Transferring literacy skills in the workplace

Abstract

Implicit, if not explicit, in most workplace training programmes is the assumption that the knowledge and skills taught are not only internalised by the participants, but also transferred back into the workplace, with a resultant improvement in work performance by the workers and cumulatively for employers. There is, however, very little research evidence about how much this transfer of learning actually occurs and what factors might impede or facilitate this process. A recent study from New Zealand sought to provide some insights into this process. Based in Auckland, Fletcher Aluminium employs approximately 200 staff most of whom come from low-skill backgrounds. Eighty-five per cent of employees speak a language other than English (mostly Pacific languages) as their first language. This study identified a number of factors that could facilitate and impede the transfer of learning into people’s jobs. While the small sample means that it is not possible to indicate their relative importance, they still provide a useful starting point for follow-on studies.