INTRODUCTION:
According to the OECD International Adult Literacy Survey, 25% of Irish adults – that is 500,000 people - ‘have problems with even the simplest literacy task’ such as reading timetables, and labels on medicine bottles, or calculating and estimating quantities. One in six of those who are in employment are at the lowest level.

Having gaps in basic skills does not mean that the individual is unable to carry out any of the basics of reading, writing, verbal communication and number work. People’s abilities tend to be ‘spiky’, which means that they can be very good at one thing but have a real difficulty with another, which interferes with their overall performance.

CONTENTS LIST. (Go to Members Area to Download a full copy >> )

	Executive Summary
	Literacy and the changing workplace
	Cost to business Knowing if someone needs help to develop literacy/numeracy skills Investing in workplace basic education Literacy levels in the Irish workforce
	Making the business case
	Taking action: responding to literacy and language needs in the workplace Action: 1 Scan the working environment Action: 2 Mind your business Action: 3 Think about the job Action: 4 Think about the people Action: 5 Decide how to help
	Case studies
	Engineering and manufacturing Construction Food processing
	Further information and resources Useful contacts
	Appendices 1 Persons aged 15 years and over at work, by occupation and level of education 2 Developing a workplace basic education programme 3 Costs of a workplace basic education programme
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