This document resulted from a project undertaken to develop a set of program-specific and occupationally relevant performance (learning) objectives for the Ontario Basic Skills/Formation de Base de l'Ontario (OBS/FBO) program. It describes project activities, including a literature review in three related areas: understanding what literacy means, occupational literacy research findings, and basic skills for the workplace. Two project stages are discussed. The first is a survey in English and French of 325 Ontario (Canada) employers in 9 industrial sectors. The survey identified the core basic skills required at three entry levels to employment. The second stage is the consolidation of the survey findings into preliminary performance objectives for each of the six subject areas in OBS/FBO: communications, numeracy, science, computer literacy, work adjustment, and technical hands-on. The terminal performance objectives are presented in the body of the report. Appendixes, amounting to over one-half of the report, include the following: lists of employers surveyed; survey results; provincial, regional, and sectoral results; occupational sector job positions; onsite points of observation; OBS terminal and enabling objectives; and FBO terminal and enabling objectives. (YLB)