VPN Update Session Deborah Mullan

Population skill levels

International surveys of foundation skills ►1996: Survey of Aspects of Literacy (SAL) ►2006: Adult Literacy and Life Skills (ALLS) Survey ►2011: Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) ►2012: Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) ► ►

PIAAC results ►Literacy above OECD average ►Ranked 5 th behind: ►Japan ►Finland ►Netherlands ►Sweden ►Ranking is based on the percentage of adults at level 3 or above

PIAAC results ►Numeracy at OECD average ►Rank similar to: ►Canada ►Estonia ►United Kingdom ►Ranking is based on the percentage of adults at level 3 or above

PIAAC results ►Problem solving above OECD average ►Ranked 6 th behind: ►Sweden ►Finland ►Netherlands ►Norway ►Denmark ►Ranking is based on the percentage of adults at level 2 or above (measured over 3 levels)

Australian skill levels ►Literacy ►44% (7.3 million people) below level 3 ►Numeracy ►55% (8.9 million people) below level 3

Skills of employed persons Literacy skills distribution for employed persons, IALS (1996) and ALLS (2006)

Skill levels vary by age ►Young adults (aged 16-24) in Australia have slightly higher proficiency than the overall adult population ►Percentage of people with literacy skills at level 3 or above: ►54% of year olds ►63% of year olds ►54% of year olds ►28% of year olds

PISA results ►Above average performance in mathematics (19 th ) ►Above average performance in reading (13 th ) Declining: –Overall performance (maths and reading) –Percentage of top performers (maths and reading) –Percentage of low performers (maths) Static: –Percentage of low performers (reading) –Science performance Improving: –Performance of immigrant students

PISA result s

Contributing factors ►Gaps in formal education – in Australia or in country of birth ►First language other than English ►Learning disability ►Childhood trauma ►Skills decline over time ►Changing job or life requirements

Reports from industry ►Australian Industry Group ►Getting it Right: Foundation Skills for the Workforce ►When Words Fail: National Workforce Literacy Project ►Industry Skills Councils ►No More Excuses

Employer concern No More Excuses, 2011

Employer surveys ►93% of businesses identified some impact of low levels of literacy and numeracy ►Only 8% of businesses have capacity to address workforce literacy Progressively higher levels of LLN are required to respond to increasing skills requirements for the changing economy. Building LLN skills is critical to increasing labour force participation and increasing productivity in a higher skilled economy. From: Getting it Right: Foundation Skills for the Workforce, AiG 2013

Impact on business

Policy response

►By 2022, at least two thirds of working age Australians will have the literacy and numeracy skills needed to take full advantage of opportunities afforded by the new economy. ►Literacy and numeracy skills at level 3 or above (on scale from OECD Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey) National Foundation Skills Strategy for Adults

National actions Four priority areas for action: 1.Raising awareness and commitment to action 2.Adult learners have high quality learning opportunities and outcomes 3.Strengthening foundation skills in the workplace 4.Building the capacity of the education and training workforces to deliver foundation skills

Funded activity ►Foundation Skills Workforce Development Project 2013 ►Workshops ►Workforce development projects ►Practitioner Champions Network ►Scoping professional standards ►Stakeholder engagement ►National Foundation Skills Strategy Project ►Practitioner Community of Practice ►Workplace Champions ►Scoping professional standards ►Ongoing stakeholder engagement – e-newsletter

2013 Workforce Development Projects ►NT: collaborative workshop approach to the development of integrated assessment tools ►ACT: foundation skills and curriculum experts working in pairs to develop models for implementing integrated delivery of FSK units ►Tas: developing and evaluating a workshop and assessment model for vocational practitioners to achieve TAELLN401A/411 ►SA: VET (Community Services) practitioners and LLN practitioners collaborating to build skills and develop strategies for implementing the FSK ►Qld: professional development pilots for VET in Schools providers and community based organisations to build capacity to deliver the FSK

2013 Workforce Development Workshops Collaborative approach to share foundation skills knowledge ►Project information included in Industry Skills Council workshops ►Additional Industry Skills Council workshops supported ►Series of webinars conducted for various audiences ►Forums and conference sessions conducted Evaluation ►Attendance by more than 500 participants ►80% of participants valued the workshops ►42% of participants were VET practitioners, 28% were LLN practitioners

2013 Champions Network Activity logs recorded the actions of Network members: ►More than 9,000 people interacted with the Network ►Most interactions were through group networking – forums, blogs, conference presentations and workshops ►12 different communication methods were used by Network members ►Network connections included a wide range of practitioner, industry and government stakeholders

2013 e-newsletter Sharing information on FSWD Project and related initiatives: ►4 editions ►382 subscribers ►Redistributed and shared by stakeholders ►High level of recognition among target audience.

Foundation Skills Community of Practice 16 members from diverse education and training environments ►Share information on foundation skills initiatives and professional development activities within the education and training sectors ►Support professional development within their personal spheres of influence ►Build awareness and capability to address foundation skills within their own organisations ►Provide advice to the National Foundation Skills Strategy Project.

Workplace Champions Supporting Priority 3 of the National Foundation Skills Strategy for Adults ►4 Practitioners in Victoria - Nominating organisation ►Deborah Mullan – TTW - TLISC ►Paula McKenry- Kangan- Vic Govt ►Ann Irving- Chisholm Inst- National Access Education Leaders Network (NAELN) ►Tina Berghella- Oggi Cons- Manufacturing Skills Australia ►12 others in other States and Territories

Scoping professional standards ►Research to identify and qualify professional practice in foundation skills ►Stocktake of qualifications to identify existing credentials ►Collection of stories from the field to explore career pathways and development opportunities ►NCVER-led compilation of quantitative research to understand practitioner skills and experience ►Validation workshops to share collaborative practice and options for ongoing professional development ►Consolidation of findings will contribute to recommendations on developing a Framework schema

National Foundation Skills Strategy Project ►Project website: ►Website: ►Project contacts: ►Wing-Yin Chan Lee, Project Manager: wing-yin.chan- ►Anita Roberts, Project Co-ordinator: ►Louise Wignall, Scoping Project Consultant:

Opportunities for involvement ►Connecting with Community of Practice members ►Promoting and gathering practitioner stories ►Promoting and contributing to practitioner survey ►Identifying models of collaborative delivery ►Subscribing to e-newsletter ►Sharing information on project progress and outcomes with others.

Training Packages ►New Standards for Training Packages ►No Employability Skills Summary ►Inclusion of information on Foundation Skills ►Removal of ‘required skills and knowledge’ ►Use of performance evidence and knowledge evidence ►Increased emphasis on assessment requirements ►Introduction of the FSK Foundation Skills Training Package ►Flexible foundation skills units to support vocational outcomes ►Qualifications at Certificate I and II – preparatory and pre-vocational ►ACSF skill levels from pre-level 1 to 5

FSK Foundation Skills Training Package Purpose to support: ►vocational outcomes ►integrated programs ►contextualised delivery ►preparatory pathways. Content: ►91 units of competency across all ACSF levels ►3 qualifications.

FSK Foundation Skills Training Package

►15 learning units ►12 reading units ►11 writing units ►11 oral communication units ►39 numeracy units ►3 digital technology units

FSK Foundation Skills Training Package Qualifications ►Certificate I in Access to Vocational Pathways ►Certificate I in Skills for Vocational Pathways ►Certificate II in Skills for Work and Vocational Pathways ►Core units aligned to ACSF ►Flexible elective options ►Designed for vocational contextualisation ►Delivery requires LLN and vocational practitioner expertise

What needs to be addressed? ►Addressing foundation skills in your vocational program means two things: ►matching the foundation skills demands of the training program to the requirements of the workplace/specification ►building the foundation skills that learners need to achieve vocational competency.

Unpacking training packages Unpacking units: where available Foundation Skills information ACSF mapping information otherwise Trigger words Level of difficulty (performance variables) Industry consultation and validation

How can foundation skills be supported? ►Use of authentic texts, role plays – workplace documents and scenarios ►Explicit teaching of embedded literacy and numeracy tasks ►Teach specialist language and jargon ►Contextualised use of foundation skills ►Reduce reading demands to match workplace expectation ►Plain English, simple language, short sentences ►Visual aids, models, demonstrations ►Use group discussion and team approaches ►Source industry examples and resources

Support resources ►What Works for LLN, free video segments for professional development: ►Building Strong Foundations, online support resource for FSK Foundation Skills Training Package: ►Making the Connections, professional development kit for vocational practitioners: ►Putting the Jigsaw Together, numeracy resources for VET trainers: Together Together ►Taking the Lead, online advice and e-newsletter: ►Australian WELL Practitioners Network – resource list and links:

TAE skill set Address Foundation Skills in Vocational Practice Skill Set ►TAELLN411 Address adult language, literacy and numeracy ►TAELLN412 Access resources and support to address foundation skills ►TAELLN413 Integrate foundation skills into training delivery ►IBSA User Guide ►What Works for LLN video resources

Graduate Diploma qualifications ►TAE80113 Graduate Diploma of Adult Language, Literacy and Numeracy Practice ►TAE80213 Graduate Diploma of Adult Language, Literacy and Numeracy Leadership ►IBSA User Guide ►IBSA Knowledge Bank and Support Materials