Embedded Literacy - Careerforce ITO

The Careerforce ITO has been working with the health and disability sector to integrate literacy and numeracy learning and industry qualifications within on-site workplace training. The ‘Integrated Workplace Learning Project’ began as a TEC pilot in 2007, and is currently in its second phase. The aim of the project is to enable workplaces to develop the infrastructure necessary to ensure that literacy learning takes place as a natural part of on-site training.

The project was designed to help organisations support and strengthen employees’ confidence in literacy strategies, and develop links between formal qualifications and workplace practice. The scope of the project encompasses ‘literacy, language, numeracy and learning’ (LLNL) to better reflect the needs of the sector. The focus is to help build workplaces capabilities to deliver the National Certificate in Community Support Services (Foundation Skills) Level 2 as well as (Core Competencies) Level 3.

The development of LLNL training initiatives within the health and disability sector needed to take account of both workforce and workplace characteristics. There was a clearly identified need for LLNL support for workers, as levels are typically low. Employees are often unqualified mature women and for many English is their second language.

The first phase of the project was a pilot for building infrastructure and developing learning resources focused on the use of workplace trainers and external experts. Since August 2009, the second phase has focused on including the whole of the organisation to create the right environment for learning. The workplace and ITO learning resources and processes are then gauged for effectiveness.

The project has resulted in a number of positive outcomes for the workplaces involved. Training teams within the workplace have been established of managers, trainers, assessors and verifiers working closer together and taking on roles of mentors and coaches. The teams critically analyse their in-house resources and processes as well as the qualification resources in order to create a closer match and more balanced training system. This enables them to create a collaborative and coordinated approach to supporting the development of the trainees’ LLNL needs.

The ITO is currently reviewing the language of the assessments, has devised further resources and processes to support the training teams, and has developed a framework of templates for the planning and implementation of on-site workplace training. The health providers delivering on-site training have been an integral part in the development of the framework.

A focus on the capability of workplaces and the ITO to support LLNL and other learning within qualifications has resulted in a closer integration of qualifications and workplace practice. Ongoing effort is required from workplaces and the ITO in order to fully understand and support on-site training that includes LLNL.

This project is already helping to create sustainable learning in health and disability workplaces. Feedback from the sector highlights the positive effect of raising literacy levels, learning skills and the morale of their workers.

WEBSITE: www.careerforce.org.nz