Low skills project research outputs
The latest project research outputs are listed below.
Adult literacy and numeracy in Aotearoa New Zealand: Context, conceptual issues and existing evidence
This working paper provides a literature review to inform this research programme. It examines conceptual and definitional issues and relevant aspects of the New Zealand (NZ) context, and provides a high level overview of existing evidence. It traces recent developments and debates in the measurement of skills and discusses the implications that arise from these debates in light of the unique bi-cultural context of NZ. It discusses what is meant by ‘skill’ and the related concept of competency, and how these terms are associated with literacy and numeracy. It looks at how the OECD’s Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) defines and measures skills. It also looks at the existing evidence on NZ’s skill levels and patterns and the importance of skills to economic outcomes and wellbeing.
Low skills research project
Low literacy and/or numeracy skills can have significant economic and social costs, including increased risk of unemployment and poverty, detrimental effects on physical and mental well-being, and decreased social and political attachment.