Packhouse Supervisor
Literacy and Numeracy Summary
Packhouse Supervisor
Literacy and Numeracy Profile Summary
Many adults in New Zealand would benefit from gaining better reading, writing and maths skills to function productively at work and at home. Every industry is striving to help in achieving this goal and as part of this effort the NZHITO, in association with our main funding body the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC), have been working on a Literacy and Numeracy (LN) project. Our ultimate aim is to increase individuals’ literacy and numeracy skills in order to make workplaces safer and more productive, as well as to ensure learners have the skills to succeed in their everyday lives. As part of this project we have completed a Literacy and Numeracy profile for the Orchard Packhouse Supervisors. The profile:
· Gives those working with trainees an understanding of the skill levels required by their goal occupations, which can be compared with TEC Assessment Tool reports of trainees’ levels of ability.
· Gives trainers some guidelines for embedding the teaching of literacy and numeracy skills along with supervisory packhouse vocational skills and knowledge.
Read with understanding – Step 4
· While the majority of everyday reading tasks a packhouse supervisor is faced with are at step 4 or below, some tasks require more sophisticated skills, such as reading contract specifications or hazard risk assessments.
· Decoding and vocabulary skills have the highest consistent demand because of the presence of specialised vocabulary.
Documents at step 4 would include: everyday workplace communication, export weekly packing plans, motor vehicle policies etc.
Write to communicate – Step 3
· A packhouse supervisor doesn’t need to write complex documents in the course of everyday work.
· The majority of everyday writing tasks consist of recording information or writing instruction. Some tasks require descriptions and/or explanations, sometimes for organisations outside of the packhouse environment, which raises the demand to consider the purpose and audience.
Tasks at steps 3 would include: workplace instructions, a hazard register, staff training plans etc.
Listen with understanding and speak to communicate – Step 5
· Packhouse supervisors need competent communication skills in order to avoid costly and frustrating miscommunications.
Listening and speaking tasks at step 5 would include: Communicating with management and with supervised employees, participating in group discussions etc.
Numeracy – Step 6
· Packhouse supervisors need very good number knowledge and number strategies to carry out everyday tasks.
· Proficient data management and interpretation skills are important.
Tasks using numeracy at step 6 on the Literacy and Numeracy Learning Progressions include: tracking expenditure, setting up a packing line, time allocation etc.
For full details of the learning progressions please refer to: www.literacyandnumeracyforadults.com
