Strategies for the Development and Implementation of In-House Corporate Training Programs to Minimize Productivity Loss Due to Workplace Illiteracy

There has been much debate in recent years regarding the adequacy of the American educational system in preparing our children for the real working world. After graduation, many students do not have the skills necessary for even entry-level positions. Many do not read or write well and cannot perform basic math functions. Many of them are considered to be functionally illiterate, even with a high school diploma. The total number of illiterate Americans is estimated at about twenty million. The majority of them have already passed through the school system or have emigrated to the United States. This means that the only chance this group will have for education is on the job. The business community is facing a serious labor shortage of skilled and semi-skilled workers. The majority of new entrants into the workforce will be women, minorities, and immigrants. These groups are the least educated of all population groups in the United States. It is time for the business community to take responsibility for educating their workers. Many organizations already contribute sizable sums of money to the school, systems. They now must also contribute to the corporate training process. Each firm must provide some sort of on-going education for its employees if it wants to remain, a viable business. The training can range from basic skills training (reading, writing, math, etc.) to skill enrichment programs like technical writing or trigonometry. Each organization has its own unique needs that must be considered when developing a training program. In order to implement an in-house training program, there are many issues to resolve. These include: (1) goals of the company, (2) skill level of employees, (3) course content, and (4) program evaluation. Until the business community recognizes the need for training programs, the skill level of the American worker will continue to decline. As this occurs, all of society will suffer because of the correlation between lack of education and low productivity which in turn affects the American standard of living