The goals of the project are twofold: to raise the awareness of the need to refresh and develop literacy skills in order to manage change, and to find out what literacy learning needs members most want to address and strengthen.

The CEP National Literacy Project Steering Committee and their national and local union literacy activists used this report as they drew conclusions and recommendations from the information acquired from members, union officers and employers. Some observations can be made here that summarize key themes and issues that emerged.

One key theme is that any need for CEP members today to enhance their reading, writing, math, oral communications or computer skills is driven by change, whether it be technological change, market change, or management change. While several common changes were identified by both members and employers, it is important to note that the nature of the common changes varies from industry to industry, and so too then will the impact on essential skill use, and therefore on the learning needs. Local or regional needs assessments are critical to effective programming.