Before you start, you need to know the scope of the literacy needs in your workplace. They may be widespread. Or you may only need help in specific areas. The skills gap indicator and take the test quiz can help you get an idea of your workplace literacy needs. The next step is a formal needs analysis. This can be done in-house or a training provider can conduct a needs analysis to help you identify specifically what skills need improvement.

Many employers are unaware that there are problems with workplace literacy, so senior management, business partners and other important stakeholders, such as employee representatives, may not immediately recognise the need – or the benefits of training. Without their support, you may have difficulty introducing or sustaining a programme in your workplace. If you have Learning Reps on site they can help identify employees who could benefit from literacy training and support them during the programme.

If you have in-house trainers, you may prefer to develop your own programme.  Or you can work with a training provider who can create and deliver a programme that suits the needs of your business. Or it could be a combination of in-house resources and external expertise.

Read about training providers throughout the country who can offer workplace programmes.

If your industry has an Industry Training Organisation (ITO), they can facilitate the assessment process and development of a programme for your business. Most ITOs have a person who specialises in workplace literacy. They can work with you to arrange and set up effective training.

See the list of ITOs.

Running a programme will impact on the day-to-day operation of your business, so you’ll need to consider these issues:

• The delivery of your programme
  How will you cover for staff when they're in a training session? Depending on the type of training you do and the recommendations of your trainer or provider, will your employees take part in small groups or one-on-one?
• Inducting a training provider
  Think carefully about what will be needed to induct a training provider into your business. Allow time in your planning for this to happen. For more details, check out What your training provider may need (PDF, 108 KB).
• Staged evaluations
  Bookmark time with your managers throughout your programme to report progress and identify any issues at each step. This will help you secure and maintain support for your programme. For more details, check out Identifying the logistics (PDF, 156 KB).

There are various aspects of investment required for workplace literacy training. Reviewing the logistics of your programme carefully will help you identify and address the different costs you will encounter. There is some government funding available for programmes in the workplace.

In planning your programme, ensure you gain the support of your managers and supervisors by involving them from the beginning. Working with your employee representatives is important too. For more details, check out Getting your supervisors on board (PDF, 160 KB).

Set baseline objectives for your training and for your employees by using the observations of your managers and supervisors. Ask for their help to identify employees who will benefit.

Some employees may feel sensitive about literacy issues but with a positive and supportive approach most will welcome the opportunity to take part in a programme.

If you have Learning Reps on site, they could assist with identifying employees who would benefit from literacy training, help with recruitment, endorse your programme and support the employees through the training. Find out more about the Learning Reps programme.

For more details about successful promotion check out Recruiting your employees onto your programme (PDF, 159 KB).

Work with your managers and supervisors to arrange everything from scheduling to distribution of invitations. Provide regular feedback to them, and seek their feedback too.

The starting point for workplace learning has to be business need. So the goals you set for your programme will be the outcomes your business wants to achieve by improving the workplace literacy skills of your employees. Set benchmarks to measure progress. Find training providers to help.

Because every business is different, there is no ‘off the shelf’ programme that will address all your needs. Any programme will need to be customised to suit your business. And you’ll also need to be prepared for fine-tuning as the training rolls out.

The advice here is to plan for constant evaluation of progress, and allow for adjustments to be made as often as necessary to match the needs and progress of your employees.  You'll also want to keep your employees on track and celebrate their achievements. Useful resources include the Attendance agreement (Microsoft Word, 390 KB) and the Certificate of participation (Microsoft Word, 414 KB).

Improvements can only be made when you measure progress from the beginning of your programme. With benchmarks in place from the start, analysis should be reasonably straightforward. Include feedback from trainers and employees and their supervisors or managers. By using this analysis, you should be able to make robust recommendations to your organisation on how to improve your training programmes and the outcomes for your business.