Employer Benefits

In order to stay competitive in the global economy, employers need workers who can read, write, compute, solve problems, and communicate well.

About 20 percent of America's workers have low basic skills, and 75 percent of unemployed adults have reading or writing difficulties. (National Institute for Literacy. Fact Sheet: Workforce Literacy)
American businesses are estimated to lose over $60 billion in productivity each year due to employees' lack of basic skills. (National Institute for Literacy. Fact Sheet: Workforce Literacy
The number of companies reporting skilled worker shortages more than doubled between 1995 and 1998, from 27 percent to over 47 percent. (National Institute for Literacy. Fact Sheet: Workforce Literacy)
A survey of more than 300 executives found that, while 71 percent reported that basic written communication training was critical to meeting their workplaces' changing skills demands, only 26 percent of companies offered this kind of training. While 47 percent of the executives reported the need for workers to improve basic math skills, only 5 percent of companies offered basic math skills training. (National Institute for Literacy. Fact Sheet: Workforce Literacy)

Benefits to Companies - Integrating Adult Basic Education with Workforce Development and Workplace Change

Productivity and safety: Workers are better able to handle particular job-related tasks with improved productivity and safety.
Efficiency of company benefits: Increased literacy skills can help employees make better, more cost effective use of company benefits.
Human resource development planning: Companies that have collaborated in efforts to increase the literacy skills of their workers claim that such interaction has "lead to a 'culture change' within the organization, with a new view of the role of workers and the potential of investment in lifelong learning."
Community relations: Encouraging education efforts can bolster an employer's image in the community, within their industries, with customers and with their employees.
Efficiency of technical training and improved basic skills help employees successfully participate and excel in employment-based technical training programs.
Ability to promote from within: Improved basic skills allow companies to be better able to promote experienced workers from within. This can reduce the risks of having to hire unproven workers and can help companies meet their equal employment opportunity goal.

Investing in Workers' Basic Skills: Lessons for Adult Education Professionals from Company-Funded Workplace Literacy Programs (Levenson, 2001) pdf

Manager/Administrator: Workforce Education Special Collection (LINCS)

PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader for viewing. Employer Benefits In order to stay competitive in the global economy, employers need workers who can read, write, compute, solve problems, and communicate well. About 20 percent of America's workers have low basic skills, and 75 percent of unemployed adults have reading or writing difficulties. (National Institute for Literacy. Fact Sheet: Workforce Literacy) American businesses are estimated to lose over $60 billion in productivity each year due to employees' lack of basic skills. (National Institute for Literacy. Fact Sheet: Workforce Literacy The number of companies reporting skilled worker shortages more than doubled between 1995 and 1998, from 27 percent to over 47 percent. (National Institute for Literacy. Fact Sheet: Workforce Literacy) A survey of more than 300 executives found that, while 71 percent reported that basic written communication training was critical to meeting their workplaces' changing skills demands, only 26 percent of companies offered this kind of training. While 47 percent of the executives reported the need for workers to improve basic math skills, only 5 percent of companies offered basic math skills training. (National Institute for Literacy. Fact Sheet: Workforce Literacy) Benefits to Companies - Integrating Adult Basic Education with Workforce Development and Workplace Change Productivity and safety: Workers are better able to handle particular job-related tasks with improved productivity and safety. Efficiency of company benefits: Increased literacy skills can help employees make better, more cost effective use of company benefits. Human resource development planning: Companies that have collaborated in efforts to increase the literacy skills of their workers claim that such interaction has "lead to a 'culture change' within the organization, with a new view of the role of workers and the potential of investment in lifelong learning." Community relations: Encouraging education efforts can bolster an employer's image in the community, within their industries, with customers and with their employees. Efficiency of technical training and improved basic skills help employees successfully participate and excel in employment-based technical training programs. Ability to promote from within: Improved basic skills allow companies to be better able to promote experienced workers from within. This can reduce the risks of having to hire unproven workers and can help companies meet their equal employment opportunity goal. Investing in Workers' Basic Skills: Lessons for Adult Education Professionals from Company-Funded Workplace Literacy Programs (Levenson, 2001) pdf Manager/Administrator: Workforce Education Special Collection (LINCS)
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