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In March 1999, as part of the 1998-99 Board of Trustees' environmental scan, the Office of Institutional Research at Johnson County Community College, Kansas, conducted a telephone survey of 501 Johnson County companies with at least 20 employees for which JCCC's Business and Industry Institute had not provided training in the past 3 years. Findings indicate that three-quarters of the companies interviewed provided formal training for their employees during the past year. Most companies interviewed (88%) used their own employees as trainers. Over 150 different companies, organizations and institutions were cited by respondents as providers of formal training for companies surveyed, indicating that the training market for businesses in Johnson County is extremely fragmented. About 40% of the companies not using the JCCC Business and Industry Institute to train their employees do use outside companies to provide training for their employees. Two factors that were rated by companies as most important in selecting a provider of training were relevance of the subject matter and the trainer's experience in the field. While 60% of respondents were aware that JCCC provides noncredit training for businesses, less than half of these individuals are familiar with the training provided. Results imply that, although almost all respondents had heard of Johnson County Community College, name recognition does not automatically extend to awareness of JCCC as a provider of training for business. Significant additional communication, marketing, and advertising efforts are needed to inform potential clients of business training services at JCCC. Appendices contain tabled survey results and the survey instrument. (AS)

This curriculum guide contains the materials required to teach 16 workplace basic skills courses for bank employees. The guide begins with an overview of the project during which the courses were developed through a partnership between First Chicago/NBD and a training provider and used to provide training to 1,699 participants. Presented next is a curriculum overview that explains how the 16 competency-based courses were developed to teach actual workplace tasks in the context of the work environment by using work-related instructional materials. The remainder of the document consists of course overviews and curriculum excerpts for the courses, which range in length from 1 to 10.5 hours and cover the following topics: listing from the written amount; new hire reading; new hire math; problem solving and decision making; writing log entries; business writing; performance appraisal writing; reading outlines for success; charts and tables; math for check filing; automated teller machine balancing; place value; telephone usage, mail investigation, and mail sorting; unlocking lockboxes; participating in the performance management process; and evaluating employees' performance. The following are provided for each course: lesson plan listing the course's audience, goal, and competencies taught; student handout, learning activities, and assessment instrument. (MN)

This publication contains the three communication skills units of the three levels of Support Materials for Agricultural Training (SMAT) in farm management and leadership: Level 1 (starting), 2 (continuing), and 3 (completing). The units are designed to help the learner with the reading, writing, and spoken communication skills needed to deal with farm management. SMAT materials can be used by the individual, with a mentor, or in a group or class. An introduction describes how to use the materials, types of activities, and materials needed. Four types of activities are found in the communication unit: key word activities, reading activities, writing activities, and spoken communication activities. Model answers are provided. Topics covered in Level 1 are application forms, application forms--longer answers, interviews, scanning the classified ads, get to the point, farm management in a drought, and letters. Topics covered in Level 2 include the following: farm plans, farm mission statements, export grants, applications for funding, women and farm management, meetings, fruit industry tariffs, and formal letters. Topics covered in Level 3 are as follows: sustainable property plans, working with others, talking quality, marketing your produce, mission statements and objectives, and social issues. (YLB)

This paper provides some ideas for those searching for positions in the academic field of English (with emphasis on rhetoric/composition) at small, state-supported liberal arts colleges. It presents information about how searches are initiated and conducted and how candidates might best present themselves while engaged in a job search. Included in the paper are sample institutional job advertisements, copies of cover letters written in response to those job announcements, samples of acknowledgement letters received after materials were sent, several samples of rejection letters from colleges, a sample schedule for an on-campus interview, a handwritten flow chart used to keep track of application materials, handwritten notes used to prepare for an interview at the Modern Language Association convention, examples of successful letters (that is, the application was not rejected immediately), and comments as to why the letters were successful or unsuccessful. (NKA)

This curriculum package on communication--the machinery of management for supervisors, auditors, and training instructors has been developed by the Workforce 2000 Partnership, a network of industries and educational institutions that provides training in communication, computation, and creative thinking to employees and supervisors in textile, apparel, and carpet industries at 15 plants in Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. The curriculum guide provides a quick view of all major curriculum components: job title for which the curriculum was developed; general instructional objective; overall time; and a chart which is used by reading across the columns to match the specific instructional objective with the estimated amount of time required, learning activities, resources required, and evaluation method. A closure activity reviews and assesses skills learned and may identify needs for further learning. The lesson plan explains the activities in detail. Handouts, transparencies, and pre- and posttest are provided. This module is designed to teach how to write comprehensively. Objectives include the following: write information in clear, logical, and complete manner; organize information into a brief written report; write short notes or simple memos; and write letters using correct structure and sentence style. (YLB)

This document, which is intended for business education teachers at the postsecondary level, contains the information required to deliver a 1-semester beginning keyboarding course. The course is designed to help students develop a keyboarding speed of 30-40 words per minute and learn to use word processing software to create, store, print, and edit business and personal-use documents. The guide begins with a brief course description, rationale, list of course objectives, evidence from the research that supports the course's approach and underlying philosophy, brief discussion of assessment techniques, and list of materials and equipment needed. Presented next is a course outline that includes the topics and suggested activities to be covered in the course's four units, which cover the following topics: operating a keyboard; using formatting techniques; formatting basic business documents; and building keyboarding, word processing, and language arts skills and creating simple reports and employment documents. Appendixes constituting approximately 75% of the document contain a keyboarding technique rubric and 17 skill-building exercises and activities including the following: journal activity, group activities, review activity, multicultural timed writing activity, ethics activity, cross-curricular activity, production test, timed writing test, and Internet activity. The bibliography contains 29 references. (MN)

This paper focuses first on the educator, Ralph W. Tyler, who serves as a model and ideal for curriculum development and implementation. The paper states that in 1949, Tyler, in creating a syllabus, created a small book of 128 pages, and in so doing, he set a benchmark in the field of education. The paper then provides an extended syllabus for a course on writing for business and the professions at the State University of New York, College at Oneonta. The paper notes that the major goal of COM 240 is the development of fundamental managerial problem-solving and decision-making abilities as these abilities pertain to effective business and professional writing. The syllabus featured in the paper outlines the course aims; what the student will be able to do after completing the course; the standards of effective business communication; and the subject matter of the course. As outlined in the paper, under types of business messages, for instance, the syllabus lists specific forms: routine, unpleasant or negative, selling a product, credit and collections, goodwill, memorandums, press releases, minutes of a meeting, etc. Contains 13 references. (TB)

This document consists of two publications that were developed to help employees of a health system's department of food and nutrition improve their department's documentation. Included in the first publication, "Improving Department Documentation," are the following: a self-assessment designed to help employees rate their skills in completing department documentation and training employees, a handout explaining three learning strategies (organizing, skimming, note taking), and the following sample forms used at the health center: record of corrective action; performance appraisal; employer report of a work-related injury, illness, or exposure and accompanying supervisor's accident investigation form; and monthly quality improvement report. The second publication, "Better Documentation Writing," contains the following: brief self-assessment designed to help employees rate their skills in completing the health system's substandard performance and performance appraisal forms; copies of the substandard performance and performance appraisal forms; checklist for evaluating writing; and guidelines for business writing. (MN)

This guide, part of a series of workplace-developed materials for retraining factory workers, provides teaching materials for a workplace course in writing accurate, sequential, and clear instructions. The course covers identifying the goal and purpose of the instructions, deciding the best method for presenting the instructions, using clear and consistent sequence, and using concise language. It includes sample applications using instructions common in the work force. The introductory materials include course objectives, a topical outline, teaching methods, materials needed, and evaluation methods. Lesson plans for three sessions are provided. The session materials include teaching notes, information sheets, exercises, and worksheets. (KC)

This guide, part of a series of workplace-developed materials for retraining factory workers, provides teaching materials for a workplace course in writing memos. The course covers recognizing the audience for a memo, identifying the topic, organizing the writing using four steps (think, write, review, correct) writing complete sentences, using correct punctuation, and using a standard memo format. It includes sample applications using memos common in the workforce. The introductory materials include course objectives, a topical outline, teaching methods, materials needed, and evaluation methods. Lesson plans for three sessions are provided. The session materials include teaching notes, information sheets, exercises, and worksheets. (KC)

This workplace skills memo writing course is designed to enable students to write more accurate and concise memos and be better able to deal with difficult memo writing situations in the workplace. Introductory material includes course description, objectives, topics, methods, materials, evaluation, and teacher tips. The course consists of four sessions, each of which has these components: objectives, topics, methods, materials list, and information sheets and handouts. Topics covered in the sessions include the following: writing diagram, topic selection and specification, four steps of writing, standard memo format, and complete sentences. (YLB)

This workplace skills business writing course presents the fundamentals of effective business letter writing. It focuses on logical organization, word choice, style, tone, and clarity, using students' own examples as well as practice exercises for reinforcement. Introductory material includes course description, objectives, and topical outline. The course consists of six sessions, each of which has these components: objectives, topics, methods, evaluation, materials list, teacher tips, and information sheets and handouts. Topics covered in the sessions include the following: analyzing the author's purpose, the reader, the style, and tone; prewriting--brainstorming, organizing, freewriting; writing clearly and correctly; and editing. (YLB)

This book is the fourth in a series of six pocket-sized books written for career changers and laid-off workers. Each book is written at a 7th- to 10th-grade reading level and contains examples, hands-on self-discovery exercises, and step-by-step advice for a successful job search. This book provides a step-by-step process for succeeding in any interview. Chapter 1 describes what an interview is, its importance, and types of interviews. Chapter 2 details a 10-step success plan. The five steps before the interview are as follows: (1) research the company; (2) identify one's weaknesses; (3) prepare questions and answers; (4) practice for the interview; and (5) prepare for the meeting. These three steps at the interview are explained: wait for the interviewer, meet the interviewer, and handle the interview. The two steps after the interview are follow up and negotiate the offer. Chapter 3 offers some tips related to body language and answering and asking questions. Chapter 4 reviews the 10-step plan. Other contents include a bibliography of nine helpful books for job seekers and an index. (YLB)

This book is the second in a series of six pocket-sized books written for career changers and laid-off workers. Each book is written at a 7th- to 10th-grade reading level and contains examples, hands-on self-discovery exercises, and step-by-step advice for a successful job search. This book provides easy-to-follow instructions for resumes, cover letters, follow-up letters, and applications in a workbook format. It covers these topics: completing applications; four types of resumes--summarizing, career-changer, chronological, and functional; electronic resumes; and writing cover and follow-up letters. Other contents include a bibliography of 11 helpful books for job seekers, an index, and space for notes. (YLB)

This book is the third in a series of six pocket-sized books written for career changers and laid-off workers. Each book is written at a 7th- to 10th-grade reading level and contains examples, hands-on self-discovery exercises, and step-by-step advice for a successful job search. This book identifies steps for finding the unadvertised jobs--80-95 percent of all jobs. Chapter 1 describes what the hidden job market is. Chapter 2 provides steps to build a network of people who can help. Chapter 3 outlines the three parts to a successful plan to use the hidden job market: research the market, create a schedule of contacts, and participate in the industry. Chapter 4 teaches how to use tools of the hidden job market. It provides samples of the following: letters of introduction; follow-up call; thank-you letter; card file/contact page; to-do list; and calendar page. Chapter 5 suggests the usefulness of good manners. Other contents include a bibliography of 11 helpful books for job seekers and an index. (YLB)

Developed by educators from the Emily Griffith Opportunity School, this teacher's guide presents an 8-hour course in writing for police officers. The course is designed to help officers improve the accuracy and appearances of their reports and to help them take responsibility for becoming more independent writers. Each of the four lessons in the course focuses on an area of writing that will give the writer the tools to become a more accurate, concise communicator: sample reports and business letters; grammar, punctuation, and spelling; report writing and writing organization; and editing reports. Lessons consist of objectives, materials lists, time needed, learning activities, and handouts. An appendix contains additional sample reports that students can use to practice editing; handout answer keys are provided. Contains eight resources. (KC)

Developed by educators from the Emily Griffith Opportunity School for a workplace literacy program for a large county agency, this teacher's guide integrates collaborative learning techniques and research into teaching the writing process. Techniques include whole group activities and discussions, partner activities, team activities, and peer editing. The 10-week course contains 20 lesson plans covering the following topics: introduction, course overview, needs assessment, and writing samples; the writing process; principles of composition (active vs. passive voice); principles of composition II; levels of edit; memo revision and editing; principles of organization, and effective use of headings and graphics; copyediting; midterm writing assignment; peer editing; individual writing conferences; principles of wording and phrasing; principles of tone I and II; principles of persuasive writing--resumes; interviewing resume partners; peer editing of resumes; principles of persuasion--cover letters; cover letters II; and closure, evaluations, and certificates. Lesson plans consist of objectives, activities, supplementary materials, suggested time, learning activities narrative paired with instructor's notes, and student handouts. (KC)

Developed for a workplace literacy program by educators from the Emily Griffith Opportunity School, this teacher's guide presents a 4-hour memo-writing workshop to introduce participants to the writing process. The guide is organized in two sections. The first section covers prewriting, freewriting, brainstorming, and clustering; the second section covers paragraphs, first drafts, memos, revision, editing, and final draft and evaluation. Sections include an objective, activities, and practice. (KC)

This module provides materials for a course in business writing, including the writing process, letters, memos, and resumes. The material is designed for three 1-hour classes in a seminar format. Section 1 consists of an introduction, a list of class objectives, and a course outline. The course outline details teacher activities and student exercises and makes reference to the attached handouts, where appropriate. Topics covered during each of the three classes are as follows: (1) introduction and overview, writing process, and writing memos and letters; (2) writing the draft and revising; and (3) editing, publishing, and resume writing. Section 2 provides handouts and materials on writing a business letter, including a sample letter and a memo, informational handouts, organization guide, and grammar guidelines. Section 3 is a "first aid kit" for resumes with informational handouts, resume skill finder, skills checklist, assessment checklist for a resume, and sample resumes. (YLB)

This workbook, designed for workplace literacy courses, contains materials for a business writing course. The course provides strategies for presenting ideas clearly and accurately. Introductory materials include objectives, a topical outline, and information on time for the course and continuing education credits. The 16 sessions of the course cover the following topics: analyzing an author's purpose, the reader, the style, and the tone; prewriting--brainstorming, organizing, and freewriting; writing clearly and correctly; editing; and using writing when solving problems. The lessons include information sheets and exercises, such as sentence completion, fill-in-the-blanks, rewriting, and simulations. (KC)

This workbook, designed for workplace literacy courses, contains materials for a business writing course. The course presents the fundamentals of effective business letter writing, focusing on logical organization, word choice, style, tone, and clarity. The course uses students' own examples as well as practice exercises for reinforcement. Introductory materials include objectives and a topical outline. The 16 sessions of the course cover the following topics: analyzing an author's purpose, the reader, the style, and the tone; prewriting--brainstorming, organizing, and freewriting; writing clearly and correctly; and editing. The lessons include information sheets and exercises, such as sentence completion, fill-in-the-blanks, and simulations. (KC)

This workbook, designed for workplace literacy courses, contains materials for a course on documentation. The six sessions of the course cover the following topics: (1) general principles of procedure writing; (2) principles of clear communication (clarity, audience, visuals) and identification of systems types, accounts, and customer requests; (3) working with examples and fixing bad documentation; (4) good and bad documentation; (5) students writing their own documentation; and (6) students critiquing others' documentation work. The lessons include information sheets and exercises, such as sentence completion, fill-in-the-blanks, and simulations. (KC)

This paper describes the various types of correspondence used in the job search process and provides guidelines and samples of each type. Types of letters discussed include cover letters (including letters of application and prospecting letters), networking letters, thank-you letters, acceptance letters, withdrawal letters, and rejection of offer letters. Some "do's" and "don't's" also are listed. (KC)

This document, developed by Mercer County Community College (New Jersey) and its partners, offers lists of topics covered in each day of a 24-day course designed to teach General Motors employees the following skills: document information; write clear directions and instructions; outline and organize thoughts and ideas; write memos and business letters; and construct sentences, paragraphs, and short essays. In addition, the document contains an exercise on writing clear directions, a checklist for writers, and course evaluation questionnaires. References are made to handouts that are not part of the document. (CML)

This document offers brief lesson plans for four courses: (1) an 8-hour refresher course for employees who write memos, short reports, and letters; (2) an 8-hour refresher course on creating a short document; (3) a 16-hour course on technical manual writing; and (4) an 8-hour course on technical manual writing. The courses were part of a workplace literacy project developed by Mercer County Community College (New Jersey) and its partners. In addition to the lesson plans are the following: a glossary of word usage, a list of cliches to avoid, a list of transitional words, exercises to review punctuation, a list of outdated business language, memo-writing exercises, exercises on parallelism, checklists for good writing, and a lists of commonly misspelled words. (CML)

This document offers materials for a 16-hour course on reading and writing tasks performed by front-line hospital supervisors who have a high school education. The course was part of a workplace literacy project developed by Mercer County Community College (New Jersey) and its partners. The document begins with an explanation of the project, a rationale for the course, and a course outline that includes objectives, a topical outline, and a textbook reference. Next come materials for two modules on writing ("Creating the Short Document" and "Creating Reports, Proposals, Feasibility Studies, and Longer Documents") and two modules on reading ("Adaptive Reading Techniques: Introduction and Application" and Reading for Recordkeeping"). Included for each of these modules is information on the modules' career benefit, goal, objectives, topics, teaching methods, and method of evaluation. For the writing modules, there are also procedures for the teacher, exercises for learners, and some handouts. (CML)

Under the Idaho state system for curriculum development in vocational education, Technical Committees made up solely of industry personnel are responsible for drawing up task lists for each program. This curriculum guide contains a series of 27 modules that comprise the Idaho Program Standards for Business Systems Specialist. It begins with a curriculum framework that provides the program area, program title, Idaho code number, Classification of Instructional Programs code number, major concepts/content, laboratory activities, special note(s), and instructional units. Like all programs developed under the Idaho state system for vocational education, it contains a task list. The task list for this program groups 332 occupational skills or tasks by the following 27 modules: demonstrate employability skills and habits; perform telephone related skills, math computations, keyboarding/typewriting activities, filing activities, business records activities, communication activities, and information processing activities; identify consumer economics terms and concepts; perform mail handling activities; demonstrate knowledge of reprographic activities; develop leadership skills; perform decision making activities; perform management and dictation/transcription activities; and perform legal specialty, medical specialty, information processing specialty, word processing specialty, insurance specialty, desktop publishing specialty, accounting specialty, telecommunications specialty, data processing specialty, networking specialty, records management, and computer graphics design principles activities. Each module contains performance objectives and enabling objectives for each task contained within the module. (YLB)

Considers how the introductory business writing course is appropriate for the development of critical literacy, especially for students at second-tier, working-class colleges. Notes that the opposition between labor and management offers rich opportunities for the critical examination of corporate rhetoric, opportunities that are as relevant in business writing class as they are in other courses. (SG)

Describes an approach to teaching students a basic design process for routine business documents like memos, letters, and reports. Outlines the design principles of HATS (Headings, Access, Typography, and Spacing), how they apply in before-and-after fashion to various documents, and discusses an assignment in which students redesign an existing document based on this procedure. (SR)

This work's 124 sample letters and accompanying CD-ROM provide templates for important letters busy principals often do not have time to prepare. Chapter 1, "Thank-You Letters," includes 14 letters for staff, students, parents, guest and conference speakers, and donations. Chapter 2, "Appreciation Letters," contains seven letters for staff, volunteers, and business partners. Chapter 3, "Congratulations Letters," provides 24 letters for teachers, parents, students, news release, teachers, coaches, and staff. Chapter 4, "Sympathy Letters," offers two examples, which should be handwritten. Chapter 5, "Get-Well Letters," contains four letters for accidents, surgeries, and family illness. Chapter 6, "Welcome Letters," offers 16 letters for students, parents, neighbors, and staff. Chapter 7, "Information and Procedures Letters, Memos, Forms, and Announcements," includes 23 letters for parents, staff, teachers, and students for safety, field trips, emergencies, grading, achievement, athletics, supplies, upcoming changes, news releases, summer school, graduation, and end-of-year forms. Chapter 8, "Discipline Letters and Forms," provides letters to parents for tardies, infractions, warning, bus misbehavior, and suspension. Chapter 9, "Letters Acknowledging Complaints," contains 4 letters for written, telephone, book, and ongoing complaints. Chapter 10, "Recommendation Letters," provides 10 letters for teachers, students, staff, and awards. Chapter 11, "Job Application Letter," includes a letter for principals applying for a new job. Chapter 12, "Special Event Invitations," offers 12 letters for open houses, parent-teacher conferences, workshops, planning meetings, fundraising, and business donations. Chapter 13, "Opening Comments for Special Events," contains 7 letters for open houses, award and special ceremonies, speaker introductions, conferences, and nominations. (TEJ)

Describes an assignment for a sophomore-level technical-writing course which teaches students to respond to different audiences with different needs by having them analyze and then respond to actual complaint letters (on the same topic but from two very different people). Includes successful and unsuccessful responses generated by the students. (SR)

One of a series of 12 in the secretarial/clerical area, this booklet for the vocational instructor contains a job description for the correspondence supervisor (also known as a senior correspondence secretary/specialist, word processing supervisor, or word processing center specialist), a task list under 20 areas of competency, an occupational tasks competency record (suggested as replacement for the traditional report card), a list of industry representatives and educators involved in developing the project, and statements of competencies and a separate competency record for the area of human relations and personal development. Job duties listed for the correspondence supervisor include these: Maintain reports of personnel, costs, productivity; supervise and train correspondence specialists; maintain office procedures; assist in personnel development; and coordinate work requirements. Areas of competency in human relations and personal development are included (communication, self-development, personal appearance, office attitude, social and business etiquette, and job-seeking skills). Statements of competencies may be graded at either the secondary or postsecondary level, and the competency records are intended to follow the student through vocational training at both levels. Tasks in the task list are cross referenced with those in the booklets for other secretarial/clerical jobs. (MF)