'One size does not fit all’: how five tertiary education organisations embed literacy, language and numeracy: case study findings

Nick Zepke

7.1 Introduction

This case study explores how one Industry Training Organisation (ITO) provided embedded LLN for its workforce. It had identified shortcomings in LLN skills among support workers as barriers to their completion of their base qualifications. The ITO sought and gained funding from the Tertiary Education Commission to develop the Integrated Workplace Learning Project. This project aimed to “help support trainees with their workplace literacy demands while they were also completing the National Certificate in Community Support Services (Foundation Skills) qualification”, and sought to “support employers and workplaces to begin to understand and address workplace literacy needs” (ITO, 2008, p. 145).

The ITO ran a pilot programme with four health providers from 2007, and after evaluating its effectiveness rolled out a second stage involving 30 health providers in 2008 and 2009 (ITO, 2009). This second stage was completed in mid 2009. Most industry stakeholders prefer to embed level 2 and 3 training in their workplaces. Some workplaces don’t provide the education/training themselves, but contract out this function to specialist training providers or health providers with a training arm. The 34 health providers involved in this project employ support workers themselves while also providing training. The Integrated Workplace Learning Project played an integral part in embedding workplace learning. It was developed, led and monitored by a project manager who reported to a director who in turn reports to the Chief Executive.

This case study surveys embedded literacy provision by five health providers located in both main islands, in cities and provincial centres. Fourteen people contributed to the data: 10 through individual interviews, and four in focus groups. Two of the participants were in strategic positions in the ITO; five were health provider managers; five were workplace trainers in embedded programmes; and two were literacy specialists supporting workplace trainers. The sample was organised by the ITO and all participants were supportive of the programme, some enthusiastically so.

The case study structure is shaped by a literature review and the research questions set in the project brief. It is organised under four major headings: Governance, Management, Pedagogy, and Professional development of workplace trainers. Under governance the study reviews the ITO’s goals, strategic planning and resourcing; and under management it describes how embedding is managed, how learning cultures are established and maintained, and how programmes are supported and quality assured. The section on pedagogy outlines favoured approaches to – and methods of – teaching; and outlines how assessments are made and learner outcomes achieved. The professional development section covers training opportunities for trainers and describes the qualification structure available to these participants.

7.2 Governance

Purposes

According to the ITO’s website (ITO, 2009), “a significant role for any Industry Training Organisation (ITO) is to work with their industry (sector) to establish standards of competency for workers which then allow the development of national qualifications and career pathways for the workforces the ITO is supporting”. To achieve this purpose the ITO has developed a number of national qualifications based on unit standards ranging from levels 2 to 6. Since 2007 it has aimed to embed training within actual workplaces or, where workplaces do not maintain a training function, within programmes offered off site by education providers. The embedded LLN project was developed to fulfil these two key purposes: to meet industry’s LLN needs by embedding LLN provisions within workplace training programmes; and to embed LLN skills for trainees who are enrolled in the National Certificate in Community Support Services (Foundation Skills) (Level 2), which staircases into the National Certificate in Community Support Services (Core Competencies) (Level 3).

Strategic planning

The ITO prepared for embedding LLN very systematically. An initial needs analysis aimed to identify the needs of learners and providers, together with service requirements. A very complex picture emerged. Carers in this sector provide support for clients living at home or in residential care. Carers are predominantly female, aged from 35 onwards, working part-time, and with no previous qualifications. Most of them face challenges in balancing home life with part-time work, and most lack confidence in their ability to complete a formal qualification. Amongst the carers are a high number of migrants. Some of these workers are nurses who cannot become registered in New Zealand because they don’t meet the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) requirements. They are using care and support work to develop their English language skills and to understand New Zealand’s culture. A call for expressions of interest went out to the sector, and both home-based and residential care workers participated in the project (A1).

When identifying the capabilities of health providers, the ITO looked at a number of factors: a health provider’s level of understanding of LLN needs;employees’ current statusin terms of learning objectives and qualifications; the health provider’s aims and objectives; and the options of on-site or off-site delivery. Results showed that the nature of health providers varies greatly, as do their training needs and capacities. Some health providers are located in rural New Zealand and others are in cities; some are privately owned residential homes and others are government-funded community service groups; some are small and others are large national organisations. Their interests, needs and resources also vary greatly: some have resident trainers with varying qualifications; others offer extensive training programmes; while some have little (or no) experience of on-site training. In short, there was a lot of work involved in familiarising participating health providers with embedded LLN. This diversity of needs had significant resource implications and posed challenges in delivering high-quality programmes (A1).

The ITO developed workplace profiles for each health provider:

What I did was a workplace profile on resource capability and then I looked at the workplace trainers’ profiles and skill sets to help identify the types of support that they may need. (A1)

Many organisations did not have dedicated trainers but could identify a staff member to take on this role. Where the ITO felt that there would be sufficient and ongoing support for such staff members it agreed to provide training. But new trainers had much to learn about LLN and it was decided to contract literacy tutors to mentor, support and upskill in-house trainers in the delivery of embedded LLN. It was felt that literacy specialists understood adult education, industry training and language development in LLN. The project ensured that at least half the providers had educationally qualified trainers while the other half was afforded support by literacy specialists. At the end of the two-stage project half of the providers had employed literacy specialists to support the vocational tutors while half of the vocational trainers had gained educational qualifications (ITO, 2009).

The workplace profiles generated a conceptual model that supported both trainees and trainers. Trainees developed their LLN skills while studying for the National Certificate in Community Support Services (Foundation Skills); workplace trainers were supported by workshops, an extensive resource folder, and the facility to obtain a study grant to raise their qualification level (ITO, 2008). Workplace managers were charged with assisting capability building by constantly raising awareness of LLN issues. But given the diversity in the sector, this model could not be unitary:

We don’t have one model; we try to keep it personalised. There are some commonalities on what seems to work, but we keep personalising it. (A1)

This situation engendered flexible approaches within clear guidelines. For example, a Pasifika provider with high-need learners was accommodated beyond the boundaries set by the model; and another provider who objected to the timing and extent of requirements was able to re-negotiate these provisions.

Starting with that approach, I found about halfway through the learning the health providers phoned me and said can we extend it, can we have longer hours, it’s working, but we can’t manage it, so it was driven from their experience. And I kept it flexible and kept the literacy tutor on longer where needed … that has been a challenge at times. (A1)

Resourcing

The Integrated Workplace Learning Project enabled the ITO to provide a number of training options: each health provider could have a literacy tutor working alongside a trainer for the first round of group sessions; half the health providers had a literacy tutor to support the workplace trainer or professional development in literacy for workplace trainers with educational qualifications; a number of workshops were offered for all trainers and workplace advisors to provide regional support in building on-site capability, supported by an extensive training folder; workbooks were provided to help facilitate trainees’ achievement of the certificate. The contract provided for 480 trainees to be enrolled.

7.3 Management

Embedding

All five managers were supportive of embedding literacy in workplace training. One went so far as to say that it could not be taught on its own (F1). Because the lead organisation, the ITO, provided strong direction and support, there was considerable agreement about what embedding might achieve.

I think embedding literacy for me is putting the trainee or learner in a situation whereby they feel empowered to be actually able to engage in the topic, think through it, learn a little bit more as they go along and then actually relate it back to their work. (C2)

There was also marked agreement about how to deliver embedded LLN. The agreed ‘model’ usually consisted of group sessions of 10-12 employees who attended classes every fortnight for 24 weeks (ITO, 2009), although some variations of this model were mentioned; for example, at least one provider arranged with an external literacy provider to teach some staff in one-on-one sessions (C1). Sessions focused on the skills needed by health and disability sector care workers when working with clients. These skills were presented and discussed in workbooks produced by the ITO. Each workbook covered one of the nine unit standards comprising the National Certificate in Community Support Services (Foundation Skills) Level 2. Where requested, literacy specialists supported workplace trainers for a negotiated period.

In general, workplace trainers and literacy tutors worked well together. Indeed some workplace trainers seemed quite dependent on literacy specialists: “I couldn’t have got started being a trainer without [name]” (E2). But there is also evidence of tension:

I am very enthusiastic about embedding but it rests and falls on the vocational tutor. [At one stage] I had to assume the task of the vocational tutor … because the tutor didn’t have the confidence and it’s made me more convinced that the crucial role is the literacy knowledge. (G2)

On the other hand:

We’ve had some trouble with literacy tutors, not a lot, but it’s hard to find the right person. Sometimes we get tutors who focus solely on one-on-one and we stay away from that because we look at a group situation. (A1)

Whether or not embedded literacy skills were transferable showed up another area of tension. One manager, in particular, disagreed with what she saw as TEC’s assumption that embedding literacy in one workplace could be transferred to another: “I’m not sure if that is necessarily so and there is a lot of stuff around that I think should be explored” (G1).

Creating learning cultures

The literature (e.g. Guenther, 2002; Maclachlan & Cloonan, 2003; Suda, 2001; Tett & Maclachlan, 2008) suggests that successful embedding requires positive cultural and structural surroundings for learners. The data offered three strong themes in relation to creating and maintaining learning cultures, namely: support provided to trainers; maintaining a balance between workplace training and literacy development; and the connections between literacy skills and social living.

Support of trainers was seen as vital to the success of the project. The sentiment “people need ongoing support” (D2) was often repeated. The nature of the support needed varied widely but often cited the availability of literacy specialists, the collegiality of teamwork, and the provision of financial and learning resources. It was acknowledged that the ITO put into place a delivery model supported by workshops and training resources; made available a limited supply of literacy specialists; and opened training pathways and organised learning and delivery get-togethers (A2). According to one manager these support measures create a:

Sustainable model of teaching and learning wherein we have started to develop skills and knowledge around literacy that we can embed into our programme and develop our support workers into becoming more independent learners, to have more confidence around language and reading and then thinking about that reading and what it means to them in terms of their practice and how they can translate their knowledge into practical skills. (B1)

Individual health providers seem to have built on this model. A number of them mentioned initiatives in creating supplementary lesson plans and learning resources. Three also provided extra finance to train the trainers.

But a number of participants were concerned that literacy could come to outweigh the vocational aspects of training. While they recognised that embedding literacy in the training programmes for support workers was vital and took place within its vocational context, they saw a danger in the purpose of the training they provided being overlooked.

I think one of the challenges for me is that our core subject is disability; it’s not literacy and I understand and recognise the value of embedding literacy as added to the course material but at the same time it’s getting that balance and keeping sight of the fact that our core subject is disability and that is an ongoing challenge. (F2)

This participant felt that the training was becoming unbalanced and favoured literacy over basic vocational skills training. Another felt that tensions between vocational and literacy goals were inevitable, and that it was up to workplace trainers to ensure that a sound balance was maintained (B2). Another suggested that the purposes of literacy and vocational learning were not in conflict. Both try “to get the employees to become critical thinkers … [in] a complex environment, working with multi-cultural needs” (D1).Both aspects of training help trainees to adapt to ever-evolving changes.

Researchers like Crowther et al. (2003) and Tett and Maclachlan (2008) argue that literacy learning has a social purpose. This stance was fully endorsed by participants: “I see literacy very much as a social practice” (G2), and “If you educate a woman you educate a family. So … literacy is about society” (C1).

One support for literacy as a social practice came from the notion of equivalence. Support workers are seen to be part of – and to work in – society. Consequently, similar skills are needed in the workplace and in life (D1). Skills such as listening, paraphrasing, interpreting, questioning, clarifying, summing up and reporting back are vital to a support worker but also inherent in daily life (B1). Another support focused on the notion of transfer:

I do think that improved literacy will definitely improve the quality of home life and the ability to service their own needs, both within households and community participation. (E1)

But transfer was not supported unanimously. One participant was clear: “I don’t see literacy as necessarily a transferable skill” (G2). Another support for literacy as a social practice was based on inclusion: “You can’t run a group of Māori women and not include their families … their children’s homework and their other relationships” (D1).

Supporting programmes

Participants said a lot about programme support, and most expressed views about human and learning resources. One strong theme related to employment conditions and remuneration. Literacy tutors were more concerned about employment conditions than were their peers. They focused on the lack of job security: “I probably can’t keep doing this because there is just not any regular work really” (G2); and timing issues: “There is a shortage of time for vocational trainers to develop learning plans and resources” (G2). Some workplace trainers, too, thought that they were paid a pittance, and saw issues around:

Remuneration structures and benchmarking positions, having proper job descriptions, having a salary structure, looking at and reviewing people’s performance and where they sit at a local, regional and national level. (D2)

But many also considered that their trainees should be compensated for the time spent in training. Some health providers “pay support workers to come into class … paying them for the time they are here and they are not actually earning money” (B2). But this participant also observed that this arrangement left trainees out of pocket as they still lost money. Since many companies will not pay trainees to attend courses, programme quality is reduced.

There was considerable discussion about the learning resources supporting the programme. Participants mentioned courses and the resource folder, mostly favourably. But most comment was generated about the nine workbooks supporting delivery of the unit standards. Both quality and use were described. In the main, participants agreed that the workbooks are relevant (E2), useful (G1), impressive (G2), and suitable for embedding literacy in workplace learning (F1).

I believe a big reason why the completion rate is high is because of the workbooks that have been designed. The workbooks they are using now … scaffold [learning] in bite size chunks, very user friendly, lots of white pages, pictures. (A2)

This positive judgement was not quite unanimous. One provider reported that trainees find the books “very, very difficult, so a lot of our time is spent going through the … books as part of the literacy thing” (B1). This provider develops its own resources: card matching, case studies and client scenarios, and role plays. Other trainers took a similar approach and probably used the workbook as intended: “It’s a generic book and the smart providers have used that as a minimum base and built their needs around it” (A2). Other providers work through the workbooks systematically (C1).

Quality assurance

While this case study cannot evaluate the Integrated Workplace Learning Project, it is important to describe the processes used to quality assure the project. Two sets of information about quality assurance may be noted. The first centres on evaluations and reviews carried out by the ITO. Its contract with TEC required the ITO to submit six-monthly progress reports (ITO, 2009). These reports were based on fortnightly or monthly reports from providers and included attendance sheets; questionnaires and/or meetings with managers, workplace trainers, literacy tutors and trainees; information on qualification completions; and evaluations of pre- and post-literacy assessments. In addition, the ITO commissioned two researchers to conduct a formal evaluation to be published in August 2009. In general terms the ITO is positive about the project:

I’m noticing that … the health providers are changing; they are putting in a better structure around their training and support mechanisms, [although] some still have a wee way to go. (A1)

Some challenges were reported in the April 2009 evaluation, however, including unevenness in the way providers conducted training, a shortage of qualified assessors in some organisations, and variability in pay structures. Co-ordinating an expanding project was recognised as another challenge.

Health providers also review their work on an ongoing basis. In a report to the ITO, one noted very positive achievements, in particular that a strengthened organisational infrastructure had delivered a cost-effective training system, improved productivity and staff retention, and enhanced the quality of client care (ITO, 2009).

Providing the certificate qualification to care and support workers has made a huge difference to the women, [whose] confidence and self-esteem have increased dramatically. (D1)

From ongoing monitoring, a professional development focus has emerged that centres on identifying literacy needs, and using learning progressions within the workplace to guide the support provided (ITO, 2009). Another provider received daily feedback from trainers and trainees that identified achievements by – and challenges to – the whole organisation. Achievements included the people-centredness of the organisation, which enabled it to take account of cultural differences. “Challenges are significant because to really embed literacy in the organisation, it needs to have verifiers and assessors” (E1). And assessors are in short supply.

Another health provider suggested that a novel way of assuring the quality of their programme is to conduct literature searches that identify best practice in embedded literacy delivery (B1).

7.4 Pedagogy

The evidence obtained suggests that teaching approaches, methods and assessment practices are located within an adult education framework that is constructivist and learner centred, with an approach to literacy that brings to mind Freire’s observation that literacy is the ability to read the word and the world (Freire & Macedo, 1987).

Approaches to teaching

All participants who voiced opinions supported the broad definition of literacy advanced in the Literacy, Language and Numeracy Action Plan (TEC, 2008, p. 6):

Literacy is the written and oral language people use in their everyday life and work; it includes reading, writing, speaking and listening. Skills in this area are essential for good communication, critical thinking and problem-solving in the workforce. It includes building the skills to communicate (at work) for speakers of other languages. Numeracy is the bridge between mathematics and real life. It includes the knowledge and skills needed to apply mathematics to everyday family and financial matters, work and community tasks.

When describing their own approach to literacy teaching, participants mentioned all the skills listed in the definition, adding paraphrasing, interpretation of instructions, understanding subjective and objective data, recognising and accessing tacit knowledge, and summation and clarification (B1). Repeatedly they mentioned the importance of teaching critical thinking. “There was a culture in the workforce where people didn’t really question things” (A1). There was, therefore, strong support for an approach to teaching that went beyond traditional technical literacy.

I think the course itself and the learning in it … is much wider and it does encompass cultural literacy and the ability to make sense of the world … and so a literate person is making sense of things around them. (F2)

Another summarised the general opinion about suitable teaching approaches: “We want to develop people’s life skills; work skills yes, but life skills” (G2).

Most participants consciously located their teaching approach in adult education. Knowledge is seen to be constructed “in relation to [trainees’] own background of experiences and their own learning and they can textualise it to the framework that we have” (B1). Before they become support workers, trainees usually have a great deal of experience with people that they can apply when learning literacy skills. The ITO supports a reflective approach to learning by providing workplace trainers with resources in the trainers’ resource folder that show how reflection can be built into literacy training. While some participants were subject centred, most were unashamedly learner centred: “Our first priority is the learner. In planning and teaching we are very focused on the needs of learners” (G2). Literacy tutors were seen as champions of adult education ideas and practices.

Literacy tutors had a strength in understanding the concepts around adult education, industry training, and language development in literacy and numeracy with [which] we created a model with the health providers. (A1)

Interestingly, some workplace trainers qualified in adult education took a little longer to use an adult education approach to literacy, language and numeracy development than the trainers who had no formal qualifications (A2).

Teaching methods

The ITO ran workshops and provided a resource folder to help workplace trainers develop suitable teaching methods. These resources favoured teaching methods that were activity based.

Instead of the trainer telling them what they need to know and controlling the learning, we encourage group learning, trainees writing on the board, not just trainers, so they are continuously using their literacy, language and numeracy skills while learning. (A1)

Some workplace trainers continue to use transmission mode teaching. But most have undergone a transformation.

I think we were very much stand in front of the class like delivery and now it’s much more activity based that we try to talk for little periods of time then give them an activity and even if it’s a word-matching activity or matching a statement or a phrase with a particular word. (F1)

Sometimes sessions are broken up into little activities “with everyone contributing” (D1). One health provider described concept mapping to develop critical thinking skills:

What we found at the beginning was that there was an inability to see hierarchy, an inability to see links and cross-links and relationships and at the end we found that a lot of these things developed. (B2)

Group work was strongly favoured as a teaching method, while the occasional need for individualised instruction was acknowledged:

We believe that the group learning is very effective. We have a high Māori population and we work better as a group, so the groups that we offer for training do have the concept in there. Māori words are used within the programme. It’s the processing; we offer group get-togethers for a meal, a sharing of food time, as part of the whole thing, so it’s all embedded in there, not just the literacy, but a cultural aspect. (D1)

This social aspect of learning was emphasised repeatedly.

I’m pretty sure with this particular group, they would come if they weren’t getting paid because they enjoy it. It’s fun and they are getting something from it. (A2)

Also mentioned frequently was that in groups the support workers gained confidence, which they often lacked (D2). The enthusiasm for having trainees work in teams transferred to literacy and workplace trainers.

We do a lot of group work or pair work and with two tutors in a teaching situation you are more able to engage with the workers, both of you. (G1)

Assessment of learning

The ITO has developed literacy assessments that are mapped on the draft learning progressions. Assessments aim to help identify individual learner needs, help to inform support needs for each learner, and enable comparisons to be made with post-assessments. The assessments were designed around the workbooks, and included an example of a workplace procedure and policy document. The feedback about assessment tools seems mixed.

It gives me some discomfort, but we do need to assess where they are at and a literacy assessment tool is one way of doing it, but it’s not necessarily a good way straight off in a sector where they are not confident in doing any formal qualifications. (A1)

And participants offered strong comments, for example:

I think, if you have seen these pre-assessment things, and I know we’re on tape, but for a person who is having literacy and numeracy issues, that is quite a daunting process. They have to read that and have to answer. Like “If hazards are managed, does that mean incidents will not happen? Give a reason for your answer”. (C2)

However, some participants found the assessment tools useful.

As far as embedding literacy goes along with that, pre-assessments have been really helpful because that helps us to look at individuals rather than just a group. (F2)

On the other side of the assessment coin is an assessment process to gauge achievements on the nine unit standards leading to the National Certificate in Community Support Services (Foundation Skills). The process here matched the requirements of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) for workplace assessment. Unit standards are assessed by a qualified workplace assessor supported by verifiers and attestations. Workplace verifiers confirmed competency in practical tasks, and understanding of workplace policies and procedures. Alongside verification were assessment portfolios completed by trainees for each unit standard. These portfolios contained evidence not occurring naturally. There were few comments by participants on this process, possibly because it followed established and well-known NZQA guidelines. However, becoming a verifier requires training and one provider seemed to have some difficulties in obtaining one (E2). The trainer in this establishment:

Would change how we did the assessments. I think it is much better to do the assessments as they go, so it’s still fresh in [trainees’] minds. They learn by making mistakes and we can go over them as they go. I’m starting to do some of the assessments now. (E2)

Learner outcomes

Participants waxed lyrical about the outcomes their trainees had achieved. Outcomes can be stated subjectively by judging the distance a trainee has travelled since training began, and objectively by using selected outcome measures. Overwhelmingly the outcomes stated were subjective. Positive impacts of the training process on work performance were mentioned: “I would say [training] had a big impact on job performance” (C2); and “From the employment point of view I now see them as being competent to do the role they have been employed to do” (C1). Social growth was an outcome often mentioned: “I think it has amazing positive social spin-offs … for these people” (D2), and “I see the increased confidence and competence of people that talk in team meetings, so there is a whole social literacy as well” (F2). Confidence grew greatly: “They felt much more comfortable about talking at a senior level about what was going on in client care that was not working for them and was not working for the clients” (G1); and “When they first started coming to the classes they wouldn’t really speak in a group, now they do” (E2). The changes recounted in many instances suggested that the embedded literacy experience had been transformational:

I think one of the biggest things we’ve seen is the distinct change in the way the staff operate, the way they think, the way they talk, the way they dress. Everything about them is different from beginning to now and that is miraculous. (D2)

While evidence of subjectively framed positive outcomes was plentiful, objective evidence was scarce. But despite this lack of evidence, the indicators available confirm the affirming impression gained from reading the subjective data. At the time of doing this case study, the status of the 27 health providers who had completed training onsite (393 employees) was that: 75% trainees had completed the National Certificate in Support Services (Foundation Skills) qualification; 15% had left employment before completing; and 10% needed further support. The remaining seven health providers are still undertaking training and started in a later cohort (A1). One of the health providers mentioned that in two completed courses a 100% success rate was achieved:

And that many who have completed the level 2 foundation are asking what is next and are really keen to move onto the core competency and I guess we have that issue in terms of doing it. (F1)

Another mentioned that:

We have 118 care workers that we employ and 106 of those care workers are enrolled in the national qualification both at level 2 and at level 3 and so far we have 48 who have completed our national qualification. (D1)

7.5 Professional development of workplace trainers

Training of workplace trainers was an important value underpinning this case study. Even though the ITO does not have a formal ‘tutor training’ programme, it has encouraged workplace trainers to upgrade qualifications. The project was designed so that at least half the health providers had educationally qualified trainers, while those who were not so qualified were encouraged to enrol in the National Certificate in Adult Literacy Education. Among the 12 people interviewed: two held postgraduate qualifications in education or adult education; two held bachelor degrees; two held diplomas; and four held national certificates. Two workplace trainers were currently enrolled in educational programmes. One of the managers uses ongoing university study to check that practice is based on theory (B1). At the interviews six workplace trainers or managers had qualified for the National Certificate in Adult Literacy Education, and one literacy specialist is putting the final touches to a Master’s in this area. Participants were generally keen to upgrade their qualifications: “Yes, I have enrolled in the National Certificate in Adult Literacy Education and also I’m hoping to do the adult education and learning” (E2). Some were sceptical at first, but “having completed the course … we have changed and done a lot of work in terms of changing our teaching styles” (F2). Opinions about the value of adult literacy education were positive:

I also did the certificate in adult literacy, so that was a great help too. That showed you the progressions and a bit more in-depth understanding of [training] than you would get from just working. (C2)

The ITO also offered ‘not for qualification’ training in the form of one- and two-day workshops.

We brought the literacy tutors on board and we decided that we would bring all health providers and literacy tutors involved in the project together because we felt there was a lot of learning they could get from each other because of their dynamic differences. (A1)

The focus of this professional development was to look at the qualification resource workbooks and the health providers’ operational resources. Participants spent time unpacking the LLN requirements of those resources and the employees’ roles.

In later cohorts we have had workplace trainers contribute to new trainers’ professional development by sharing the learning they have gone through and how they have worked with trainees. (A1)

Many participants started study groups, and there was an increase in the number of employees wanting to move on to higher qualifications. The professional development strategy seems to have been a success:

I believe that [the ITO has] done an incredible job in our sector at moving us from untrained, unregulated to where we’re actually beginning to see the development of real career pathways. It has enabled us as an organisation to develop relationships with funders we would never have imagined. (E1)

The emphasis on training has resulted in major changes: “It has grown a life of its own, so the employers are now starting to think like educators” (A2). A number of health providers employed outsiders to train their trainers:

They cost a lot of money and what I’m looking to cultivate this year is a ‘train the trainer’ process to grow our own trainers and then strategically placing them in the organisation, so when we need training I am not constantly going out to providers and paying thousands of dollars. If we can provide the trainers, we can provide the service. (E1)

There is a growing recognition that people need ongoing support: “Self-directed learning is good for some people, but not the majority because there is a real need for people to work in teams with a qualified trainer” (D2). Considerable support was retained for the team teaching model introduced by the ITO with individual health providers trying to maintain it.

I think the model that the ITO is working on is good ‒ I think a literacy person working alongside a workplace training person who is recently trained for a reasonable period of time so they actually learn how they can embed the literacy through the whole series of lessons they are going to deliver. (G1)

7.6 Conclusion

This case study describes how one ITO led managers, workplace trainers and adult literacy specialists in embedding LLN provision with a number of health and disability providers. It found general agreement among participants that embedding literacy in workplace training was important, worked well and was sustainable, even though it also faced some challenges. This case study was not designed as an evaluation and cannot claim to be one. Nevertheless it provides important insights into effective practice as well as challenges in embedding literacy into workplace settings. Key insights include:

• Embedding literacy in workplaces is championed from within the ITO.
• Workplaces also have LLN champions seeking to create learning organisations to support their employees.
• All sites recognise the importance of identifying, supporting and developing LLN needs of employees while at the same time upskilling employees in workplace practice.
• There is a broad understanding of the nature of LLN. This aligns well with the wider communication needs of individuals, including critical thinking, and not just reading and writing.
• Workplaces are reviewing their own internal resources through the learning from this project and employees voice their opinions with confidence on what could be improved.
• Workplaces agree that the ITO model being implemented is sustainable. The professional development approach (literacy tutors, educational qualifications, workshops, trainers’ resource folder, improvement of workbooks) is seen as effective.
• Group training is seen as a good model for developing social practices and supporting cross-cultural needs.
• Trainers are prepared to begin shifting their teacher-directed training to a constructivist and learner-centred approach.
• Organisations notice improvement in employees’ confidence, quality of workplace practice and desire for ongoing learning.