Some good news and some bad news can be seen in six areas of workplace literacy efforts: awareness, curriculum development, collaboration, staff training, research and evaluation, and funding. The good news includes the following: (1) more highly placed corporation executives are becoming aware of the need for literacy programs; (2) curriculum development is beginning to become more contextual, with a "functional context" approach based on real-world uses of literacy; (3) more collaboration among and between curriculum developers, trade associations, unions, management, and social agencies is taking place; (4) there are more staff training opportunities; (5) some research-based evaluation efforts are being made; and (6) there has been some increase in federal and state funding for workplace basic skills education. Among the bad news is the following: (1) the new awareness of the educational needs at the policy level does not lead to much else; (2) some workplace programs still rely on traditional "workbook" approaches or curricula designed by outside experts with little input from the people in the workplace; (3) there is little guidance on how to "collaborate"; (4) staff training opportunities are still scattered; (5) too little research is being conducted before workplace programs are started; and (6) resources are still limited. Employers should wake up, analyze their problems, find well-trained help in implementing programs, and make a long-term commitment to workplace literacy. (KC)