The Importance of Literacy & Essential Skills
Why is literacy
important?
Much research has been conducted about how
literacy and essential skills impact employment and life outcomes.
According to findings from international studies:
- Skill gaps affect many adults. Nationally,
almost half of adults have literacy and essential skills below the
desired level (Level 3).
- Adults with literacy and essential skill gaps may not
recognize they have a problem. Many adults with low
literacy and essential skills are able to read and write at a low
level, find jobs and cope in mainstream society. However,
their skill gaps act as a substantial barrier to full and
successful participation in all aspects of work and life.
- High levels of education do not guarantee high levels
skill. The link between literacy and educational
attainment is not as clear as once imagined. For example, 22% of
university graduates have low literacy and essential skills. Many
high-school graduates have literacy gaps that make them less likely
to succeed in further education and in their transition to the
labour market.
- Immigrants are more likely to have literacy and
essential skill gaps compared to Canadian born
individuals. Over 60% of new and established
immigrants have literacy and essential skills below Level 3.
In addition, the literacy and essential skills of immigrants are
often lower than their educational credentials would suggest. This
may be in part due to second language acquisition but also from
gaps in their native language.
- In comparison to other countries, Canada has a
larger than average disparity in skill levels between its lowest
and highest skilled citizens. On the surface,
Canadians have comparable average skills to other developed
nations. However, this paints a misleading picture because
Canada has a larger proportion of its population at the highest and
lowest levels of literacy when compared with other countries.
This further disadvantages those at the low end of the skills
spectrum and has a negative impact on GDP.
- Literacy is strongly correlated with life chances
and use of opportunities. Employability, earnings
potential, and life-long learning are strongly tied to literacy and
essential skills. Individuals with desired (Level 3) levels of
skills are unemployed for shorter periods of time and are more
likely to have higher incomes.
- There is little
demand in Canada for workers with skills below Level
3. Almost all occupations in Canada require workers
with skills at Level 3. Influences such as globalization and
rapid occupational changes brought on by advancements in technology
have necessitated a highly skilled workforce. Jobs that
traditionally required little education and skill are increasingly
impacted by technologies and regulatory requirements; all Canadian
workers are now required to find and use complex information
accurately and efficiently.
- Literacy and essential skills are tied workplace
success. Weak skills make it difficult for
individuals to learn new tasks and advance their careers.
Individuals with skill gaps are much more likely to experience
safety incidents at work and may struggle to adapt to workplace
change. Productivity and efficiency in the workplace are negatively
impacted by skill gaps in the workforce.
- Literacy and essential skills are maintained
through regular use. We lose skills unless we
continually apply them and engage in continuous learning. This
learning can take place through formal channels, or through
informal learning opportunities in the workplace and daily
life.
- Overall literacy levels of the Canadian
population have remained static. Ten years after
the original IALS was completed, a follow-up study International
Adult Literacy and Skills Survey (IALSS) measured the same prose,
document and quantitative variables as the original survey and
compared proficiency results over a period of time. Overall, there
was little appreciable increase in literacy performance between
1994 and 2003. In addition, recently released results from
the 2012 Programme for the International Assessment of Adult
Competencies (PIAAC) found that the percentage of low skilled
individuals remains relatively unchanged at 49% of the
population.