Transcript Essential Skills - Newfoundland and Labrador Laubach

Essential Skills Literacy Training:
Tools for Older Adults
Findings and Analysis
By Linda Collier, Public Consultation Facilitator
Newfoundland and Labrador Laubach Literacy Council
Findings and Analysis
The following are the findings and analysis resulting from
the public consultation process of the Essential Skills
Literacy Training: Tools for Older Adults project. Over
the course of the province-wide consultation process, 646
people were contacted to participate in focus groups and
complete surveys through our website and by telephone
or face-to-face interviews. 206 participated in 16 focus
groups and 200 completed surveys – an overall
participation rate of 62%.
Essential Skills Being Taught
Presently, the main Essential Skills
being taught by tutors are:
1.
Reading
81%
2.
Numeracy
58%
3.
Writing
56%
C
om
on
tin
s
w
ar
n
in
g
ot
he
rs
n
se
ica
tio
U
23%
Le
ith
un
m
uo
u
ki
ng
lC
te
r
Sk
ills
se
30%
W
or
O
ra
ng
pu
om
nk
i
en
tU
er
ac
y
35%
C
Th
i
m
um
g
t
Te
x
W
rit
in
in
g
56%
oc
u
N
ea
d
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
D
R
Essential Skills currently taught
- by percentage levels:
81%
58%
33%
21%
21%
How Essential Skills are Being Taught


Although all nine Essential Skills are being taught by
various tutors to a degree, it is mainly at a basic level.
Most are using the Laubach Way to Reading Series
(LWRS) supplemented with resources/documents used in
everyday living.

Many tutors who are not proficient in computer use are
presently not comfortable teaching basic computer skills;
others who would teach Computer Use do not have
facilities/resources available to them.
Essential Skills Used in the Workplace
As indicated by Key Stakeholders- Businesses/Organizations
Essential Skills Used - Business/ Organizations’ Responses
70%
Continuous Learning
79%
Working with others
Oral Communication
95%
Computer Use
77%
Thinking Skills
83%
72%
Document Use
Numeracy
85%
Writing
77%
Reading text
82%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Comparison of Essential Skills used in the
workplace and those currently being taught
100%
90%
Essential Skills Currently
Taught
95%
85%
81%82%
83%
77%
80%
79%
77%
72%
70%
70%
56%
60%
Essential Skills Used Business/ Organizations’
Responses
58%
50%
40%
35%
33%
30%
30%
23%
21%
21%
20%
10%
Le
ar
nin
g
Co
nt
in
uo
us
th
wi
W
or
k in
g
om
m
un
ra
lC
O
ot
he
rs
ic a
tio
n
se
te
rU
Co
m
pu
Sk
ill s
g
Th
ink
in
se
Do
cu
m
en
tU
ac
y
Nu
m
er
W
ri t
ing
Re
ad
in
g
Te
xt
0%
Essential Skills used in the workplace rate much higher than those being
taught in the current program.
Tutors’ and Trainers’ Perspective on Essential
Skills’ Needs of Adult Learners
Tutors and Trainers indicate that adult learners would benefit
from training in all nine Essential Skills.
82%
in
g
ar
n
on
tin
C
W
or
ki
ng
uo
u
s
w
ith
m
un
om
lC
O
ra
58%
Le
ica
tio
n
se
U
te
r
pu
om
C
58%
ot
he
rs
58%
Sk
ills
nk
i
Th
i
m
ng
en
tU
ac
66%
64%
se
y
72%
er
um
N
W
rit
in
g
72%
D
R
ea
d
in
g
Te
x
t
72%
oc
u
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Top ratings: (1) Reading 82% (2) Document Use, Numeracy and Writing
72%; (3) Computer Use 66%
Older Adults’ perspective on Essential
Skills’ Needs by percentage:
80%
70%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
22%
22%
20%
22%
15%
13%
18%
12%
12%
10%
s
C
om
pu
te
O
rU
ra
se
lC
om
m
un
ic
W
at
io
or
n
ki
ng
w
ith
ot
C
he
on
rs
tin
uo
us
Le
ar
ni
ng
Th
in
ki
ng
S
ki
ll
U
se
en
t
D
oc
um
N
um
er
ac
y
in
g
W
r it
R
ea
di
ng
Te
xt
0%
Rating in the top three:
1. Computer Use
70%
2. Numeracy, Reading, Document Use 22%
3. Continuous Learning 18%
Key Stakeholders’ Perspective on Essential
Skills’ needs of Employees/Volunteers/Clients
Respondents indicated that their employees/volunteers/
clients would benefit from training in all nine Essential
Skills, depending on the workplace situation. The top three
indicated are:
1. Working with Others – 67%
2. Computer Use – 65%
3. Oral Communication, Continuous Learning – 64%
Key Stakeholders’ Perspective on Essential
Skills’ training needs of Employees/
Volunteers/Clients rated by percentage:
80%
65%
70%
60%
64%
52%
49%
50%
67%
64%
43%
42%
38%
40%
30%
20%
10%
C
on
tin
in
g
ar
n
uo
u
s
w
i th
W
or
ki
ng
m
om
Le
ot
un
ic
a
tio
he
rs
n
U
se
ra
lC
O
C
om
pu
t
er
Sk
il l
s
Th
in
ki
ng
um
en
tU
se
cy
D
oc
er
a
in
g
W
rit
N
um
R
ea
di
ng
Te
xt
0%
Comparison of Essential Skills’ Training Needs
of Older Adult Stakeholders as indicated by the
three different groups.
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Reading Text
Writing
Numeracy
Document Use
Thinking Skills
Computer Use
Oral
Communication
Working w ith
others
Continuous
Learning
Older Adults
22%
13%
22%
22%
15%
70%
12%
12%
18%
Tutors/Trainers
82%
72%
72%
72%
64%
66%
58%
58%
58%
Business/Organizations
49%
43%
38%
42%
52%
65%
64%
67%
64%
Essential Skills Training Needs
Point of View Comparisons
All groups had different ratings on Essential Skills’ needs of Older Adult
Stakeholders.




Older Adults indicated their main needs were in Computer Use at 70%. All other
Essential Skills rated 22% and under.
Tutors and Trainers indicated Adult learners lack all Essential Skills in varying
degrees, ranging from 58% to 82%, the highest in the 3 R’s, Document Use, and
Computer Use.
Businesses and Organizations indicated Older Adult Stakeholders
(employees/volunteers/clients) lack all Essential Skills to a degree, with the
highest deficiency in Working with Others, Computer Use, Oral Communication,
and Continuous Learning.
All groups similarly indicated that Older Adults were lacking in Computer Use.
Recommended Essential Skills’ training for Target
Group by Tutors and Trainers
(rated by level of importance from 1 to 9)
Highest rated for recommended Essential
Skills training (rated #1):
1. Reading – 61%
2. Computer Use – 12%
Second highest rated for recommended
Essential Skills training (rated #2):
1. Writing – 29%
2. Numeracy – 18%
Essential Skills’ training interest of
Older Adult Stakeholders
75% of respondents indicated that they would benefit
from Essential Skills training; 19% indicated they would
not benefit; 7% did not know.
I don’t know , 7%
No, 19%
Yes, 75%
Older Adults’ Essential Skills Training
interest by level of importance (1 – 9)
Computer Use rated highest order of importance (Level 1) for course interest
over all other Essential Skills – 17%; Computer Use was also checked more often
than other Essential Skills – 32%; also received the lowest amount of No Response.
Continuous Learning rated second highest order of importance (Level 1) for
course interest – 7%
Continuous Learning and Document Use checked as important second
highest (Level 2); Continuous Learning also second lowest amount for No
Response.
Highest number of No Response in Writing, Thinking Skills, Working with
Others.
Many respondents placed check marks instead of using numbers to rate level of importance;
others rated only some. Possibly these were the most important to them for course interest
which would indicate interest in those Essential Skills only.
Older Adults’ Essential Skills Training
Overall Course Interest
Overall Course Interest
This chart
Thinking Skills,
27%
indicates Older
Adults’ level of
overall course
interest, rated
and unrated.
Working with
Others, 27%
Computer Use, 69%
Writing, 27%
Continuous
Learning, 44%
Reading Text, 28%
Oral
Communication,
28%
Numeracy, 30%
Document Use,
36%
Barriers to Training
Main barriers identified were:
 Work and Family commitments
 Lack of confidence/self-esteem/fear
 Time
 Transportation
 Awareness/availability
 Finances
Essential Skills that Adult Stakeholders
consider important for the workplace
100%
98%
96%
94%
92%
90%
88%
86%
84%
82%
Reading text
Writing
Numeracy
Document
Use
Thinking
Skills
96%
96%
91%
88%
99%
Computer
Oral
Working Continuous
Use
Communica with others Learning
93%
99%
93%
92%
All Essential Skills considered of major importance with
Oral Communication and Thinking Skills rated highest.
Participant Profile
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Students
Employed
Retired
31%
28%
35%
Unemployed, Unemployed,
looking
not looking
11%
11%
The majority of respondents were retired 35%
2nd highest group - students 31%
3rd highest - employed 28%
Focus Group Findings – Target Group
The highest lack of
Essential Skills
indicated by Older
Adults is Computer
Use, which is
consistent with
data compiled from
questionnaires.
Percentage of Essential Skills Lacking
Working with
Others
9%
Continuous
Learning
12%
Reading
7%
Writing
10%
Numeracy
15%
Computer Use
20%
Oral
Communication
11%
Document Use
9%
Thinking Skills
7%
Focus group findings – Key Stakeholders
Esential Skills Lacking
Key Stakeholder Focus Groups
indicated there is need for
training in all nine Essential
Skills, the major ones being
Computer Use, Document Use,
and Thinking Skills.
Training in Computer Use was
also one of the top needed
Essential Skills indicated by
survey respondents.
Working with Others
80%
Continuous Learning
60%
Computer Use
100%
80%
Oral communication
Thinking Skills
100%
Document Use
100%
Numeracy
Writing
Reading
60%
40%
60%
Focus group findings – Tutors and
Trainers
Tutor and trainer focus groups
indicated there is a need for
material for tutoring Document
Use.
Three of the four groups indicated
a need for training in Computer
Use, including basic computer use,
cash registers, GPS and ATMs.
Materials suitable to learners’ interests
25%
On-site tutoring
25%
Teaching time
25%
Story telling..
25%
Workshops
50%
Budget aids
50%
Audio aids
50%
Thinking skills
50%
Role playing
50%
Computer training
75%
Practical document use
100%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80% 100% 120%
Summary
A comparison of findings from Survey/Interview
respondents and Focus Group participants indentified the
following main gaps in the current system:
 Need for updated, student-appropriate material to
prepare learners for today’s workplace
 Need for application of Essential Skills learned from
theory to practical
 Need for computer use/training
 Getting the word out - awareness of training/help
available
Conclusion/Recommendations
A tutor/learner training package that addresses Essential Skills development
which includes a train the trainer guide, tutor handbook, and learning modules
should be a top priority.
A documented process for application of Essential Skills from theory to practical
should be put into place for universal use by all Laubach literacy tutors.
Computer Use/training in basic computer use should be an aspiration for all
Councils. While it is not necessary that all Council tutors be proficient in computer
use, it is important to embrace technology and have tutors and resources available
to teach those who seek it.
There should be updated training for tutors which includes tutoring in Essential
Skills to meet the demands of today’s workplace.
Public awareness sessions should be held on a regular basis to promote
help available for those seeking literacy services,.
Participants throughout the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.