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WORKPLACE BASIC SKILLS

WORKPLACE EDUCATION PROGRAM

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New Attitudes

Better basic skills tend to improve employees' attitude to work and their fellow workers, and increases their willingness to learn new things on the job:

• Improved Employee Morale/Self-Esteem

• Reduced Absenteeism

• Increased Retention of Employees

• Better Team Performance

• Improved Labor-Management Relations

• Improved Ability to Cope with Change in the Workplace

• Positive Attitude to Lifelong Learning

Employees experience significant changes in attitudes when they take part in workplace education programs. These attitudinal changes about work, the workplace, their own jobs and how they relate to others significantly improve their prospects for career success. By fostering a new approach to work and personal development, WEPs help employees reshape their working environment to foster positive interpersonal relationships that enhance the quality of their working experiences and help them achieve their career goals.

Employees find that they perform better because their improved morale and self-esteem make them more willing and able to respond to challenges confronting them on the job. In addition, employees are more likely to see the value of investing time and energy in continuous or lifelong learning and in understanding their co-workers and supervisors so that they can co-operate more effectively in teams. Their greater appreciation of their role within the organization and their personal impact on the bottom line makes for a more committed workforce. Committed employees are also more likely to show up for work every day because they are more interested in their work. Ultimately, these changes in attitude mean that employees are better equipped to cope with rapid change in their workplaces.

Over 84 per cent of employees felt that participating in WEPs improved their morale and self-esteem, making it the most frequently noted benefit. Other significant improvements were noted in team performance, cited by 73 per cent, and the ability to cope with change in the workplace, cited by 70 per cent. Just over half of the employees interviewed said that the WEP had improved labor-management relations and 24 per cent said that it had reduced absenteeism.

The most significant benefits noted by employees who participated in WEPs relate to changes in their attitudes towards work, the workplace, their job, their colleagues and learning. Employees said that WEPs were instrumental in improving their self-esteem and boosting workplace morale. The examples and experiences they shared are striking. Employees use expressions such as: feeling more useful; feeling that they have something positive to contribute to the workplace; feeling that they will be listened to and taken seriously; and a renewed sense that the work they do is important.

"The training made me have a more positive attitude towards work. I really care about what I do. So do others that took the training. We take our job seriously now and we realize that what we do is important. A lot of us suffer from low self-esteem because people look down on jobs like mine, but the training helped us to have pride in what we do."

With improved self-esteem and morale comes a more positive attitude towards their work and the workplace. Employees are more motivated and committed to doing a good job. One employee noted that while some people come to work just for the money, once he became involved in more than just work, it became more than just a job. Another employee, a quality control officer a large southern food processing company, said that the skills she gained through workplace education enabled her to take on more job responsibility. This increased responsibility changed her attitude about being a reliable worker. She is now committed to showing up every day and doing a good job, whereas "before, it didn’t matter, someone else would do it." Employees speak of being happier at work with an increased sense of pride in what they do.

"Before, I would go to work just to do my eight hours and get paid. Now I come to work with the attitude that I will do my job, do it right and do it to 110% of my abilities. I don’t just click in and click out. I try to make things better every day."

With this change in attitude towards their job comes an increased sense of commitment to the company. Employees appreciate that the company is willing to invest in them and appreciate the opportunities given to them through WEPs. Many said that they felt an increased loyalty to their organization because they feel more valued. One employee stated that "Even if I was offered another job, I wouldn’t leave this company because this company gave me the chance to develop my career. The company is getting a lot of loyal employees because of this program." For other employees, the training program made the difference between staying with the company and quitting.

"This program offered what I wanted to achieve: a better understanding of myself, my family, my co-workers, a promotion. This program certainly made a difference at a time when I was ready to leave my job."

Employees note a change in attitudes among their co-workers—an increased sense of "team spirit and camaraderie". They also commented on a shift in labor-management relations—that there was an increased willingness on both sides to come to a win-win solution. Employees feel that they are more likely to be listened to because there is an increased respect being shown to them from management, and management feels that employees have an increased sense of understanding and appreciation for organizational needs.

"Before the course it was always ‘them’ versus ‘us’. After the course we noticed a change in attitude that came about from increased communication and increased respect."

Feeling increased or renewed confidence in their abilities, many employees note that they have a new outlook on learning and participating in new activities. One employee, an automobile assembler, stated that the training helped to "remove the fear of learning for me." With these changes in attitudes comes an increased willingness to take responsibility for their own personal development.

"People who don’t have the skills will be left behind as jobs take on more responsibility. Everything you do depends on reading, and you can’t always depend on others to tell you what things say. Everyone has to take responsibility for themselves and their own education."

Some of the employees had not been in formal learning programs for many years and spoke of their WEP as a chance to make a major change in their lives. One employee told of dropping out of school to have a child with the promise to herself that she would eventually go back and get her diploma. Over fifteen years later, the skills and confidence she gained from the WEP helped her to get her GED—one month before her daughter graduated! For these employees, WEPs opens up a whole new world.

"I graduated in 1957 and haven’t had any education since that time. This training is opening up a brand new door for me. I realize how many new things I can learn."

- Housekeeper,
Medium-sized Southern Hospital

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Last updated: February 23, 2001 .