With Dropping Unemployment, a Rise in Workplace Basic Skills Programs?

Submitted by David Rosen on Sun, 01/08/2017 - 10:45
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Colleagues,

Workplace basic skills programs aren't new. Typically, however they rise and fall depending on the economy, on worker supply and demand. During the recent recession, many workplace education programs disappeared. In better economic times, they rise again.  These programs got a significant boost in public support in the 1980's and 1990's by the U.S. Department of Education/OVAE Workplace Literacy Initiative. Since then, some states have also provided public support for these programs. One state in particular, Massachusetts, continues to provide significant support through two state funding initiatives. This front page article in Today's Boston Globe describes how workplace basic skills programs in a wide range of medium-sized companies has recently grown because of dramatically shrinking unemployment (2.9% in Massachusetts now) resulting in greater employer interest in retaining successful employees. As in the past, these are largely work-contextualized English language programs. For some, employers match the public dollars they receive with worker wages, providing classes entirely or partially on paid work time.

Is your state  experiencing lower unemployment now and, if so, how is that affecting employers' interest in offering employees workplace basic skills classes, including workplace ESOL/ESL?

Does your program offer workplace basic skills at worksites, with work-contextualized instruction to meet employer and worker needs? If so, tell us about your workplace basic skills program.

David J. Rosen, Moderator

Program Management CoP

djrosen123@gmail.com

Comments

Hi David, Interesting question! There has been consistent interest over the last 15+ years in basic skills instruction from the building service companies we partner with at BuildingSkills.org to train California janitors and other building service employees in workplace contextualized ESOL.  How much they are able to contribute to the cost ebbs and flows with the economy but the interest is always there.

We have seen an increased interest in digital literacy for line level workers lately but that is because even low-wage service work is increasing digitizing their core operations, HR systems, and other systems (through Internet of Things).