NZ Post is running a pilot literacy programme for some 90 staff in two of its sites in Auckland to lift workplace productivity and boost worker confidence.
Many taking part in the pilot which covers reading, oral communication, numeracy, form-filling, geography and mapping are Pacific Islanders for whom English is a second language.
The class is studying the South Island and identifying major cities and towns.
Radio New Zealand's Pacific issues correspondent says it's basic geography - unless you were born in Samoa or Tonga, have poor English language skills and have spent most of your life in New Zealand in Manukau City.
Course manager Virgina Innes-Jones says the programme has to offer more than reading and writing to be relevant. She says all the participants have improved their skills since beginning the course.