For CALS Project

Keep in mind that:

• Strong basic skills enable an employee to better fulfill job responsibilities and contribute to the department
• Strong communication (writing, speaking, listening) skills are necessary for workplace safety, good customer service, and campus operations
• Employees are often embarrassed to discuss basic skill issues; they need your sensitivity and support
• Lack of basic skills does not mean lack of intelligence

How to Promote Basic Skills Development

• Invite the CALS Project Coordinator to make a presentation to your staff.
• Encourage all employees to improve their basic skills.
• Assure employees that tutoring and your conversations about it will be confidential.
• When sending written communication to employees who may struggle with reading, keep the sentences short and the vocabulary limited; allow for a generous amount of space within the text for easier reading.
• Model efforts to improve your own skills.
• Use appropriate phrases like "improve your skills" or "enhance skills" and avoid making absolute statements like "you don't know how to write" or "you can't speak English".
• Consider how basic skill issues may impact an employee's participation in other training opportunities such as reading a manual or listening to a lecture.
• Volunteer to become a tutor with the CALS Project.