Why Should Employees Care About Workplace Literacy?
“Literacy is
not just about being able to read at some one, universally
basic level. Rather, it is the ability to read, write, work with numbers,
problem-solve, communicate, and/or think critically at whatever level
is needed to complete the task at hand. In an everchanging workplace,
‘basic’ has become a bit of a moving target. If they are
to keep pace with change, all employees need to continually
upgrade their skills and embrace the notion of lifelong learning.”
-- The
L Campaign Information Kit, BC Federation of Labour,
1999
Employees and job seekers gain a variety of benefits from upgrading
their skills. Skills improvements for employees often change their ability
to perform their jobs well. With enhanced skills comes a greater capacity
to adapt to change, to learn at work and to respond to competitive challenges.
As a result, employees gain rewards and recognition from their employers
in the form of better pay, promotion, job security and career opportunities
… Benefits to employees of improving their workplace basic skills
include:
“Employers and employee representatives who initiate workplace
literacy initiatives must also be recognized for their contribution
to improving literacy skills in the workplace. These initiatives …
can have a positive impact in areas such as production, wages, workplace
health and safety, and union participation. Furthermore, workplace literacy
can have positive intergenerational literacy effects; as workers become
more literate, they can become bigger contributors to literacy within
their families.”
-- Raising
Adult Literacy Skills: The Need for a Pan-Canadian Response,
Human Resources Development Canada, June 2003
“Strong basic skills provide members with the foundation for ongoing
training and retraining. They are better prepared to move into jobs
with new technologies and to enjoy greater job security and advancement.”
“Upgrading
basic skills can boost workers’ self-esteem, develop their confidence,
and increase their desire to learn for personal fulfillment. Feeling
better about oneself and one’s abilities is often the greatest
benefit of learning.”
-- The
L Campaign Information Kit, BC Federation of Labour,
1999
“While BC
does have groups with special needs such as older workers and immigrants,
literacy is not directly restricted to marginalized members of society.
Significantly low literacy levels can be found in most communities throughout
the province. It has been said that many workers need to continuously
acquire new skills and qualifications in order to succeed in the new
economy.”
-- Closing
the Skills Gap: A Report of the British Columbia Chamber of Commerce
Skill Shortages Initiative, April 2002
“It is estimated that over an employee’s lifetime, a male
worker with a high document literacy level can expect to earn $1,743,000
in pre-tax earnings, or $585,000 more than a male worker with a low
document literacy level. A female worker with high document literacy
can expect to earn $1,242,000 in her lifetime, or $559,000 above that
estimated for women with a low document literacy level.”
-- Raising
Adult Literacy Skills: The Need for a Pan-Canadian Response,
Human Resources Development Canada, June 2003
“In addition to higher profits for firms, learners also realize
higher earnings as a consequence of investments in literacy skills training;
it is estimated that each additional year of education raises an individual’s
annual earnings by some 8.3%, of which approximately one-third is attributed
to improved literacy skills.”
-- Raising
Adult Literacy Skills: The Need for a Pan-Canadian Response,
Human Resources Development Canada, June 2003
“The census showed clearly that the chances of making it to the
top earnings levels are most directly associated with educational attainment,
and particularly with a university degree. In 2000, more than 60% of
earners in the lowest earnings category (less than $20,000) had no more
than a high school education and 37.4% had less than a high school education.)
However, more than 60% of earners in the top category ($100,000 or more)
had a university degree.”
--
Earnings of Canadians: making a Living in the new economy
- 2001 Census: analysis series, Ministry of Industry, March 2003
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