Unit 001: Literacy, language, numeracy and ICT needs for work, education and life Aims to:

1. Rhwydwaith Addysg Oedolion a Chymunedol Gwynedd a Mon Gwynedd and Mon Adult and Community Learning Network • Unit 001: Literacy, language, numeracy and ICT needs for work, education and life • Aims to: • Identify some of the difficulties faced by learners in relation to reading, writing, numeracy and speaking and listening • To summarise: • The specific groups of learners who are targeted in the national strategy • The place of ICT in the national strategy • and to: • Explore barriers to learning • Suggest strategies for overcoming barriers

2. Rhwydwaith Addysg Oedolion a Chymunedol Gwynedd a Mon Gwynedd and Mon Adult and Community Learning Network • What do you know about Basic Skills? • What do we mean by ‘basic skills’? • 2. How many adults in England and Wales do you think have problems with basic skills? • 1 in 10 b. 1 in 100 c. 1 in 5 d. 1 in 20 • 3. What is the number of people in Wales who have poor basic skills? • a 500 000 b 780 000 c 100 000 d 180 000 • 4. There are many jobs which do not need basic skills. True or false? • 5. Which are easier to read, words written in lower case letters or • CAPITAL LETTERS? • 6. What is the National Basic Skills Strategy for Wales?

3. Rhwydwaith Addysg Oedolion a Chymunedol Gwynedd a Mon Gwynedd and Mon Adult and Community Learning Network What are Basic Skills? ‘The ability to read, write and speak in English or Welsh and use mathematics at a level necessary to function and progress at work and in society in general’

4. Rhwydwaith Addysg Oedolion a Chymunedol Gwynedd a Mon Gwynedd and Mon Adult and Community Learning Network • One in five adults in England and Wales has problems with their basic skills. • Those people who need to ‘brush up’ on a few literacy or numeracy skills to achieve proficiency (at, or near, Level 1). They may need to consolidate aspects of spelling and punctuation, or number skills like fractions, decimals and percentages. • b) Those who have a lower level of attainment and need support to be confident in everyday skills (Entry 2 or 3). They may need to develop more effective reading skills, learn to write a letter which is clear and to the point, or check their change and use metric measures. • c) Those who have minimal reading, writing and number skills (Entry 1 and Pre-Entry). These people will need skilled and sustained tuition for some time in order to develop a range of functional skills. They will need to learn to write their name and address and read the words on everyday signs and labels, (e.g. DANGER, EXIT). They may need to learn basic addition and subtraction. Some will need to learn to recognise letters, numbers and coin values.

5. Rhwydwaith Addysg Oedolion a Chymunedol Gwynedd a Mon Gwynedd and Mon Adult and Community Learning Network The number of people in Wales who have poor basic skills are: 780 000 children, young people and adults have literacy and numeracy problems 25% of adults between the age of 16 – 65 do not have level 1 literacy skills 53% of adults between the age of 16 – 65 do not have level 1 numeracy skills

6. Rhwydwaith Addysg Oedolion a Chymunedol Gwynedd a Mon Gwynedd and Mon Adult and Community Learning Network There are lots of jobs which do not need basic skills. True or false? Research has shown that nowadays almost every job needs some competence in basic skills and the kind of jobs which need very little reading, writing or number skills are disappearing.

7. Rhwydwaith Addysg Oedolion a Chymunedol Gwynedd a Mon Gwynedd and Mon Adult and Community Learning Network Which are easier to read, words written in lower case letters or capital letters? WHICH ARE EASIER TO READ, WORDS WRITTEN IN LOWER CASE LETTERS OR CAPITAL LETTERS?

8. Rhwydwaith Addysg Oedolion a Chymunedol Gwynedd a Mon Gwynedd and Mon Adult and Community Learning Network In 2001 the Welsh Assembly Government introduced The National Basic Skills Strategy for Wales Challenge was to raise standards of literacy and numeracy for all. On behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government, The Basic Skills Agency is responsible for the basic skills strategy in Wales until 2010.

9. Rhwydwaith Addysg Oedolion a Chymunedol Gwynedd a Mon Gwynedd and Mon Adult and Community Learning Network • Aims: • All young children should be prepared for learning when they begin school. • 2. The number of children leaving primary school struggling over reading, writing and the use of number should be further reduced • 3. Fewer young people should leave compulsory education still struggling with basic skills. • 4. The number of adults with poor basic skills should be diminished significantly. • 5. Continue to raise awareness of basic skills across all sections of society. • 6. Embed basic skills provision into mainstream learning.

10. Rhwydwaith Addysg Oedolion a Chymunedol Gwynedd a Mon Gwynedd and Mon Adult and Community Learning Network Delivery Plan 2007–2010 for the National Strategy include: ensuring that those young people entering further education with basic skills needs are identified and are supported in their learning ensuring that all teachers working in the adult sector have an awareness of the basic skills needs of learners on entry increasing the capacity and quality of basic skills teaching for those learners across all settings

11. Rhwydwaith Addysg Oedolion a Chymunedol Gwynedd a Mon Gwynedd and Mon Adult and Community Learning Network ICT Skills – Basic Skills? “information, communication and technology” skills (ie being able to use personal computers and to manipulate electronic information) Should ICT skills be included in our definition of basic skills? There is no doubt that these skills are becoming ever more important in everyday life. They form a key part of many jobs and other activities such as personal banking and the purchasing of goods and services. They are also an increasingly important part of the learning process.

12. Rhwydwaith Addysg Oedolion a Chymunedol Gwynedd a Mon Gwynedd and Mon Adult and Community Learning Network We do not include ICT in our definition for the purposes of this Strategy. ICT skills are not so fundamental as reading, writing, speaking and basic mathematics. Indeed, these are essential in order to develop ICT skills themselves. The same is not true the other way around. Furthermore, there continues to be a strong demand for ICT learning, which is not always true for basic literacy and numeracy. Certainly, using new technology can be an excellent way of learning basic skills, and many basic skills learners are motivated by a wish to improve their ICT skills.