By the Working Life Team
Follow @thisworkinglife
Thursday, 21 January 2016
A GROWING number of workers are struggling with spelling and simple arithmetic, a new study has revealed.
The study, from the Australian Industry Group (AIG), titled Tackling Foundation Skills in the Workforce, found many employees can’t do simple sums, calculate orders, type on a computer or give clear directions.
Unions warn the trend will get worse as the Coalition attacks training funds, axes Gonski and cuts TAFE funding.
Under the landmark Gonski review every child is guaranteed.a decent education from a fair, equitable and efficient school system. Funding began in 2014, after it was revealed many children were missing out on an education due to a lack of resources.
Now, the Coalition is abandoning the programme.
ACTU Secretary Dave Oliver, a TAFE graduate himself, says the new study highlights the need for decent education and training services.
Meanwhile, leading business figures say falling literacy and numeracy skills among Australian workers is a threat to economic growth and competition.
And as Aussie workers struggle, Mr Oliver pointed out the English aptitude test for foreign staff seeking temporary 457 working visas has been lowered.
Instead, the Coalition should make sure all Australians have access to a good education, he said.
Labor said TAFE must be protected, not decimated.
“TAFE can’t operate without secure funding,” said Labor’s skills spokesman David Harris.
And the growing trend of staff unable to carry out simple maths or spelling tasks has bosses worried.
AI Group chief executive Innes Willox (pictured) said the new report shows the importance of proper education for workers.
He called on the Turnbull Government to urgently address these failings, as the need for highly educated workers became more crucial, with a growing demand for high-skilled occupations.
“These results indicate a deepening concern about the level of foundation skills in the workforce and a continuing drag on the nation’s productivity,” Mr Willox said.
“As Australia continues to evolve towards the digital economy, increasingly more sophisticated skills within the workforce are required.
“The rapid expansion of ICT skills and technological advancement is changing the nature of employment. Occupations with highly-educated workers are expanding much more rapidly than other occupations. So the mastery of literacy and numeracy is increasingly more important to meet the challenges of this evolving economy.”
As well as the new study, an international report has shown 44 per cent of Australians have literacy proficiency below a level set as the minimum to operate effectively in the workplace and society.
Numeracy was worse, with 55 per cent below the proficient level, the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies found.
Follow @thisworkinglife
Thursday, 21 January 2016
A GROWING number of workers are struggling with spelling and simple arithmetic, a new study has revealed.
The study, from the Australian Industry Group (AIG), titled Tackling Foundation Skills in the Workforce, found many employees can’t do simple sums, calculate orders, type on a computer or give clear directions.
Unions warn the trend will get worse as the Coalition attacks training funds, axes Gonski and cuts TAFE funding.
Under the landmark Gonski review every child is guaranteed.a decent education from a fair, equitable and efficient school system. Funding began in 2014, after it was revealed many children were missing out on an education due to a lack of resources.
Now, the Coalition is abandoning the programme.
ACTU Secretary Dave Oliver, a TAFE graduate himself, says the new study highlights the need for decent education and training services.
Meanwhile, leading business figures say falling literacy and numeracy skills among Australian workers is a threat to economic growth and competition.
And as Aussie workers struggle, Mr Oliver pointed out the English aptitude test for foreign staff seeking temporary 457 working visas has been lowered.
Instead, the Coalition should make sure all Australians have access to a good education, he said.
Labor said TAFE must be protected, not decimated.
“TAFE can’t operate without secure funding,” said Labor’s skills spokesman David Harris.
And the growing trend of staff unable to carry out simple maths or spelling tasks has bosses worried.
AI Group chief executive Innes Willox (pictured) said the new report shows the importance of proper education for workers.
He called on the Turnbull Government to urgently address these failings, as the need for highly educated workers became more crucial, with a growing demand for high-skilled occupations.
“These results indicate a deepening concern about the level of foundation skills in the workforce and a continuing drag on the nation’s productivity,” Mr Willox said.
“As Australia continues to evolve towards the digital economy, increasingly more sophisticated skills within the workforce are required.
“The rapid expansion of ICT skills and technological advancement is changing the nature of employment. Occupations with highly-educated workers are expanding much more rapidly than other occupations. So the mastery of literacy and numeracy is increasingly more important to meet the challenges of this evolving economy.”
As well as the new study, an international report has shown 44 per cent of Australians have literacy proficiency below a level set as the minimum to operate effectively in the workplace and society.
Numeracy was worse, with 55 per cent below the proficient level, the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies found.
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