This study investigated the needs of low-literate students participating in a Human Resources Administration/City University of New York (HRA/CUNY) program offering English-as-a-Second-Language and employment-related training to low-income Hispanic women receiving welfare. It identified participants in need of literacy instruction based on grade level completed, examined the impact of literacy level on participants' ability to achieve program goals of further job training or employment, and determined factors facilitating or constraining low-literate participants' ability to succeed in the program. Eight recommendations resulted: (1) more effective collection and reporting of basic demographic data; (2) development of a program-wide process for assessing basic literacy skills; (3) placement of low-literate learners in separate classes with specialized curricula; (4) six months of intensive language, literacy, and pre-employment training to meet stated program goals; (5) provision of literacy instruction in either Spanish or English, but with counseling in Spanish (when instruction is in English) and some oral/aural instruction in English (when instruction is in Spanish); (6) continued strong investment in staff development; (7) continued investigation of the immediate relevance of unpaid work experience for improved employment potential; and (8) exploration of ways to provide access to job training through less stringent language requirements. (MSE) (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse on Literacy Education)