Synopses & Reviews
For the first time, a user-friendly handbook has been written on America's workplace literacy gap. Work Force Education has become the quintessential human resource issue of the 1990's. Its impact is now felt by more than 80 million adults, and carries an annual $300 billion price tag in lost employee productivity. This unique book offers readers a complete review of past, present, and future adult literacy programs. It provides essential context on how this training/educational issue suddenly appeared. Also considered are how current programs consistently fail to close an ever-widening workplace education gap. The book does not talk around potential solutions. Instead, it gives practical, real-life case study examples, from successful on-site company programs conducted by the authors. A blueprint is outlined on how to offer Work Force Education for any business large or small. This book will provide insights to senior executives, human resource/training and development managers, or adult educators. They will obtain a clear understanding of how to organize a multi-level, cost-justified Work Force Education program that meets America's 21st century international productivity requirements.
Synopsis
The authors present their perspective on workplace literacy past, present, and future. They describe how 21st century technology produced America's "literacy gap." The book reviews strengths and weaknesses of current literacy programs. It discusses learning related to difficult employee literacy problems. Actual case studies describe Individualized Instructional Programs (IIP) for hourly workers, support staff, managers, and professionals. A game plan is formulated for how to establish company "Work Force Education" policy and offer multi-level, cost-justified programs. Finally, international responses to workplace literacy are considered, along with the development of employee literacy into the next century.
Synopsis
"A well-researched book [that] . . . offers tested strategies and programs to improve worker skills in an increasingly complex labor market. Of compelling general interest is the authors' documentation of the current workforce literacy and skills crises." Chicago Tribune
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. [193]-195) and index.
About the Author
EDWARD E. GORDON is President of Imperial Corporate Training and Development and has taught at De Paul and Roosevelt Universities.JUDITH A. PONTICELL is Director of the Chicago Area School Effectiveness Council, a school improvement consortium supported by the University of Illinois at Chicago.RONALD R. MORGAN is an Associate Professor and Director of the School Psychology Program, Loyola University of Chicago.
Table of Contents
Preface
The Broken Cog in the American Economic Machine
Adult Literacy: Past-Present-Future
A Variety of Answers
Adults Learning In a Work Force Education Environment
Individualized Instructional Programs (IIP) For Work Force Education
Case Studies I: Hourly Workers
Case Studies II: Management Employees
Establishing A Corporate Work Force Education Policy
International Focus On Work Force Education
Work Force Education In The Twenty-First Century
A Game Plan For Work Force Education
Appendix 1: Guidelines For Education Software Selection
Appendix 2: Adult Software Publishers/Distributors
Appendix 3: The IIP Literacy Training Program Results of Formative Evaluation Research
Appendix 4: Reading-Grade Equivalent Basic Skills
Selected Bibliography
Index