 |
Weyerhaeuser Award |
|
"Weyerhaeuser Awarded S.A.P.I. Literacy Achievement "
Walden-Mott Paper Age Convention Daily The Weyerhaeuser Co. was selected as having the most outstanding literacy training program as part of the Literacy Achievement Award Program of the Sales Association of the Paper Industry. The award was presented at the 81st Anniversary Luncheon of SAPI in the ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria yesterday. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Weyerhaeuser realized that the amount of training needed to achieve a lean manufacturing organization with self-managed, high-performance work teams would be considerable. It also realized that these new initiatives would be more effective if employees had the reading skills required to fully participate. In 1992, the company became aware of a literacy program implemented by the Simpson Timber Company utilizing the Read Right system. After review, two pilot projects were established using this new approach to teaching reading, one in a container board plant and the other in a sawmill. Based on the excellent results of these initial projects, the company has installed the program in 21 additional facilities over the past seven years. Weyerhaeuser has successfully implemented reading improvement projects in pulp, paper, sawmill, plywood, particleboard and logging operations. 1,181 employees have received 28,680 hours of tutoring. As a result, new worlds have opened to employees, and the company has been provided a much more effective labor force. At a number of sites, the program was also opened to spouses and children of employees. The success of this program was based on achieving the following objectives: Identify a program that will work quickly and reliably to improve the reading abilities of all employees who are not reading as well as they would like. Weyerhaeuser reports that based on more than 28,000 hours of tutoring, employees have advanced at the rate of 8.4 hours of tutoring per grade level using Read Right. This rapid advance is important because adults tend to lose interest and drop out if they do not see improvement in a short period of time. This performance contrasts sharply to the U.S. Department of Education's expectation for adult literacy training of 100 hours of tutoring per grade level advanced. Encourage hesitant employees to step forward voluntarily to participate in the program. In the targeted facilities all employees were expected to attend 30-minute information meetings. These sessions were held in groups of 12 to 20 employees on company time. This approach resulted in a high level participation. Assure confidentiality of participants. Only the tutors and a human resources representative had access to student's names. Insure union and management cooperation. Union leadership views the program as a real benefit for their members. In several locations, the learning center was set-up in the union headquarters. Minimize disruption to manufacturing operations. Weyerhaeuser pays for the program, the tutor's wages, books and materials and the learning center, the employee contributes two hours a week, either before or after work for tutoring. Achieve a higher level of employee involvement in quality and productivity improvement teams. Increase promotion opportunities for employees. Barriers to participation were removed as employees improved their reading skills. Weyerhaeuser recognizes that a skilled employee is a valuable company asset. The investment in the program is about $1,700 per participant. This figure is put into clearer perspective when compared to the total wages and benefits paid out to a typical employee over a four year period of about $200,000. Otto Leuschel, Vice President, Manufacturing, said "I can think of no other training that we have done that will make a greater contribution to improving the performance of our mills and the quality of life of some of our people than this program."
|
|
Copyright 1995-2010 Read Right Systems, Inc. |
