Learning Support and Literacy

Good Practice in Action

This case study outlines Careerforce's approach to embedding a literacy and numeracy programme in a workplace, and summarises some of the benefits that can result. The case study forms part of the Industry Training Federation's ITO Literacy and Numeracy Good Practice project.

Phase 2 of the Integrated Workplace Learning Project

Careerforce has recently completed a Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) funded project that explored the learning challenges workplaces face when training employees on-site.

We worked with 27 workplaces to support and strengthen their employees’ confidence in literacy, language, numeracy and learning. The results have been remarkable, with 75% of the 400 trainees involved successfully completing the National Certificate in Community Support Services (Foundation Skills) Level 2 within an average of seven months. Given more time and support, Careerforce is confident that 85% of trainees will complete this qualification. 

The key benefits to workplaces involved in the project have included improved service delivery, the development of a stronger organisational culture, and enhanced in-house training capability. 

Careerforce will shortly embark on the second phase of the Integrated Workplace Learning Project. This phase will centre on two of Careerforce’s Level 3 qualifications: the National Certificate inCommunity Support Services (Core Competencies) and the National Certificate in Community Support Services (Residential). This phase will investigate how the literacy, language, numeracy and learning capability of health and disability workplaces can be developed and enhanced so that employee learning is better supported and ultimately more successful.   

Workplaces involved in phase two will be provided with professional development and support to help them overcome some of the learning challenges that their trainees may face. As part of the evaluation of the effectiveness of this support, all trainees will complete pre and post-training literacy assessments, and will be invited to participate in a subjective evaluation of the learning.

For more information contact Careerforce’s Learning and Development Coordinator Louise Hawkins on (03) 374 1314 or email louise.hawkins@careerforce.org.nz

Communicating with Confidence - Case Study

A project to improve staff literacy and learning has had some unexpected benefits for the Disability Resource Centre Trust in Whakatane.

The Trust started a literacy and learning training programme in 2007 as part of the integrated Workplace Literacy Project through Careerforce, the industry training organisation for the health and disability sector.



Adult Literacy Coordinator Officer Catherine Tangiora is one of the trainers who started the pilot at the Centre and she says it has had one significant, and unexpected, bonus for the organisation.

“Not only have our communication skills improved with our clients, they have improved with each other,” she said.

“We started our literacy and learning programme by assessing all of the industry trainees and identifying the demands placed on them. We focussed on what they needed and went from there.

“We’ve had tremendous value out of the programme – not just with increasing communication skills but also confidence levels."

“Workers now come forward and say ‘I don’t understand this’ rather than muddling through and that’s made a noticeable difference here in the office,” Catherine Tangiora said.

“As a workplace we are now more aware of communication needs in everything we do. We make sure clients and co-workers know what we are on about – that we are communicating the right message in the right way.

“This project has been such a success that all coordinators in the Homecare sector are being encouraged to do their Certificates in Adult Literacy.

“In fact the end results have been so good from this particular project that we are looking at making the programme a formal part of our induction process” she said.

ITOs recognise the effect of literacy and numeracy skill development on broader skill development and are working on ways to improve this.

Frequently asked questions about Literacy, Language, Numeracy and Learning (LLNL)

Why is LLNL important?

• As adults move through different phases of their lives, they are constantly challenged with new learning.  This learning includes: speaking, listening, understanding maths, using technology, reading, writing, problem solving, and critical thinking.
• Lifelong learning is becoming a necessary goal to help people to cope with continuous changes within the workforce.  Adults need to develop both content knowledge and LLNL skills on an ongoing basis to help them progress confidently into new roles and to meet new work requirements.
• Employees who have not studied for a formal qualification before (or for a long time), need to develop (or regain) the skills and confidence to learn how to learn.
• An adult who lacks confidence or skills in LLNL can struggle with changes; increase the likelihood of errors or accidents; be liable to absenteeism; and find it difficult to work in a team environment.

Why is there so much attention around LLNL in New Zealand?

• Communication requirements in the workforce have increased alongside developments in technology, compliance and global representation.
• A quarter of the workforce is born outside of New Zealand.  Many employees with English as their second language have low literacy levels in English.
• People aged over 40 may not be familiar with new technology or the layout of new printed material.
  The International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) indicated that 330,000 adults (15% of New Zealand’s workforce) had very low literacy skills (Level 1).  A further 610,000 (27% of the workforce) were able to cope with simple, clearly laid out and familiar demands; but could experience comprehension problems with unfamiliar material in terms of speed and accuracy in understanding what was required.

For example: an adult with Level 1 literacy skills could not usually:

• Locate an intersection on a street map.
• Identify and enter information on an accident report.
• Estimate the total costs of a purchase from an order form.

What is the mix of trainees employed in the health and disability sector?

On a sample of 8,766 trainees:

• 70% were over the age of 40.
• 42% were over the age of 50.
• 94% were female.
• 50% have no previous qualifications.

How do these factors impact on the health and disability sector?

Knowing the demand faced by the workforce

• Increased writing requirements involved in monitoring a consumer’s wellbeing e.g. service delivery plans, incident/accident reports etc.
• Increased reading requirements e.g. understanding and interpreting policies and procedures, administration of medication, service delivery plans etc.
• Increased comprehension skills required to understand and meet consumers’ individual needs e.g. verbal communication, critical thinking etc.

Knowing your employees

• How confident are your employees in meeting the requirements of your workplace? For example, use of equipment, new technology, and changes in reading and writing requirements etc.
• How confident are your employees in undertaking new training and enrolling in formal qualifications?
• Are you seeing increasing diversity within your employees e.g. a growth in English as a second language?  How are you supporting these trends?

Knowing what to do

• How do you address these learning needs?

What can an organisation do to support employees in developing their confidence around LLNL?

• Find out what employees already know about the subject area they are learning first, and build on this knowledge.
• Create learning environments that are interactive and based on “real-life” scenarios.
• Use organisational resources as part of the learning attached to formal qualifications.
• Set up learning environments where the trainees interact with each other and with the learning; and are not trainer centred.
• Create a safe environment to explore people’s confidence around reading, writing and verbally communicating within groups.
• Help employees explore written material, so that they can understand its purpose, layout and how to work with it – do not just give it out with no explanation or guidance.
• Ask questions that develop employees’ critical thinking e.g. “Why would you do…in such-and-such a way?
• Make the learning practical and fun.
• Create group discussions to help develop employees’ critical thinking and understanding of technical language; and to build the confidence of employees who have English as a second language.

Summary of Phase 1 of the Integrated Workplace Learning Project

Careerforce has nearly completed a Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) funded project designed to explore the learning challenges workplaces face when training employees on-site.

The project began in January 2007 and has involved Careerforce working with workplaces to help up skill organisations (managers, trainers and staff) in supporting and strengthening employees’ confidence in literacy, language, numeracy and learning (LLNL) strategies, and the relationship between formal qualifications and workplace practice.

Almost 400 trainees from 27 workplaces have been involved in the project. Trainees came from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, including Maori and Pacific, and included ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) and non-ESOL trainees. So far, 75% of the trainees involved in the project have completed the National Certificate in Community Support Services (Foundation Skills) Level 2. Of the 25% of trainees who have not completed the qualification to date, 15% left their place of employment during the project, and 10% require more time and support to complete the qualification, which should lead to 85% completion.

Set out below is a brief summary of what has been learnt through the evaluation of this project:

Key findings from the Integrated Workplace Learning project include:

• Trainers are developing stronger understanding of link between LLNL and independent learning skills –not just delivering content knowledge
• Trainers are undertaking Adult Education qualifications
• Trainees have increased confidence in learning and communication.  There is an increased desire to undertake higher qualifications
• Managers and supervisors have commented on better service delivery, stronger organisation culture
• Health providers are developing stronger in-house training capability
• Pre and Post LLN Evaluations show improvement in LLN skills
• Evaluation from trainees showed improvement in organisation skills and confidence in completing a formal qualification

 Key factors that determined success in Trainee Outcomes include:

• Linking in employees’ “prior knowledge” first and building on this
• Linking the organisations’ resources into the learning –Not teaching to the workbooks only
• Facilitating the learning as opposed to trainer directed
• Encouraging buddy systems, mentoring from staff etc
• Supporting trainees to “learn how to learn” when doing formal qualifications
• Structured timeline and processes put in place to support and monitor a positive journey and outcome for trainees
• Completing verification and assessment requirements  during the learning, so trainees could see progress – not at the end of all the modules

Key activities that trainers felt supported LLNL development:

• Brain Storming to help build confidence on prior knowledge and linking to new learning
• Teaching trainees to skim and scan a workbook and onsite documents to help understand the language and text features of the document s
• Reading out loud to help trainees attempt the decoding of an unfamiliar word
• Linking in prior knowledge and discussions to critically think about how this aligns to their beliefs about what and why they do something
• Introducing purpose for writing something and what needs to be considered eg audience, facts or opinions etc
• Involving trainees in activities that develop their confidence in reading, writing, numeracy and critical discussions throughout the learning.