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Introduction
Jobs and Skills Australia is leading the development of a new national study on adult literacy, numeracy and digital skills.
Foundation skills - like the ability to read, write and engage with technology - are a critical foundation for meaningful work and active participation in the community. A lack of basic literacy or numeracy skills, or both, often results in exclusion from education, training and secure work as well as difficulty engaging in society more broadly.
The Foundation Skills Study consists of four elements:
- a survey of Australian adult literacy and numeracy skills
- a feasibility study into how best to collect the literacy, numeracy and digital literacy skill levels of First Nations people
- analysis of Commonwealth administrative and other data to gain insights into the skill levels for priority groups
- defining digital literacy and then piloting this with relevant groups to establish a national definition.
National Survey
The national survey, known as Understanding Skills Across Australia, will measure adult literacy and numeracy skill levels and form an up-to-date national evidence base to assist researchers, policymakers and program managers improve services related to foundation skills. The survey, which expects to collect around 10,000 responses from Australian residents aged 15 years and older, will provide reliable results at the national level as well as for the states and territories.
Consistent with previous literacy and numeracy surveys in Australia, data will be collected via face-to-face interviews to ensure everyone, including those with lower literacy skills or accessibility issues, has the opportunity to complete the survey. Given the size and complexity of this survey, Jobs and Skills Australia has contracted research organisation, Roy Morgan Research, to undertake the data collection and coordinate field operations. Roy Morgan Research has extensive experience in undertaking large scale surveys, including expertise in survey design and data privacy.
More information for selected households
If you have been selected in the survey and would like to find out more information about your participation, please visit the Roy Morgan Research website www.roymorgan.com/understandingskills or call 1800 216 753. Your interviewer will also be more than happy to help you with any queries you have. We greatly appreciate your time in assisting us with our research.
Feasibility study
In addition to the national study Jobs and Skills Australia, in conjunction with the National Indigenous Australians Agency, is undertaking a feasibility study into how best to collect the literacy, numeracy and digital literacy skill levels of First Nations people.
This is a priority area for government, particularly when addressing Priority Reform 4 in the National Agreement on Closing the Gap (Improve and share access to data and information to enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities make informed decisions).
Advice regarding how best to deliver this part of the study will be sought from Aboriginal community-controlled organisations such as the Coalition of Peaks. This approach ensures Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a meaningful say on the work that will impact future policies and programs.
Administrative data
Providing data on priority groups of interest, such as women, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities, First Nations people, and people with a disability, will be an important part of the Foundation Skills Study. Analysis of Commonwealth administrative and other data will be undertaken to gain insights into the skill levels for these groups. This will supplement information obtained via the national survey, as information for these groups is unlikely to be output in depth due to sample size constraints.
It is proposed the results of the survey will be supplemented with insights from a more efficient use of key Commonwealth data, bringing together datasets, such as the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy and job seeker data, to establish a detailed evidence base.
Digital skills
Digital literacy has been identified as a critical life skill, yet there is no single agreed definition of what this encompasses.
Jobs and Skills Australia will undertake a project to define what digital literacy is for Australia’s purposes. For this project, Jobs and Skills Australia will work with relevant groups to establish a national definition of what it means to be digitally literate.
Consultation
Getting the design right is critical to ensuring the study delivers on the promise of building an evidence base for foundation skills in Australia, and partnering with stakeholders and specialists will ensure this.
A Steering Committee has been established to provide strategic advice and help shape the study. The Committee includes representatives from across industry, unions, training providers, state governments, research organisations and advocacy groups. The study will also be supported by targeted stakeholder working groups.
Jobs and Skills Australia published a discussion paper for public consultation on 4 April 2023, available at the Foundation Skills Discussion paper consultations page. Please note submissions closed on 24 April 2023.
Ongoing consultation will be undertaken throughout the life of the study and regular updates on the project status will be provided via the Jobs and Skills Australia website.
For further information please email the Foundation Skills Study team.