Hello All,
   
  I would like to respond to the question regarding the use of terms "workplace" and "workforce" literacy.  A few years ago a colleague and I worked on a project to develop training for workplace literacy trainers for the Literacy Network of Greater Los Angeles.  The Network was made up of service providers from community colleges, adult schools, CBOs, and others -- each coming from different backgrounds.  Among them, there was a lot of confusion over what we were developing until we developed a chart which made the following distinctions:
   
  Location:  Workplace Literacy is usually at the company site; workforce is usually at the service provider's site.
  Development:  workplace classes are developed WITH the company and is company-focused; workforce is offered to general public and/or company employees but does not focus on any one employer
  Client:  Workplace is the company; workforce is the adult learner
  Leadership:  workplace is shared leadership by company and service provider; workforce is service provider
  Curricula:  workplace is customized or semi-cutomized, based on employer/employee needs assessments; workforce is off-the-shelf or semi-customized materials based on SCANS and can be industry-specific
   
  There is more on the list but these are the main points.  It really helped us to be able to distinguish the terms and not use them interchangeably.  I believe they describe two different types of programs.
   
  Cathay Reta
  Cornerstone Concepts
  6670 Southside Drive
  Los Angeles California 90022
  

"Brian, Dr Donna J G" <djgbrian at utk.edu> wrote:
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  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:
   
    
   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?  
   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?  
   What needs to happen at the initial meeting between a company/employer and a workplace ESL provider?  (see page 74 of the Tennessee Handbook)  
   How do you go about identifying the language skills needed in the workplace?  (see section starting on page 75)  
   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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Cathay O. Reta
Cornerstone Concepts
6670 Southside Drive
Los Angeles, CA  90022
Ph: 323) 728-4302
cathayreta at sbcglobal.net
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