1. Survey of Adult Skills: Youth

2. The big picture
NZ scores above the OECD average in literacy, numeracy and problem solving in technology-rich environments
Differences in skills proficiency related to age, gender, education and social background are less pronounced in NZ than in other countries but sharp ethnic differences exist, particularly for Māori and Pacific peoples
NZ-born adults who speak English as a second language are over- represented among adults with low proficiency
In NZ, higher proficiency in literacy and numeracy has a positive impact on labour force participation and wages
There is a relationship between literacy levels and levels of trust in others, political efficacy, participation in volunteer activities and self-reported health

3. Youth skill comparison
LITERACY
NUMERACY
PROBLEM SOLVING

4. Youth skills and ethnicity over time

5. Youth skills over time
Between 2006 and 2014 there was a small reduction in the proportion of youth with low literacy scores and a small increase in the proportion of youth with high literacy skills (neither change was statistically significant)
Since 2006 there has been an increase in low-skilled youth with qualifications but this has not translated to an increase in literacy and numeracy skills.
People who are low skilled when they are young are unlikely to improve their skills as they age as opposed to those who are not low skilled and whose skills increase over time.

6. Skill levels and age group

7. Factors related to low skills

8. Discussion What surprises you about these results?
What are the implications of these findings for your workforce or your education organisation?
What does this mean for the contexts in which programmes for young people are run and the ways in which they are taught?
How might you adjust training programmes to ensure more equitable outcomes for Māori and Pasifika youth?

9. Methodology PIAAC measures adults’ skills in: Literacy Numeracy
Problem-solving in technology-rich environments
PIAAC gathers background data on education, employment, skills and qualifications required for work and used at home
PIAAC enables us to explore relationships between skills, education and employment, controlling for linguistic and socio-demographic factors

10. Where to find more information
NZ PIAAC reports:
Skills in New Zealand and Around the World
Skills and Work
Skills and Education
Youth Skills
Available at:

11. Where this information comes from
Ministry of Education, & Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment. (2016a). Skills and Education: Survey of Adult Skills. Ministry of Education, & Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment. (2016b). Skills at Work: Survey of Adult Skills. Skills-at-Work.pdf Ministry of Education, & Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment. (2016c). Skills in New Zealand and Around the World: Survey of Adult Skills. OECD. (2016). Skills Matter New Zealand.

12. How to find out more for yourself
Information on ‘Public Data & Analysis’:
OECD’s ‘PIAAC Gateway’ website ‘Data Tools › Datasets and Tools’ has tools to analyse the dataset
Guide: What You Need to Consider:

13. Acknowledgements
The Industry Training Federation gratefully acknowledges the work of the National Centre of Literacy and Numeracy for Adults and the Ministry of Education in developing this resource.