Literacy and numeracy skills crucial for business
28 November 2007
Survey results released today by the Australian Bureau of
Statistics (ABS) indicate that Australian business is likely to be held back by
inadequate literacy and problem solving skills in the workforce.
The Australian Literacy and
Lifeskills Survey (ALLS), conducted by the ABS in 2006, assessed the literacy,
numeracy and problem-solving skills of Australians aged 15-74. The initial results make for sobering
reading according to Sharon Coates (CEO of Innovation and Business Skills
Australia).
Speaking on
behalf of
Australia
’s 10 Industry Skills
Councils, Ms Coates said that the literacy and numeracy skills of workers were
critical for tackling many current industry challenges.
“Businesses need an innovative
workforce with excellent communication and thinking skills to capitalise on
rapid technological change and to face the challenges of global competition,” Ms
Coates said.
"But the survey reveals that some
70 per cent of
Australia
’s adult population (10.6
million people) have poor or very poor problem solving skills and that 46 per
cent of adults could be expected to have difficulty using the printed materials
encountered in daily life.
“People with skills at this
level will need assistance to understand a lot of written communication in the
workplace, they are likely to be challenged or confronted by formal training
environments and may be unable to handle workplace change or unexpected
problems,” Ms Coates said.
An OECD comparison of fourteen
countries has estimated that a 1 per cent increase in a nation’s average adult
literacy levels eventually leads to a 2.5 per cent increase in labour
productivity and a 1.5% increase in GDP per capita.
Click on
THIS LINK
to see full statement -
‘Australian literacy levels –
implications for industry’
ABS Report: Adult Literacy and Lifeskills
Survey, Summary Results, Australia available
from ABS website: www.abs.gov.au
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