This handbook, which is intended for educators, managers, and union leaders responsible for workplace development, outlines a four-phase collaborative approach to assessing a work organization's overall education needs and specifying a range of activities to meet the identified needs. Discussed in the introduction are the purposes of the handbook, values and assumptions underlying the workplace needs assessment model presented, and the rationale for using the model. The remaining sections of the guide consist of activities and case studies illustrating implementation of the following phases and steps in the model workplace needs assessment process: laying the groundwork for a workplace needs assessment (get all interested groups committed, organize a planning committee, plan and hold initial committee meetings, design the workplace needs assessment); carrying out the needs assessment (prepare to gather information, collect information in personal interviews and focus groups, gather information from other sources, organize the information, analyze selected workplace documents); interpreting and reporting (interpret the information, write the final report, report the findings); and deciding what happens next (develop and get commitment for an action plan and evaluate the workplace needs assessment). Also included are a glossary and a 36-item annotated bibliography. (MN)