This publication focuses on the stories of learners in workplace literacy programs in New Zealand. Nine adults give their perspectives on the changing nature of work, their attitude toward and experience of formal schooling, and the impetus that led them to participate in literacy learning opportunities established in their workplace. They talk about the difficulty of fitting learning into busy lives and the benefits that have flowed from new-found skills and understanding--benefits not only to themselves and their employer, but also to their children and families. The stories were gathered by a researcher through a series of interviews with learners in programs funded by Workbase, the New Zealand national center for workplace literacy programs. They are set against an exploration of the emergence of workplace literacy programs in New Zealand and the themes that thread through the experiences of adult learners who have participated in them. The report lists 20 references. (KC)