Employer-led Workplace Literacy and Numeracy Fund

Employer-led Workplace Literacy and Numeracy Fund

Last updated 18 September 2020
Last updated 18 September 2020

Workplace Literacy and Numeracy (WLN) Employer-led funding supports the provision of literacy and numeracy programmes for employees to increase their literacy and numeracy skills, and contribute to workplace productivity.

We fund workplace literacy and numeracy provision to:

  • increase the literacy and numeracy skills of employees, and
  • contribute to workplace productivity through the provision and evaluation of literacy and numeracy learning in a workplace context.

These pages relate to EWLN Employer -led funding. See TEO-led Workplace Literacy and Numeracy Fund for information about WLN TEO-led funding.

The WLN Employer-led Fund helps employers to:

  • provide high-quality literacy and numeracy programmes that are customised for their workplace, and
  • address productivity problems where the root cause is in the literacy and numeracy skill levels of employees.

From research, employer reports, and direct employer engagement, we know that investment in high-quality literacy and numeracy provision in the workplace that focusses on addressing employers’ productivity problems has positive effects for employers, employees and their families.

High-quality WLN Employer-led provision has the following characteristics.

  • In terms of employees having low literacy and/or numeracy skills and/or English as a second language, programme planning includes describing the workplace issues the employing organisation experiences and how these impact on productivity, including the way the organisation measures this impact. 
  • The content of the programme is outlined, as well as how it will address the workplace issues and how these will be improved by the programme.
  • The on-line adaptive option of the Literacy and Numeracy for Adults Assessment Tool is used to assess each learner’s literacy and numeracy skills at the beginning and the end of the programme.
  • The employing organisation understands and reports on individual outcomes for employees that contribute to a higher performing workplace.

Resources

The Skills Highway was established to help employers learn how workplace literacy and numeracy training can help them improve business performance. The Skills Highway website has information and resources for employers who wish to set up a WLN programme in their workplace, including how to design and implement a new programme.

Additional resources