Skills for Life

What are Skills for Life?

'the ability to read, write, speak in English and use mathematics at a level necessary to function and progress at work and in society in general'

 (Skills for Life: the national strategy for improving adult literacy and numeracy skills DfES 2001)

Up to 7 million adults in England have literacy skills below those expected of an average 11 year old. Even more have difficulty with numeracy. In addition, workers who do not have English as their first language need help with their English to make sure they can contribute fully to the needs of their workplace and to help them get on with their lives outside of work.

There are many benefits to improving literacy, language and numeracy skills, for individuals and for their employers.

Employers will benefit from:

•  more motivated employees
•  an increase in productivity
•  improved communication and customer care
•  enhanced company loyalty
•  a positive work atmosphere
•  a better qualified workforce
•  increased flexibility.

Employees will benefit from:

•  increased confidence
•  feeling more motivated and valued
•  an ability to do jobs more efficiently
•  a sense of achievement
•  a better team spirit
•  an improved understanding of specific work practices
•  more opportunities to develop their career.

Outside of work, people who have more confidence in their English or maths skills will feel more able to help their children with their schoolwork and more confident about dealing with everyday tasks which need reading, writing, speaking, listening and number skills.

Skills for Life is the national strategy for helping adults improve their literacy, language and numeracy skills. The strategy includes:

new adult curricula for Literacy, Numeracy and ESOL(English for Speakers of Other Languages)

• new adult qualifications for literacy, numeracy and ESOL
• new qualifications for teachers, assessors, support staff and people who can signpost learners to classes.

Learning

There are lots of different Skills for Life courses to choose from and, after initial assessment, the learning provider will advise individual learners on the best course for them.

Learners are encouraged to work for a certificate to show what they have achieved. The tutor will advise the individual learner on when they are ready to go for a qualification and the level at which they are likely to succeed.

Qualifications  

There are new adult qualifications in Literacy, Numeracy and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages).

The qualifications are:

Certificate in Adult Literacy
Certificate in Adult Numeracy
Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life

The certificates can be achieved at Entry Level, Level 1 and Level 2.

To achieve the Entry Level certificate the learner will complete set tasks in the classroom and if they meet the required standard they will receive a certificate.

For Level 1 and Level 2 Literacy and Numeracy the learner will need to sit and pass a short test. The test may be taken on paper or on a computer. The test will take place under supervised conditions to make sure that the work is all done by the learner.

There are 40 questions on the multiple choice question paper and the questions are about real things from everyday life. To have a go at a mini-test, to find out what the tests are like, go to www.move-on.org.uk . This site has lots more information about the tests and how to get ready to pass them.

Getting a qualification will:  

• give the learner more confidence in their abilities
• show what has been achieved through the learning
• help the learner get onto other courses such as NVQs
• provide evidence of the learner's skills to go on their CV
• show employers what they can do.

The test is usually free where it follows a course of study. Some learners may prefer to take the test straightaway; in this case there may be a small charge to cover the costs of the certificate and administration.