October 12, 2013 presentation to the 2013 Literacy Summit at the University of Texas - Round Rock | http://2013buildingmomentum.weebly.com/

1. Advocacy and Literacy
in Workforce
Development:
Addressing Barriers for
Employment
Opportunities
Charity Embley
Instructor – Goodwill Industries of Northwest Texas | Lubbock | cembley@lubbockgoodwill.org
Website: http://goodwillnwtexas.org/
Graduate Student Curriculum & Instruction | Developmental Literacy | charity.g.embley@ttu.edu

2. Workforce Development

3. What is Workforce
Development?
Economic development
Focuses on PEOPLE rather businesses
Strategies used are based on a demand for
specific skills and what the market is in need for

4. Specific Strategies
Networking with other organizations (i.e. South
Plains Workforce Solutions)
Partnerships with private businesses/enterprise

5. Barriers
Dislocated worker
(lost/left his or her job
because the company
closed, laid off or
terminated)
Teen parent
Long time unemployment
Immigrants
Illiteracy
School dropout
Low income
Ex-offender
Public assistance
recipients
At-risk youth (including
youth with learning
disabilities)
Displaced homemaker
Homeless

6. How do we ADVOCATE and
PROMOTE LITERACY in
order to address barriers in
employment?

7. Workforce Development
Advocacy
Sector-based
Approach
Literacy
Placed-based
Approach

8. Common Scenarios
“I am not cleaning floors for the rest of my life…”
“I am not as young as I was so I could not stand on my feet
for a long time…so I want a desk job…”
“My supervisor wants me to upgrade my skills with
computer training so I could get promoted…”
“I need to learn how to do a lot of things at the same
time…my grandchildren are better with computers than I
am…”
“ I have been out of school for so long I don’t know where
to start…but I need a job..”
“I have been locked up for 15 years…would anybody want
to hire me at all?”

9. Sector-based Approach

10. What is Sector-based
Approach? hired
Considers what individuals will be
Targets a specific industry and population
Outreach with local businesses, city & county
offices that would hire populations with barriers
Bridge the gap between local businesses, city
and county with the potential employees they
could be hiring
Counsel participants within the program

11. How do we promote
advocacy in workforce
development? (radio,
Advertise free services through local media
television, newspaper and etc)
Educate local business of the services offered
between sector-based and place-based
Invite hiring managers to come in and participate with
the training process
Take participants on field trips to companies that
partners with the organization
Collaborate with the local colleges to educate and
build employment development skills with the
participants

12. Place-based Approach

13. What is place-based
approach?
Focus is on the community where the training will
take place
Aims in training individuals who might need the
necessary skills to get into the labor market

14. How do we promote
literacy in workforce
development?
Provide basic computer skills (keyboarding, word processing,
spreadsheet, presentation application)
Resume development using word processing program
Internet and Emailing skills (job searching, work application
correspondence)
GED classes
Career-building skills training/life skills training
Include reading/writing skills development in the computer training
Plan a curriculum that will integrate effective communication skills
and computer skills; specifically how to follow instructions, be taught
reading strategies, and note taking

15. Curriculum Development
Advisory entry skills (include intake process)
Student learning outcomes
Course content
Methods of instruction and evaluation
Course materials