One in five workers in Scotland may struggle with literacy or numeracy tasks at work. For many working people, changing job roles, increasing paperwork, new qualification requirements and accessing further learning and training can all be extremely challenging.
What are workplace literacies?
- Reading.
- Writing.
- Number work
- Communications.
- Information technology (IT).
Who does the WEA work with?
The WEA works with employers and trades unions to reach employees who want to improve their skills and confidence in their workplace literacies.
Where does the WEA work?
Working with Local Authority lead Adult Literacy Partnerships across Scotland, the WEA Workplace Learning Tutor Organisers have worked with organisations of all sizes in the public, private and voluntary sector. For example:
- Private sector: care homes, nurseries, retailers and manufacturers.
- Public sector: the NHS, Local Authority Services.
- Voluntary sector: community organisations, for example, Link-Living Housing Group.
What does the WEA do?
The Workplace Learning Tutor Organiser role includes:
- Raising awareness about the availability of workplace literacies learning through the public, private and voluntary sector.
- Designing, delivering, evaluating and reporting on new ways of learning literacies in the workplace.
- Developing collaborative working with employers, unions, the local partnerships and national agencies.
- Developing, delivering and participating in staff development and training.
What courses does the WEA offer?
- Starting Points, a 45 hour course to build communication skills and confidence through a group project. This course has optional SQA Communication Intermediate 1 / Access 3 accreditation.
- Short tailored courses designed to meet employers' and employees' workplace needs for example, report writing, letter writing.
- Workshops, a short, facilitated session, for example, teasing out the literacy and numeracy hassles a new work document may be causing.
- Courses that use IT to improve all the communication skills.
- Awareness-raising workshops for managers to help them understand how to promote and support workplace literacies learning.
As Scotland is attracting a growing number of migrant workers, the WEA has developed English as a Second or Other Language courses in the context of work.
It's also important to know:
- Potential learners have a confidential, individual meeting to discuss the areas they want to work on.
- Courses are voluntary.
- Wherever possible, courses take place in work time, on the work site.
- The WEA uses workplace literacies-trained tutors.
To find out more about the WEA's workplace literacies projects across Scotland, please contact the WEA Scottish Association head office.