What do employers want?

What do employers want?

In 1995, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published the results of an international adult literacy survey (IALS) in the report, "Literacy Skills for the Knowledge Society."

The study compared adult literacy skills in twelve countries, including the English-speaking nations of Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.
IALS examined three types of literacy:

Prose - the ability to understand and use information from texts such as editorials, news stories, poems and fiction.

Document - the ability to understand and use information in various formats, including job applications, payroll forms, transportation schedules, maps, tables and graphics.

Quantitative - the ability to apply arithmetic operations in activities such as balancing a chequebook, calculating a tip or determining interest on a loan.

Survey participants were graded on a five level scale:

Level 1 - very low level literacy - may not be able to determine an appropriate dose of medication from its label.

Level 2 - low level literacy - can perform simple tasks using material that is simple and clearly laid out.

Level 3 - basic literacy - the minimum desirable level by employers in most countries.

Levels 4 and 5 - high literacy - able to integrate several sources of information and solve complex problems.

Factors such as computerization, technological change and global competition have led to greater demands upon employees.
Employers increasingly demand minimum literacy levels of 3 or higher from their workers....MORE