WILLIAM THORN

Senior Analyst, Directorate for Education and Skills

Skilled for Life? KEY FINDINGS FROM THE SURVEY OF ADULT SKILLS

1

Barcelona 7 November 2013

Survey of Adult Skills in brief

in literacy, numeracy and problem solving in technology-rich environments.

166 thousand adults…Representing 724 million 16-65 year-olds in 24* countries/economies

Took an internationally agreed assessment…

The assessment was administered either in computer-based or paper-based versions.

Survey of Adult Skills in brief

Sample sizes ranged from..a minimum of approximately 4 500 to a maximum of nearly 27 300.

The survey collected background information of adults for about 40 minutes.

Respondents with very low literacy skills were directed to a test of basic “reading component” skills.

The survey also collects a range of generic skills such as collaborating with others and organising one’s time, required of individuals in their work.

Literacy

The ability to...Understand, evaluate, use and engage with written texts.

In order to..Achieve one’s goals, and to develop one’s knowledge and potential.Literacy encompasses a range of skills from..The decoding of written words and sentences The comprehension, interpretation and evaluation of complex texts.

Numeracy

The ability to…Access, use, interpret and communicate mathematical information and ideas

In order to.. Engage in and manage the mathematical demands of a range of situations in adults. Numeracy involves Managing a situation or solving a problem in a real context, by responding to mathematical content/information/ideas represented in multiple ways.

Problem SolvingIn Technology-rich Environments

The ability to…Use digital technology communication tools and networks to acquire and evaluate information, communicate with others and perform practical tasks.

The assessment focuses on the abilities to…Solve problems for personal, work and civic purposes by setting up appropriate goals and plans, and accessing and making use of information through computers and computer networks.

“Key information-processing skills”

4

Survey of Adult Skills Skillsassessed

5

Assessment design

Summary of proficiency in key information-processing skills (16-65 year-olds)

Significantly above the average

Not significantly different from the averageSignificantly below the average

CountriesLiteracy

(mean score)

Numeracy

(mean score)

Problem solving in

technology-rich

environments

(% at level 2 or 3)

Australia 280 268 38

Austria 269 275 32

Canada 273 265 37

Czech Republic 274 276 33

Denmark 271 278 39

Estonia 276 273 28

Finland 288 282 42

France 262 254 m

Germany 270 272 36

Ireland 267 256 25

Italy 250 247 m

Japan 296 288 35

Korea 273 263 30

Netherlands 284 280 42

Norway 278 278 41

Poland 267 260 19

Slovak Republic 274 276 26

Spain 252 246 m

Sweden 279 279 44

United States 270 253 31

Flanders (Belgium) 275 280 35

England/N. Ireland (UK) 272 262 35

Average 273 269 34

OECD

National entities

Sub-national entities

Summary of proficiency in key information-processing skills (16-24 year-olds)

Significantly above the average

Not significantly different from the averageSignificantly below the average

CountriesLiteracy

(mean score)

Numeracy

(mean score)

OECD

National entities

Australia 284 270

Austria 278 279

Canada 276 268

Czech Republic 281 278

Denmark 276 273

Estonia 287 279

Finland 297 285

France 275 263

Germany 279 275

Ireland 271 258

Italy 261 251

Japan 299 283

Korea 293 281

Netherlands 295 285

Norway 275 271

Poland 281 269

Slovak Republic 276 278

Spain 264 255

Sweden 283 278

United States 272 249

Sub-national entities

Flanders (Belgium) 285 283

England/N. Ireland (UK) 266 257

Average 280 271

Proficiency in literacy among adults

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Below Level 1 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Missing

Spain

Average

Percent

Differences in literacy proficiency between 5th and 95th

percentile

100

110

120

130

140

150

160

170

Swed

en

Can

ada

Un

ited

Sta

tes

Fin

lan

d

Spai

n

Au

stra

lia

Fran

ce

Net

her

lan

ds

Engl

and

(U

K)

Engl

and

/N. I

rela

nd

…

Pola

nd

Irel

and

Ger

man

y

Den

mar

k

Flan

der

s (B

elgi

um

)

No

rway

Ave

rage

No

rth

ern

Irel

and

(U

K)

Ital

y

Esto

nia

Au

stri

a

Ko

rea

Cze

ch R

epu

blic

Slo

vak

Rep

ub

lic

Jap

an

Score-point difference

0,8

4,2

0,70,8

0,5

1,4

0,0

0,3

0,9

1,9

1,2

1,5

0,3

5,2

1,8

0,4

2,2

0,6

0,3

2,3

0,4

0,0

0,01,2

80 60 40 20 0 20 40 60 80

Spain

United States

Italy

France

Ireland

England/N. Ireland (UK)

Poland

Korea

Canada

Australia

Average

Germany

Russian Federation³

Flanders (Belgium)

Austria

Estonia

Norway

Czech Republic

Slovak Republic

Netherlands

Denmark

Sweden

Finland

Japan

Level 2 Level 1 Below Level 1 Level 3 Level 4/5 No information

%

10

What adults can doNumeracy

0,0

0,6

0,3

0,0

0,5

0,3

4,3

1,8

0,6

1,5

5,2

1,3

1,6

1,5

1,9

2,7

0,4

2,2

2,3

0,1

0,1

100 80 60 40 20 0 20 40 60 80 100

Poland

Ireland

Slovak Republic

Russian Federation³

Estonia

Korea

United States

Austria

Czech Republic

Average

Flanders (Belgium)

Japan

England/N. Ireland (UK)

Germany

Canada

Australia

Denmark

Norway

Netherlands

Finland

Sweden

Level 1 Below Level 1Level 2 Level 3Opted out of the computer based assessment Failed ICT core or had no computer experienceNo information

PercentPercent

Proficiency in problem solving in technology-rich environments among adults (excluding countries without scores)

70 50 30 10 10 30 50 70

Poland

Ireland

Slovak Republic

Estonia

Korea

United States

Austria

Czech Republic

Average

Flanders (Belgium)

Japan

England/N. Ireland (UK)

Germany

Canada

Australia

Denmark

Norway

Netherlands

Finland

Sweden

Level 2 Level 3

Young adults (16-24 year-olds) All adults (16-65 year-olds)

Percent Percent

2.10a&b Proficiency in problem solving in technology-rich environments among adults and young adults

150 175 200 225 250 275 300 325 350 375Score

Numeracy

Relationship between problem solving in technology-rich environments and literacy, numeracy

Literacy

Level 3Level 2

Opted out of the computer-based assessment

Below Level 1

Failed ICT core

No computer experience Level 1

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Difference between tertiary and below upper secondary

Difference between tertiary and upper secondary

Score point difference

Literacy proficiency: score differences by educational attainment

14

5.6a (N) Mean numeracy proficiency in PISA and in the Survey of Adult SkillsMean mathematics score in PISA 2003 and numeracy score in the Survey of Adult Skills 2012, 23-25 year-olds

Australia

Austria

Canada

Czech RepublicDenmark

Finland

GermanyIreland

Italy

Japan

Korea

Netherlands

NorwayPoland

Slovak Republic

Spain

Sweden

United States

450

470

490

510

530

550

570

220 230 240 250 260 270 280 290 300 310 320Survey of Adult Skills score

PISA score

5.6a (L) Mean literacy proficiency in PISA and in the Survey of Adult SkillsMean reading score in PISA 2000 and literacy score in the Survey of Adult Skills 2012, 26-28 year-olds

Australia

Austria

Canada

Czech RepublicDenmark

Finland

Germany

Ireland

Italy

JapanKorea

Norway

Poland

Spain

SwedenUnited States

450

470

490

510

530

550

570

260 270 280 290 300 310 320

PISA score

Survey of Adult Skills score

Relationship between skills proficiency and age

200

225

250

275

300

325

15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65

Literacy - Average Numeracy - Average Literacy - Spain

Score

Age

220 230 240 250 260 270 280 290 300Score

Average 1

6-6

5 year-o

lds

Literacy skills in younger and older generations

Average 1

6-2

4 year-o

lds

Korea

Germany

Norway

Average 5

5-6

5 year-o

lds

Spain

Finland

France

US

UK

0

20

40

60

80

100

Below level 1 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4/5

PercentAll adult education and training

5.7 (L) Participation rate in adult education by literacy proficiency levels

Reading at work and literacy proficiency

225

250

275

300

325

Lowest practice Highest practice

Average Spain

Reading at work

Score

Reading outside work and literacy proficiency

225

250

275

300

325

Lowest practice Highest practice

Average Spain

Reading outside work

Score

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Unadjusted Adjusted

Score point difference

3.14 Literacy proficiency: score differences between native- and foreign-born adults

Relationship between literacy proficiency and socio-economic background among adults

220

240

260

280

300

320

Less than upper secondary Upper secondary Tertiary

Australia Spain Japan United States Average

Score

Parents’ level of educational attainment

Steeper line indicates a sharper rise in proficiency with parents’ education

Use of skills at work

1,4

1,6

1,8

2

2,2

2,4

Reading at work Writing at work Numeracy at work

ICT at work Problem solving at work

Average

Italy

Japan

Spain

United States

Most frequent use = 4

Least frequent use = 0

Ind

ex o

f u

se

Use of skills at work

1,4

1,6

1,8

2

2,2

2,4

2,6

2,8

3

3,2

3,4

3,6

Task discretion Learning Influencing Co-operative Self-organising Dexterity Physical

Average

Italy

Japan

Spain

United States

Most frequent use = 4

Least frequent use = 0

Ind

ex o

f u

se

4.10 Mean ICT use at work and at home, by age group

Australia

Austria

Canada

Czech Republic

Denmark

Estonia

Finland

GermanyIreland

Italy

Japan

Korea

Netherlands

Norway

Poland

Slovak Republic

Spain

Sweden

United States

England/N. Ireland (UK)

Flanders (Belgium)

Australia

Austria

Canada

Czech RepublicDenmark

Estonia

Finland

Germany

IrelandItaly

Japan

Korea

Netherlands

NorwayPoland

Slovak RepublicSpain

Sweden

United States

England/N. Ireland (UK)

Flanders (Belgium)Australia

Austria

Canada

Czech Republic

DenmarkEstonia

Finland

Germany

Ireland

Italy

Japan

Korea

Netherlands

Norway

Poland

Slovak Republic

Spain

Sweden

United States

England/N. Ireland (UK)

Flanders (Belgium)

1 1,2 1,4 1,6 1,8 2 2,2 2,4

1

1,2

1,4

1,6

1,8

2

2,2

2,4

1

1,2

1,4

1,6

1,8

2

2,2

2,4

1 1,2 1,4 1,6 1,8 2 2,2 2,4 2,6

ICT

use

at

wo

rk

ICT use at home

16-24 25-54 55-65

Percentage of workers who are over or under qualified over- or under-skilled in literacy

0 5 10 15 20

Austria

Spain

Czech …

Ireland

Germany

Slovak …

Italy

Korea

Average

Japan

Australia

United States

Norway

England/N. …

Flanders …

Denmark

Poland

Estonia

Netherlands

Canada

Finland

Sweden Under-skilled

Over-skilled

%40 30 20 10 0

Under-qualification

Over-qualification

%%

0,8

1

1,2

1,4

1,6

1,8

2Years of education Proficiency in literacy

6.5 The effect of education and literacy on labour market participation

Odds ratio

Statistically significant differences are marked in a darker tone

0

5

10

15

20

25

30Years of education

Proficiency in literacy

6.7 The effect of education and literacy on wages

%

6.13(L) Reported health and literacy proficiency

0

1

2

3

4

5

Level 2 Level 1 or below

Odds ratio

Statistically significant differences are marked in a darker tone

Reference group: Level 4/5

6.11(L) Volunteering and literacy proficiency

0

1

2

3

4

5

Level 2 Level 3 Level 4/5

Odds ratio

Statistically significant differences are marked in a darker tone

Reference group: Level 1 or below

Key issues

• Low levels of proficiency in literacy and numeracy across the adult population

• Young adults perform considerable better than their older compatriots. However, proficiency of young people is still low relative to that of their peers in other participating countries.

• Immigrants have particularly poor skills in the languages of Spain

• Proficiency in literacy and numeracy matters:• Higher levels of literacy and numeracy are associated with better chances of

employment and higher wages as well as better ‘non-economic’ outcomes

Data products

Data Explorer

Public Use File (some countries have suppressed or coarsened data)

Background Questionnaire

Codebook

SAS and STATA tools

IEA Data Analyser

Technical Report

Education and Skills On-line (forthcoming)

Find Out More About PIAAC at:

www.oecd.org/site/piaac

All national and international publications

The complete micro-level database

Emailwilliam.thorn@OECD.org

Thank you