Summary
I never use the word "basic" because it puts people off completely and makes them feel stigmatised. "Skills for life", "essential skills", "help your children with their homework" - things like that I have used. It is not always just based around skills to do the job; it is based around skills for everyday life. The one regarding helping children with their homework is crucial.
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Extract
Adult Basic Skills: Whose Responsibility Is It Anyway?
Jenni Murray Thank you all for supporting this event, thanks to the Adult Basic Skills Strategy Unit, and thanks also to the New Statesman and Fellows' Associates for ensuring that this issue is addressed by a broad range of people. The discussion will be in two parts. We will look at causes and responsibility, and then the next steps that can be taken. First we are going to hear a short introduction outlining the context of the UK's basic skills problems from Dr Hilary Steedman of the London School of Economics.
ResponsibilityIntroduction by Hilary SteedmanIf we look at the levels of adult skills in this country - and the only reliable way we can do so at the moment is very inadequate - it means looking at certified qualifications. About two-thirds of the population are now at Level 2, but this improvement is almost exclusively a result of young people acquiring more qualifications. The rate of increase in the population over 30 is very small indeed. This does not mean these people are not acquiring skills, but they are not measurable skills. We have just reached the point that other European countries, such as Sweden, Germany or France, were at about ten years ago.The challenge of improving the skills of adults who are in employment, or some full-time occupation, is a very difficult one. If you look at workplace training, you can see a process of "unto those that have shall be given", which underlines the need for intervention by government, employers and trade unions. It is the responsibility of all of us to ensure that there is some equity in adult learning as well as in initial learning.So what are the problems in the way of adult learning? First, problems of finance: it is much more expensive to learn when you are an adult. Second, access, and that means opportunity as well: it is very difficult sometimes to find time in the working day. Third, pedagogic style: a hatred of going back to the classroom. And finally, incentives.I think employers can, without damaging their bottom line, try to provide smarter working for their employees. An example from Germany is to rotate workers' jobs so that they are not confined to one set of skills but acquire new ones. This could well enhance the profitability of a company. I also think that employers could give greater recognition to skills certificates - for example, NVQs. Adults would have a greater incentive to learn if they felt that such a qualification might lead to better recruitment, promotion and salary prospects. I...See the full content of this document
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