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Apprenticeships

Answer

The 2011 Skills for Life survey examines the literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT) skills of adults, aged between 16 and 65 years old, in England. This is a follow-up to the original survey conducted in 2003.The headline findings report for the 2011 survey¹ was published on 1 December. The full survey report is due to be published in spring 2012. The key headline findings from the survey are that: There has been a substantial up-shift from Level 1 to Level 2 literacy: 56.6 per cent of 16-65 year-olds with literacy at Level 2 or above in 2011,² compared to 44.2 per cent in 2003. Among 16-18 year-olds there has been a 13 percentage point rise in the proportion achieving Level 2 or above literacy and a 12 percentage point rise for 19-65 year-olds. There has been no statistically significant change in the proportion of 16-65 year-olds achieving Level 1 or above literacy: 85.1 per cent in 2011, compared to 83.8 per cent in 2003. There are more adults at the lowest levels of literacy; those with Entry Level 1 and Entry Level 2 literacy have increased from 5.4 per cent (1.7 million) in 2003 to 7.1 per cent (2.4 million) in 2011. There has been a small decrease (2.3 percentage points) since 2003 in the proportion of 16-65 year-olds possessing numeracy skills at Entry Level 3 or above: 76.3 per cent in 2011. compared to 78.6 per cent in 2003. On the three practical ICT assessments, respondents tended to perform best in e-mailing (52 per cent at Level 2 or above). People were least likely to achieve Level 2 or above on spreadsheet use (17 per cent), but word processing had the highest proportion of people at Entry Level 2 or below (43 per cent). Seven in 10 adults aged 16-65 years old achieved Level 1 or above in literacy and Entry Level 3 or above in numeracy. One in 10 (10 per cent) were below both of these levels. The Government highlighted in New Challenges, New Chances,³ published on 1 December 2011, that though there has been a large improvement since 2003 in Level 2 and above literacy, it is unacceptable that 24 per cent of adults lack functional numeracy skills and 15 per cent lack functional literacy skills. Following their review of adult literacy and numeracy provision, the Government have set out in New Challenges, New Chances the actions they are taking to improve the economic and personal returns of its investment in literacy and numeracy provision. "1 TNS-BMRB and AlphaPlus Consultancy Ltd. (1/12/11) 2011 Skills for Life survey: headline findings, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, BIS research paper 57. Available online at: http: www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/further-education-skills/docs/0-9/11-1367-2011-skills-for-life-survey-findings.pdf, accessed on 13/12/11.""2 The Skills for Life surveys were conducted in 2002-03 and 2010-11. For ease of reference, they are referred to in the text as the 2003 and 2011 surveys.""3 BIS (1/12/11) New Challenges, New Chances: Further Education and Skills System Reform Plan: building a World Class Skills System, available online at: http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/further-education-skills/docs/f/11-1340-further-education-skills-system-reform-plan.pdf, accessed on 13/12/11."

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

733 c343-4WA; 14255

Session

2010-12

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Subjects

ICT Literacy Surveys Numeracy

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk