Magnifying Glass
Back to Archives

Literacy Courses Helping Workplace in New Zealand

17 Oct, 2010 WorkersCompensation.com

                               
About two-thirds of managersin New Zealand found courses improved employees' literacy, numeracy and increased their understanding of health and safety issues, and subsequent compliance with requirements around them. (WCxKit)
This result came out of an evaluation report for the Department of Labor's Upskilling Partnership Programme showing overall mixed results.
The program ran from 2006 to 2009 with the goal of helping working-age adults without the language, literacy, and numeracy (LLN) skills necessary for sustained employment. It was developed to increase the engagement of employers in workplace literacy programs.
Evaluation of the program found no conclusive quantitative evidence the courses improved participants' reading and writing skills, although apparently this wasn't entirely surprising as similar international schemes found the same results.
Tests apart, the participants themselves felt their LLN skills had improved. Their managers and supervisors also reported improvements in the participants' performance at work, including increased personal confidence and improved communications, teamwork, attitudes towards work, understanding and compliance with health and safety, and completion of paperwork. Productivity improvements tended to be on the small side, with reports of "some" rather than "a lot" of impact.
Twelve comments from participants related to a greater understanding and application of policies and procedures, especially around health and safety. They reported improved abilities in dealing with chemicals, writing memos and an increased awareness of why operating procedures were in place.
According to the report, employers discovered that the need for LLN courses was much greater than they had expected, and many planned to continue with LLN initiatives in their workplaces.
The evaluation found that workplace LLN programs were generally viable in New Zealand, across a range of industries and companies. But challenges included obtaining key stakeholder commitment, locating quality tutors, overcoming the stigma around having poor LLN skills in the selection processes, fitting course logistics around the demands of workplaces, and transferring the new skills to jobs.
Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce recently commented that more than a million New Zealand adults were held back because they lacked essential literacy and numeracy skills. At a symposium for adult educators he said it was a Government priority to improve New Zealand's record in this area. (WCxKit)
Joyce said opportunities for adults to learn skills while in the workplace were vital to improvements and noted these improvements, in turn, led to other gains like staff retention, product quality and health and safety.

Author Rebecca Shafer, JD, President of Amaxx Risks Solutions, Inc. is a national expert in the field of workers compensation. She is a writer, speaker and website publisher. Her expertise is working with employers to reduce workers compensation costs, and her clients include airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing.  Contact:  RShafer@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.

FREE TOOLS
WC IQ TEST:  http://www.workerscompkit.com/intro/
WORK COMP CALCULATOR:   http://www.LowerWC.com/calculator.php
 
JOIN
WC GROUP:  http://www.linkedin.com/groups?homeNewMember=&gid=1922050/
SUBSCRIBE: Workers Comp Resource Center Newsletter

Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.
 
©2010 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact Info@WorkersCompKit.com.

    • Read Also

    Spencer Webinar Series: Serving the Injured Worker as a Team

    Spencer Webinar | Serving the Injured Worker as a Team (youtube.com)
    Autonomous Vehicles When? Thoughts and Commentary

    One of the biggest challenges that our society will experience in the next generation will be to transition from human driven cars to autonomous vehicles (AV). One only has to listen to the Beach Boys […]
    Employees Killed in Work Accidents Across Multiple States 

    Montgomery, MN (WorkersCompensation.com) – A food worker died in a warehouse accident last week, one of several industrial accident that took the lives of workers over the past few weeks.   The worker, an employee at […]

    About The Author

    • WorkersCompensation.com

    More by This Author

    Ametros’ Melissa Coleman Honored by the IAIABC as a 2024 NextGen Winner

    Wilmington, Mass. (June 24, 2024) – The IAIABC has recognized Melissa Coleman as a 2024 NextGen Award Winner. Coleman is the Senior Vice President of Marketing for Ametros, which helps people manage their medical funds following workers’ […]
    ReEmployAbility Announces Free Webinar: ‘Overcoming Jurisdictional Return-to-Work Challenges’

    ReEmployAbility, Inc.Contact: Rebecca Dearth(813) 261-3117 | news@reemployability.com Brandon, FL (May 10, 2023)- ReEmployAbility CEO and Founder Debra Livingston will be hosting a second free, live Work Comp Central webinar in their continued series to educate […]
    NCCI Annual Golf Event Tees Up $25,000 for Kids’ Chance of America

    (Orlando, FL–May 10, 2023)—The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) has given $25,000 to Kids’ Chance of America, supporting college scholarships for the children of injured workers. NCCI made the donation in conjunction with its Annual […]

    Read More

    Spencer Webinar Series: Serving the Injured Worker as a Team

    Spencer Webinar | Serving the Injured Worker as a Team (youtube.com)
    Autonomous Vehicles When? Thoughts and Commentary

    One of the biggest challenges that our society will experience in the next generation will be to transition from human driven cars to autonomous vehicles (AV). One only has to listen to the Beach Boys […]
    Employees Killed in Work Accidents Across Multiple States 

    Montgomery, MN (WorkersCompensation.com) – A food worker died in a warehouse accident last week, one of several industrial accident that took the lives of workers over the past few weeks.   The worker, an employee at […]
    Study Suggests Digital Tools Improve Pain Related Disability In Total Knee Replacement Patients

    Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – With an increase in life expectancy, as well a surge in the age of workers over the age of 65, the numbers of patients with Osteoarthritis (OA) is rising as well.  […]
    How Wearable Tech and Virtual Care are Transforming Claims, from Engagement to Outcomes 

    Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) — Last week’s National Workers’ Compensation and Disability Conference in Las Vegas set the stage for an impactful dialogue about the transformational potential of wearable technology and virtual care in the workers’ […]
    What Do You Think: Was Firing Nurse who Lost Fight with Door WC Retaliation? 

    Belleville, NJ (Workerscompensation.com). An employer’s action during the period after which an employee reports an injury and the date she is fired can go a long way to either showing retaliation or negating it.   A […]

    Request a Demo

    To request a free demo of one of our products, please fill in this form. Our sales team will get back to you shortly.