Appendix 2
Workplace English Language and Literacy
WELL - An example of a target program
Workplace English Language and Literacy (WELL) is a Commonwealth-funded
program that provides basic education in the workplace for workers of
both non-English and English speaking backgrounds. It illustrates a number
of the general trends and patterns associated with participation in the
adult education sector. Two points stand out in particular.
First, WELL highlights the importance of targeted government funding,
both in terms of provision of courses and participation. Workplace education
in this area was limited prior to the implementation of government funding
in 1992. According to a witness with experience in workplace training
in South Australia and Queensland, since the start of Commonwealth funding,
participation rates in the workplace have increased significantly. If
the provision of courses can be cited as an indicator of participation,
Queensland alone has witnessed a mushrooming of WELL courses, with workplace
projects expanding from four in 1992 to 42 in 1996.
Participants in WELL courses include employed people of non-English speaking
backgrounds, a group of learners that has a higher level of participation
in literacy programs (comparable to its representation amongst the general
population) than in vocational and general education programs.
WELL also reaches employed people with an otherwise low profile in general
education programsnamely, people with limited school education. Many of
the participants from English speaking backgrounds have not attained basic
literacy skills `due to a lack of schooling, not using those skills and
having lost them and their social circumstances'. Literacy training is
having a `ripple effect' in the sense that it is stimulating this group
of educationally disadvantaged learners to take on further adult education
outside the workplace.
In the absence of a targeted funded program like WELL, it is unlikely
that this group would be participating in adult education as people with
limited schooling are largely under-represented in ACE. The chances of
this group participating would be even more remote if these people were
out of employment. WELL is therefore also a good example of the importance
of employment as a vehicle for accessing adult education The workplace
provides not only the venue for these courses. Employers also help pay
for this training on a sliding scale (25 per cent in the first
years, 50 percent in the second and 75 per cent in the
third).
Source: Ms Angela Bueti, Transcript of evidence,
pp 368-380; and Submission no 77, vol 5, p 160 (FECCA)