17 Mar What’s happening in the Literacy policy space?
Against the backdrop of the National Foundation Skills Strategy 2025-2035 two significant initiatives are taking place. These are: the scoping of an enhanced national foundation skills referral and advisory service; and a national study into foundation skill levels.
Scoping an enhanced national foundation skills referral and advisory service
A new scoping project is underway to look at an enhanced national referral and advisory service to support adults into foundation skills training and support employers to access foundation skills training for their workforce. Currently, the Reading Writing Hotline provides the national referral and advisory service for adult literacy, numeracy and digital literacy.
The Department of Education and Workplace Relations (DEWR) has engaged the CUBE Group to scope the enhanced services. As part of this process, Hotline representatives had an online consultation with the CUBE Group. Representatives highlighted the complexity of caller needs and the importance of having qualified, experienced teachers to assess and respond in ways that meet those needs. Rather than working like a call centre, they highlighted that the Hotline uses a strength‑based approach, which is key to ensuring callers feel confident to take the next steps.
Hotline representatives also noted that researching and maintaining the comprehensive database of providers, tutors, libraries and community groups was an essential element in effective and appropriate referrals.
The calls to the Hotline provide unique intelligence that underpins a broader role that has developed over the last 10 years. It includes advice to governments around critical issues such as the literacy/numeracy workforce, resource development, research and stakeholder engagement and activities.
Foundation Skills Study
On 4 March, ACAL held an informative and engaging webinar with Trevor Gauld, Deputy Commissioner, Jobs and Skills Australia on the JSA Foundation Skills Study, and how literacy practitioners can input.
Trevor explained that JSA’s role is around building a trusted independent evidence base that people can draw on to help inform policy programs that will help “shift the dial”.
He outlined the five parts of the Study and their timelines:
- Analysis of Administrative data.
This has been completed and is now on the JSA website
- Understanding skills across Australia
This is made up of a national survey measuring adult literacy and numeracy skill levels of Australians aged 15-74 years, and qualitative research with survey participants who consented to further research. This should be completed by the end of 2026.
- Murtu Yayngiliyn Study
The purpose of this work is to determine how best to measure literacy, numeracy and digital skills of First Nations Australians.
- Scoping Digital Skills
This project aims to develop a shared national definition of digital literacy
- Future program of work.
Literacy Practitioners are invited to submit ideas for future study on adult literacy and numeracy to JSA. People can send their ideas through the ACAL representatives Jo Medlin and Lorraine Sushames who are on the Foundation Skills Study Steering Committee on [email protected]