Working together - Realising potentialLiteracy and numeracy: essential lifelong learning throughout life

22 September 2011

Working together – Realising potential

• Why adult literacy matters in Irish society Inez Bailey, Director, NALA

• Presenting the Evidence: Programme for international assessment for adult competencies (PIAAC)Donal Kelly, PIAAC Programme Manager, CSO

• A Trade Union perspectiveJohn Douglas, Vice-President, ICTU and General Secretary, MANDATE

• A Business perspectiveKara McGann, Policy Executive, IBEC

• An Equality perspectiveSean Healy, Social Justice Ireland

• Adult Literacy: the State responseCiaran Cannon, Minister for Training and Skills

Why adult literacy matters in Irish society

Inez Bailey, NALA

What is literacy?

Reading

Maths

Writing

Technology

Listening and speaking

Self confidence and self esteem

Realising potential Literacy and numeracy: essential lifelong learning throughout life

I help my children with their homework.

Family

I’m eating better and managing my diabetes.

Health

I joined the library.

Personal fulfilment

I filled in an application form for a supervisors role.

Employment

I’m on a training programme to upskill.

Education

I used my vote for the first time ever.

Citizenship

I spoke at a resident’s association meeting.

Community

I manage my finances better by comparing prices to get the best value.

Consumer

Literacy meansDecision makingProblem solvingLearn to learn

ReadingWritingNumbersComputersConfidenceSetting goals

NALA Campaign 2011• Barnardos•Children’s Rights Alliance (CRA)•NYCI

Children and young people

ICTUSIPTUMANDATECWUINTOASTITUIUNITE

Trade unions

IBECISME

Employers

• Carer’s Association • Community Worker’s Coop (CWC)• European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN)• Gay and Lesbian Network (GLEN)• INOU• ILDN• Irish Rural Link• St Vincent de Paul• Social Justice Ireland• The Wheel• Vincentian Partnership• NWCI• Older Women’s Network• Rape Crisis Network• Women’s Aid• OPEN• One Family• Irish Traveller Movement• National Traveller Women’s Forum•Pavee Point

Community and voluntary sector

Research bodiesESRI

NESCTASC

•Age Action• Irish Association of Older People• Irish Senior Citizen’s Parliament• Older and Bolder• Disability Federation Ireland• Rehab Group• St. John of Gods• St. Michael’s House• NDA• Immigrant Council of Ireland• Irish Refugee Council• Migrant Rights Centre• Focus Ireland• Simon Communities• Threshold• Ana Liffey Drug Project• Merchants Quay• Soilse• AWARE• Mental Health Ireland

NALA Campaign Questions

1. Policy • External: Is adult literacy considered and referred to in your

organisation’s policies?

• Internal: What literacy-friendly policies do you have in your organisation?

2. Practice• How do you deliver your services to take into account adults with

literacy needs?

3. Access• How do you ensure people with literacy needs access your

services fully?

• Do you encourage people to engage in learning?

NALA Campaign 2012

• Ongoing development work with organisations already contacted.

• Start working with the next set of organisations. For example:– Local Authorities

• National Adult Literacy Awareness Week to showcase outcomes from work in 2012.

Donal Kelly, Project Manager, Central Statistics Office, Cork

PIAACProgramme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies

What is PIAAC?

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A major new OECD survey of adult skills• IALS (1995) and ALLs (2003)• 25 countries – 130,000 adults worldwide• Ireland - 5,000 respondents aged between 16 and 65

• Background Questionnaire (30mins)• Skills (computer or paper-based , 1 hour)

Distribution of adult skills across the population • “Cognitive Foundation” skills

• Literacy• Numeracy• Problem-solving in ICT environment

Why PIAAC? “OECD’s breakthrough survey on adult competencies,

PIAAC, will provide …

a unique and effective tool to assess where [we] stand in terms of the quantity and quality of the knowledge and skills of [our] workforce

insights into how skills relate to the social and economic well-being of individuals

and also benchmark how effectively education and training systems meet emerging skill demands."

-- Angel Gurría, OECD Secretary-General --

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PIAAC featuresUp-to-date information - 16 years since IALSSophisticated computer-based instrument

Richer data (timings and strategies)Adaptive testingIntroduction of Problem-solving module in ICT

environment

Link to IALS for Literacy trendsComparative international data

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Numeracy – L3

Correct Response: Any value between 4 and 5‐ ‐

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Literacy – L3

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Problem-solving – L4

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Outcomes – what will PIAAC provide?Profile of adult proficiency in literacy, numeracy and

problem solvingFocus on weaker performers in Literacy domain5 levels – still under discussion

Skills proficiency distributed among various socio-demographic groups

The skills of workers and skills utilization in the workplace

Economic and social outcomes of adult skills Development of skills proficiency

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Thematic reports – long-termDigital literacy & ICT usageFocus on population with low levels of proficiencySkills mismatchAgeing and cognitive skillsCognitive skills of youthSkill formation among adults (LLL)Social outcomes of skillsSkills and labour market outcomesSkills of immigrantsLink to PISA

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Timeline

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Data collection currently underway (until March 2012)

1st International report - October 2013National report - October 2013

Public use dataset – October 2013Web-based software to interrogate data

Tabular and statistical output

For more information:

www.piaac.iewww.oecd.org/piaac

piaac@cso.ie

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A Trade Union Perspective

John Douglas, MANDATE and ICTU

Working together – Realising potentialA business perspective

Kara McGann, Policy Executive

A business perspective

People are our competitive advantage and our route to success

Literacy and numeracy concerns in the workplace

– The individual– The customer– The organisation

• Costs

The benefits of supporting basic skills in the workplace

Morale and motivation Time-keeping and attendance Improved safety Customer satisfaction Attention to quality Reduction in wastage Communication Ability to promote from within

An Equality Perspective

Sean Healy, Social Justice Ireland

Adult Literacy: the State response

Ciaran Cannon, TD, Minister for Training and Skills

Panel Discussion

Questions and answers

Further information NALASandford LodgeSandford CloseRanelaghDublin 6

Tel: (01) 412 7900

Website: www.nala.ie

Learning website: www.writeon.ie

http://twitter.com/nalaireland

http://facebook.com/nalaireland