Workplace Programs

Benefits to Employer

Case Studies

Benefits to Employees

Benefits to Union

Workplace Education Programs (WEPs)

WEPs are programs that develop employees' workplace basic skills so that they can perform their jobs better. WEPs are usually, but not always, delivered in the workplace itself. Programs are typically paid for by employers, but unions and employees sometimes contribute. State or federal government departments may also provide additional funding (for funding opportunities in your area, see Funding, on the Need Money page of the Advice section.

WEPs may target workplace basic skills exclusively (e.g., the ability to read and apply documents, the ability to use numbers, English as a Second Language), or may incorporate technical and job-specific training within a broader training framework. Both approaches have proven successful in the past.

WEPs come in all shapes and sizes. A single WEP may involve only one employer or it may involve many organizations, including private- and public-sector employers, adult educators, the U.S. department of Education and other federal governments, state and local governments, education institutions, and unions.

WEPs are often customized and delivered by professional adult educators from community colleges and other public education institutions, or private trainers, to meet workplace needs specified by employers.

For more information on Workplace Education Programs identified in The Conference Board's Turning Skills into Profit report, see
Turning Skills into Profit (pdf, 76 KB)

For information on Workplace Education from the Office of Vocational Education in the U.S. Department of Education, visit:
URL: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/AdultEd/workplace.html

For problems or questions regarding this web site contact info@lincs.ed.gov.
Last updated: November 10, 2003 .