A new PrintNZ initiative targets an area of concern to a number of industries, including print and packaging. Elevating literacy and numeracy levels delivers benefits beyond increased workplace productivity, which repays the costs involved many times over
Raising literacy and numeracy levels in the print industry is the goal of PrintNZ Training’s new Embedded Literacy and Numeracy Project.The project will work towards reducing literacy and numeracy barriers to make it easier for more people to learn, while retaining the technical outcomes required by industry. Embedding literacy refers to delivering literacy and numeracy skills within the training content, rather than as a separate component.
Literacy and numeracy skills include reading, writing, speaking, listening, number, measurement and statistics. Improving these skills helps the learner in every part of their life, not just in the workplace.
The first part of the project involves the appointment of a contractor to review all training materials, and to make sure they are easy to comprehend and easy to learn from. This will include administration information and forms to ensure their readability, and will include workshop curriculum and other infrastructure improvements as needed.
Ashley Chisholm, general manager PrintNZ Training, says the project will help learners move through their training programme and learn the technical skills needed, while at the same time improving their literacy and numeracy skills. He says, “Part of our job, as an industry training organisation, is to help improve the productivity of the workforce. One way to achieve this is to help employers identify and respond to literacy and numeracy needs in their workplace. We can then help employers make arrangements for employees to access support in this area while completing their training programmes.”
Improving workplace productivity and employee confidence are not the only benefits. An increased focus on
literacy will help completion rates, mean the employee needs less reassessment and lead to the employee becoming more involved in workplace communications and problem solving.
PrintNZ Training resources
Claire Derham, literacy consultant and co-director of education and design company Creative Family, is overseeing the review of PrintNZ Training resources and written materials. She will work with training liaison officers and workshop tutors to ensure presentation materials incorporate the new literacy standards.
Part way through the review, Derham has identified three areas in which to address literacy. These are unit standards common to all qualifications, binding and finishing training materials, and fibreboard packaging training materials.
She says, “Most of the common unit standards, with the exception on trade calculations, have been looked at and rewritten for literacy.
“What the literacy project is aiming to do for these unit standards is to streamline the content, check the level of text readability and ensure this is at an appropriate level. Visual literacy is also being developed alongside readability.
“Visual literacy is the literacy that complements the text with visual imagery. This visual imagery enhances comprehension and helps by giving clues to the reader on what the text is about. This visual literacy includes adding in photos, diagrams, illustrations, colour and icons. It also has applied principles of visual perception and communication (eye flow, balance of text and use of headings, bullets and white space) to aid in literacy.”
The revised training resources will become available later this year.
Visy turns theory into practice
TO date, a number of print businesses have had staff take part in literacy training and support programmes.
Visy’s site in Wiri, Auckland, has 12 staff members taking part in literacy work based around health and safety in the workplace.
Dean Reid, general manager Visy Glama New Zealand, says they have seen excellent results from their staff, many of whom use English as a second language. He says, “We decided to base the literacy work around health and safety to make it relevant to the staff involved. We have seen an increased awareness of health and safety, general motivation and confidence levels.”
Reid continues, “They have written their own health and safety procedures and hazard forms, and now have more confidence filling these in. We have found using physical things makes a difference, including designing posters to promote health and safety.”
He concludes, ”We have a tutor on site two days a week and while there are costs involved in literacy training, the benefits far outweigh these.”
If you would like more information about literacy support please contact PrintNZ Training on 0800 654 455 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
