Workplace Math SkillsRationale The need for Adult Basic Education math materials targeted toward the needs of the Iowa Workforce is supported by local employer reported needs and the current welfare reform emphasis on employment. Employers and students report an interest in short term math classes with specific, job-related competencies, in a method of assessing skills and in a process to document mastery of specific competencies. One way to meet these needs is to develop, within the ABE framework, a tier of optional educational services clearly tied to workplace needs. While many students want to develop general math skills, other students want to focus on math skills needed for a specific job. Employers want to hire applicants with specific, job-related math skills. In order to maximize the impact of training dollars, employers report a need to provide targeted, job-specific basic math training for current employees. The opportunity to focus basic math training on the assessment and instruction of job appropriate competencies helps employers use training dollars in an effective and efficient manner. Area II has developed company-specific, competency-based assessments for entry level workers in local construction and manufacturing companies. The competencies identified by these individual companies duplicate the state competencies identified by the Iowa Business and Industry Survey. The assessment scores of job applicants in Area II support the need for targeted instruction in these specific workplace math skills. Purpose The purpose of this project is to develop Adult Basic Education math materials for the workplace. The materials are intended to help identify training needs and document mastery of the minimum math skills needed for entry level workers seeking employment. The Iowa Business/Industry Leaders identified the project competencies as high or very high priority on the Iowa Business and Industry Survey (IABIS ). Local construction and manufacturing employers have identified the project competencies as essential workplace skills. The materials are limited to the specific competencies identified by Area II employers. For example, local employers seek entry level workers able to add and subtract with shop fractions, so this project will focus on assessing and teaching addition and subtraction of shop fractions. It will not include multiplication or division of fractions or calculations with fractions other than shop fractions because local employers did not report a need for those skills. Project Competencies The competencies have been deliberately limited to the workplace skills requested by Area II employers. The project will include the following skills in a manufacturing or construction workplace context:
Process Generally, employers identify the goal for workplace instruction in consultation with the Basic Skills Coordinator. Occasionally, a student will come to an Adult Basic Education class with a specific, workplace goal. The goal may be to provide general, basic workplace math instruction and could include all the competencies. The goal may be to provide math instruction in the math skills needed for a specific job and would include selected competencies. For example, some jobs may require measurement and other jobs may require ranking of fractions. Math skills can be identified, training needs identified and mastery demonstrated on a job by job basis. Once the instructional goals are identified, the appropriate assessments can be selected. The student completes the appropriate assessment(s). An assessment score of seven or eight indicates mastery of that competency. An assessment score of six or below indicates the need for additional training. Training may be offered in a variety of settings and targeted specifically to the skills covered in the assessment. After instruction, students may retest to document mastery of the specific competency. Types of Classrooms
Organization Each competency has an eight question assessment, some notes to the instructor, and some sample curriculum. All materials may be modified to meet the specific needs of the employer and student. Sample job aids are included in the metric conversion and fraction/decimal conversion sections.
Marty Lundberg |