The Auto Parts Certificate program (See "Integrated upgrading and training in the auto parts industry" is an example of programs that not only recognize the common interests of the manufacturers and the union but also respect the separate, sometimes conflicting interpretations of issues.

Finding common ground is the basis for creating solutions that no single contributor may have suggested yet. Your solutions will probably be a mix of organizational change activities (equity policies, increased access to training, and clear-language policies) and learning programs (diversity programs, seminars in cleat-language practices, a basic-skills program, technical training, and study skills) that will benefit both the workplace and the workers.

Remember, problems must be solved in the context of the individual workplace. A solution for a problem in one workplace may not succeed in the next. Our job as workplace educators is to encourage ongoing discussion so that the education solutions that emerge are mutually acceptable and can be supported by everyone.

Learning facility at a lumber mill

The New Westminster Division (NWD) of MacMillan Bloedel in British Columbia began to look into basic skills needs in 1993. New technologies and downsizing by seniority changed the work system and communications patterns in this lumber mill. Both management and union expressed an urgent need for raining and retraining, as the workforce was now stable but aging. A Skills Enhancement Training (SET) committee investigated the need for employee development, which began with reading, writing, math, and ESL, but grew to much more.

The SET committee worked carefully, ensuring that decision making communication patterns in this was by consensus and that participation in the needs assessment was voluntary and confidential. Thirty-five percent of the workforce participated in the individual interviews and eight focus groups at the mill. Here are some of the results.