This research project provides longitudinal analysis of the effects of adult literacy programs delivered in the workplace. Britain has long had a significant minority of its adult population with poor basic skills and in 2001 the British Government launched Skills for Life, a national strategy for improving adult literacy and numeracy skills. The stated objectives were to provide the skills adults need to find and remain in employment and to participate fully in society thereby enhancing both economic performance and social cohesion. A key feature of Skills for Life is an emphasis on work-based learning, with literacy and numeracy courses funded by government but delivered by independent learning providers in the workplace. The project is concerned with the outcomes and impact of workplace-linked interventions to enhance adults’ basic skills. Our research sought to identify the extent to which such programs can be effective in promoting sustained/long-term improvements in literacy skills, change attitudes to learning and involvement in organized learning activities; and whether there were benefits to employers including productivity gains in the workplace or longer-term changes in employers’ training practices.

The research design was longitudinal and quasi-experimental using both quantitative and qualitative techniques. Learners undertaking literacy courses in the workplace were tracked for up to 3 years (2005 through 2007). The sample consisted of 575 participants in literacy programs. The learners were situated in roughly 50 workplaces across four economic sectors. Quantitative data on the backgrounds of the participants, their prior educational qualifications, attitudes to the Skills for Life courses, attendance on any subsequent courses etc were gathered via structured interviews. Test data (assessing skills in reading and writing) were collected at the beginning of their course; and roughly one year and two years after the completion of the course in order to determine whether literacy gains were sustained over time.

Test score data show, on average, modest gains in the reading aptitudes of program participants one year after course completion. Younger learners, women and ESOL learners were the groups most likely to improve their reading test scores. Scores on writing tests also showed some tendency to increase over time. There was some evidence that participating in the courses had an impact on attitudes to learning. Comparisons with a matched sample from the British Labour Force Survey suggest that participation in Skills for Life had a small but positive impact on the probability of engagement in further courses.