Adult Literacy: Thousands of local-authority workers could benefit from a new national literacy programme, to be announced today (Tuesday).
An estimated 7,000 workers will be offered an opportunity to boost their literacy skills under the "Return to Learning Initiative", the first major step in the development of workplace literacy programmes.
An estimated total of 300,000 people in the workforce have literacy problems, according to the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA).
A fund of €317,435 to support the programme will be announced today. All local authorities are being offered assistance and funding to establish workplace literacy programmes.
The Statewide roll-out follows the successful completion of similar pilot programmes in five local authorities last year.
NALA and the Local Authority National Partnership Advisory Group (LANPAG) developed the initiative jointly. It is implemented through the work of local Vocational Education Committee adult-literacy schemes.
The initiative was co-funded by the Department of Education and Science and LANPAG.
The Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Noel Dempsey, will also launch the evaluation report of the pilot programme and related guidelines for the implementation of new programmes. The pilot saw 25 adult-literacy groups established in Mayo, Meath, Offaly, Tipperary South and South Dublin. A total of 140 participants registered for Return to Learning courses and, of those, 120 completed the courses.
