It will help you to understand how the NRS works by mapping a number of work tasks against the NRS. Gradually you will get a feel for which level is the most likely, which indicators are the most appropriate, and which aspect is the most dominant for a range of tasks that the workers have to carry out.

This initial mapping is best left until you have established the predominant language, literacy and numeracy needs of the workers in relation to their jobs. The company may have already decided what the primary focus of your support is to be, and this should be set out in the submission and approval for WELL funding.

It is often the case that a WELL program has been set up to provide support in a fairly narrow area of communication. For example, a company and provider may have submitted for funds to assist in the development of oral communication skills. The emphasis on reading, writing and numeracy skills may be peripheral to the purpose of your work.

This is not to say that you can’t report on outcomes that go beyond the brief, and there is no question that effective practitioners help develop all the macroskills in the course of their teaching.