Leco: job-oriented reading and writing guides
Social initiative award nominee 2007
Amendis has helped produce reading and writing guides as part of the literacy program it introduced in 2002.
Who took this initiative?
Amendis, a Veolia Environnement Morocco company, is the country's leading water services operator, and employs nearly 2,100 people.
This project is managed by its HR and Training Departments.
Why
Even in 2006, a signifi cant number of Moroccans were still illiterate, and therefore unable to take part in most training programs.
It was therefore essential to provide the employees concerned with the learning and ongoing training resources required.
For whom
All employees who do not possess the necessary basic skills, with the emphasis on fi eld operatives.
Implementation
A detailed program has been assembled over several years.
A strategic analysis conducted in 2002 involved all those concerned, identified objectives and methods and provided concrete answers to some basic questions confronting the company, such as which language to choose. In 2003, the pilot project implemented all the phases of the training provided by the Institut Français du Nord.
In early 2004, a diagnostic and mapping exercise was implemented by the Adult Literacy Department, which reports to the Moroccan Education Ministry. This enabled a more accurate identification of the target group and where they worked, as well as identifying success measurement and learning indicators.
How
In 2005, the program was incorporated into the "Group Literacy" campaign run by Campus Veolia Morocco. In 2006, two educational guides were published for those Veolia Environnement Morocco employees wishing to become more self-sufficient in business situations requiring communication in French. The guides are designed to make it easier to learn reading and writing, and to extend knowledge of the rules of effective writing.
The aim is to enable students to:
- understand the signal words used in the workplace (on signs, posters, etc.) in order to better find their way around;
- understand the meaning of simple documents relating to their workstations (instructions, procedures, etc.);
- find their way around the printed documentation produced by the company and be able to extract information from it;
- communicate verbally and in writing by producing simple, intelligible texts.
Outcome
A total of 276 Amendis employees have now benefited from a Level 1 training course in basic reading, writing and arithmetic.
The initiative has strengthened the image of a company committed to good employment practices and good citizenship.
Problems & solutions
As with all long-term training, the program requires sustained motivation on the part of trainees, and ongoing commitment from management. Crossdisciplinary communication is an essential part of maintaining employee motivation.
Extending the initiative
Convincing new candidates to join, and introducing more advanced levels of reading and arithmetic.
