Literacy and numeracy at work: Skills, education and job tasks
In New Zealand, around 40 per cent of people in employment have literacy and numeracy skills below a level needed to use and understand the increasingly difficult texts and tasks that characterise a knowledge society and information economy, according to the Adult Literacy and Life Skills (ALL) survey. However, there is limited information about how well employees’ skills match the literacy and numeracy practices they undertake in their jobs. The ALL survey data can provide some insight to this issue.
This report addresses the following questions: What are the different types of literacy and numeracy practices at work? How do these literacy and numeracy job practices relate to measures of job type and skill? What is the relationship between the skills, qualifications and experience of employees and the literacy and numeracy practices in their jobs? What is the extent of match and mismatch between the literacy skills of employees and their literacy and numeracy practices at work? What access do people with low skills and frequent literacy and numeracy job practices have to further education and training?