Home References Developing Training Programs Developing Training Programs Introduction
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Identify Entry-Level Tasks, Knowledge, and Skills

The first step to developing an effective training program is to identify the entry-level tasks, knowledge, and skills the student will need for successful employment in a particular occupational field. While many of the jobs associated with Brownfields job development would be classified as environmental technology, it should be noted that environmental technology includes a wide variety of occupations. Specific occupations will vary from site to site. Input should be requested from prospective employers regarding the types of skills necessary for employment. The entry-level tasks, knowledge, and skills are divided into the following categories:

  • Basic skills/adult literacy
  • Occupational tasks and technical skills
  • Employability skills

Basic Skills/Adult Literacy
Basic skills, often referred to as adult literacy or adult basic education, are the foundation skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking, and mathematics. "Adult literacy" is the umbrella term now being used to cover Adult Basic Education, GED preparation, English as a Second Language, etc. The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 defines literacy as "an individual's ability to read, write, speak in English, and compute and solve problems at levels of proficiency necessary to function on the job, in the family of the individual, and in society." This definition is a broader view of literacy than just an individual's ability to read, which is the more traditional concept of literacy. These foundation skills serve as prerequisites to learning more technical skills.

As a result of several sessions with grantees of EPA's Brownfields Job Development and Training program, HMTRI identified best practices for sustainable employment. The participants identified best practices in ten areas. These practices were captured in chart form and included in the Best Practices for Job Training Programs in Brownfields Redevelopment Initiatives report. The best practices identified in basic skills/remedial education are:
  • Partner with organizations that provide basic skills education.
  • Provide adult basic education skills including, math, reading, and preparation for GED testing.
  • Establish basic skills learning lab for math, reading and GED preparation, and provide flexible hours for the students.
  • Provide real-world learning experiences (i.e. applied learning).
  • Incorporate soft skills such as interviewing, job seeking, and job retention.
  • Videotape participant during interview to evaluate and improve soft skills.
  • Incorporate work ethics.
  • Establish competency levels for technical programs.
  • Utilize portfolio assessment.
  • Require students to demonstrate computer proficiency.

Several the Brownfields Job Development and Training programs conduct their own basic skills training while others partner with organizations in the community that offer adult literacy training. To find a literacy program in your community, go to America's Literacy Directory (ALD), (http://www.literacydirectory.org/) or call the National Institute for Literacy Hotline at (800) 228-8813. America's Literacy Directory is a national database of literacy programs in all 50 states and the U.S. territories. Each literacy program has a different policy for charging fees. To see if a program charges a fee, look in the detailed information section for that program. The ALD is a service of the National Institute for Literacy (http://www.nifl.gov/) and its partners: the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Education, and Verizon. ALD is also a partner of the CareerOneStop (http://www.careerOneStop.org) Web portal. For information on adult education and literacy programs, you can also check with your local library, community college, or city or county human services office, or go to Career One Stop, (http://www.careeronestop.org/) U.S. Department of Education.

Individuals who have dropped out of high school can earn their high school diploma by attending adult education classes or through GED (General Educational Development) preparation. GED (General Educational Development) Tests (http://www.acenet.edu/clll/ged/index.cfm) assess academic knowledge and skills typically developed in a high school education. Adults who have not completed high school use the GED credential to gain entry both to the workplace and to postsecondary education. General Educational Development Testing Service, a program of the American Council on Education, (http://www.acenet.edu/) develops and distributes the GED Tests. The 2002 series GED tests cover the core academic areas of language arts (reading and writing), social studies, science, and mathematics.


Assessing Basic Skills
In order to develop the appropriate course of study for each student, you need to assess his or her current level of skills. Adult Basic Education Assessment Tests, as the name implies, are instruments used to measure adults' level of basic skills.

Minimum educational requirements for Brownfields training grantee recruits vary from program to program. Some require a high school diploma or enrollment in a GED program plus being 18 years of age or older. Honolulu, for example, requires participants to perform at a 7th grade level education on a TABE test. King County requires recruits to pass a CASAS test which typically requires a 9th grade education. Many programs also require a drug test.

The assessment instruments most widely used are:
  • Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE) is a commercially-produced, multiple choice test that assesses basic skills in reading, mathematics, and language for training and employment. TABE, published by CTB/McGraw-Hill, includes an online version as well as instructional support materials. TABE Work-Related Foundation Skills measures foundation skills in a specific job-related context. For more information on TABE, go to CTB/McGraw-Hill (http://www.ctb.com) and click on "Adult Education."
  • Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System (CASAS), (http://www.casas.org/) is a nonprofit organization that provides competency-based curriculum management, assessment, and evaluation systems to education and training programs.
  • Adult Basic Learning Examination (ABLE), (http://lincs.ed.gov/readingprofiles/ABLE.htm) is a standardized test of vocabulary, silent reading comprehension, spelling, language use, and mathematics.
  • WorkKeys, (http://www.act.org/workkeys/) includes skills assessment in reading for information, business writing, location information, observation, applied technology, applied mathematics, writing, teamwork, and listening.

Additional Resources
  • Community Partnerships for Adult Learning (http://www.c-pal.net), supported by the Office of Vocational and Adult Education at the U.S. Department of Education
  • Creating Authentic Materials and Activities for the Adult Literacy Classroom: A Handbook for Practitioner (http://www.ncsall.net/fileadmin/resources/teach/jacobson.pdf). Published by the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy in April, 2003.

 

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