A collaborative partnership with all workplace players is the key to establishing a successful workplace basic skills initiative. Process and practice are based on an empowerment model of literacy. Programs build on the experience, knowledge, and skills that workers and organizations already possess. Workplace literacy initiatives accommodate and respect cultural, linguistic, and racial diversity. The needs of the work force may need to be met in different ways to achieve the same outcome.
Literacy is analyzed within the context of other workplace issues.
Basic skills are examined in a way that shows their relationship to other factors such as communication channels, work processes, equipment, existing training strategies, and management style. Upgrading programs are only one component of managing change. Because basic skills programs alone will not meet all the needs of a particular workplace, other activities are undertaken as well. Workplace basic skills programs are tailored to each workplace and its workers. The scope and variety of skills needed by workers varies from organization to organization and no one strategy or curriculum will fit all workplaces.