 10% increase in hours (6.3%) or capital stock (3.9%)
Top Eight Corporate Concern: National Association of Manufacturers 2001
59.1% - poor basic employability skills
32.4% - poor reading/writing skills
26.2% - inadequate math skills
25% - an inability to communicate
23.7% - poor English language skills
22.1% - inability to read and translate drawings/diagrams/flow charts
22% - inability to work in a team environment
12.3% - poor computer/technical skills

3. PROES Literacy levels
- the knowledge and skills needed to understand and use information from texts including editorials, news stories, poems, and fiction.

4. Workforce Education
A number of national and state organizations in the U.S., including the national governor's association, have identified level 3 proficiency as a minimum standard for success in today's labor market. Findings from the international adult literacy survey (IALS) assessment indicates that only half of the U.S. Adult population years of age reached level 3. (Sum, 2002, p11, table 5)
The proficiency requirement for new jobs in projected high-growth occupations is level 3 while for lost jobs in declining occupations is level 2

5. So What Needs to Happen?
More contextualized learning incorporated with adult basic education programs
More offerings of workplace literacy programs at employer locations
More connection between career ladders/pathways and literacy development
More communication between schools and employers
Contextualized = skills taught within the context of job tasks; knowledge; vocabulary needed to perform the skill or job.
Tri-C implemented contextualized learning into its Breaking Through project for STNA’s.
NAM found over ½ of members find their workers have serious shortcomings in basic math, writing, and reading comprehension skills
An employee education can pay for itself in terms of employee retention, waste reduction, and increased morale. Some experts estimate that illiteracy costs the American economy 225 billion a year in lost productivity
3 focus groups of manufacturers indicated that reading a common ruler is a
struggle for their workforce and some have had to teach it in a classroom format
When literacy can be tied to career advancement, more will be interested
Tri-C, Parma ABLE, and CMSD ABLE developed a literacy program to tie the GED program to the college entrance exam – COMPASS.
In Ohio, over 25% of local literacy programs offer workplace literacy as one component of services, ranging from traditional adult basic and literacy education for incumbent workers to more customized services designed in collaboration with the employee (Jeff Gove, Nov 2003)
Literacy Audit=assessing the skills needed for each position

6. QUESTIONS?