Literacy, numeracy and problem solving in technology rich environments: a snapshot of low proficiency in the Irish labour market

Transcription

1 Literacy, numeracy and problem solving in technology rich environments: a snapshot of low proficiency in the Irish labour market

2 The research team who worked on this report are: Author: Dr Sarah Gibney, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University College Dublin. Research support and advice: Inez Bailey, Tina Byrne and Helen Ryan, National Adult Literacy Agency. Acknowledgement The research team gratefully acknowledges the suggestions and advice of Dr Mark Morgan, Professor of Education and Psychology at St. Patrick s College, Dublin, in preparing this report. Published by the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA),

3 Contents Page SECTION ONE: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND The Research Context Definitions of Literacy, Numeracy and Problem Solving in 6 Technology Rich Environments (PSTRE) 1.3. A Focus on Low Proficiency Comparative Proficiency Scores Research Questions Summary of the Main Findings Conclusions and implications for policy makers 10 SECTION TWO: STUDY METHODOLOGY The PIAAC Survey and Data Analytic Strategy SECTION THREE: RESULTS 3.1. Sample Characteristics Comparative Proficiency Levels Low Proficiency Compared with Mid-level Proficiency (Level 2-3) Low Proficiency within Skills-based Occupational Status Classifications 26 SECTION FOUR: SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS Summary and Conclusions Policy Implications 36 REFERENCES 39 ANNEXES (A-D) 41 TABLES Table 1: Proficiency Levels and Corresponding Ranges 13 3

4 Table 2: Overview of Proficiency Level 2 Survey Tasks 13 Table 3: Proportion of respondents within each proficiency level (Literacy, Numeracy 20 and PSTRE (%) Table 4: Proportion of Respondents with Low Proficiency Levels and Demographic 22 Characteristics Table 5: Proportion of Respondents with Low Proficiency Levels and Education 23 Table 6: Proportion of Respondents with Low Proficiency Levels and Employment and 24 Income Table 7: Proportion of Respondents with Low Proficiency Levels and Health Status 26 Table 8: Multivariate Logistic Regression of Low Proficiency for Skilled Occupations 28 Table 9: Multivariate Logistic Regression of Low Proficiency for Semi-skilled, White 30 Collar Occupations Table 10: Multivariate Logistic Regression of Low Proficiency for Semi-skilled, Blue 32 Collar Occupations Table 11: Multivariate Logistic Regression of Low Proficiency for Semi-skilled, 33 Elementary Occupations 4

5 One: Introduction and Background Ireland participated in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) s survey of adult skills known as the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) survey in The primary objective of the PIAAC survey was to collect information relating to adult skills in the areas of literacy, numeracy and problem-solving in technology rich environments (PSTRE). The survey involved extensive testing of performance in completing tasks in these domains. These three domains are intended to reflect adult skills beyond those captured by previous measures of educational attainment, literacy and numeracy. These measures therefore signal an important departure from measures of reading, writing and arithmetic which previously have been used to describe the skillset of the Irish labour market and analysed to understand a range of social, economic and health outcomes in the Irish population. The OECD has adopted a social participation framework within the PIAAC study whereby reading and literacy more broadly are a prerequisite for active engagement in diverse aspects of social life ranging from accessing services, employment income outcomes, to making informed political decisions. The following report describes the results of the PIAAC survey from the Republic of Ireland in relation to specific aspects of the labour market. This report specifically focusses on low literacy, numeracy and PSTRE within this context and in terms of skills-based occupation classifications and employment based occupational status. This focus on the supply side of the labour market was adopted in order to align the information collected by the PIAAC survey with the ongoing reporting of national skills by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs in Ireland Research Context A basic level of literacy and numeracy is essential for even minimal engagement in society as a citizen, consumer, parent or employee (OECD, 2013). Results from previous surveys of adult literacy and numeracy in Ireland (International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) and the Adult Literacy and Life Skills (ALL) survey) demonstrated that there were a substantial number of adults with poor literacy and numeracy skills and these poor skills were associated with negative social and economic outcomes. These outcomes included lower wages and a higher probability of unemployment both short and long term. In relation to the labour market, literacy and numeracy are key factors which shape individual life chances and their impact is critical 5

6 for employment, earnings and training expenditure (Kelly et al. 2012a; Kelly et al., 2012b). The National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) have highlighted that there is a lack of attention being paid to people who are already in the workforce who have not attained the requisite levels of literacy and numeracy in their initial education (Kelly et al. 2012b). The OECD have stated that basic literacy and numeracy skills are of increasing importance, both as a support for further learning and because of growing technical requirements in the workplace (OECD, 2014). International results from the PIAAC survey indicated that some adults, even with post-secondary qualifications, have weak basic skills (OECD, 2014). According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO), across participating OECD countries, Ireland ranked 17 th out of 24 in terms of Literacy, 19 th out of 24 in terms of Numeracy (CSO, 2012) Definitions of Literacy, Numeracy and Problem Solving in Technology Rich Environments (PSTRE) Literacy Within the PIAAC survey, literacy was defined as understanding, evaluating, using and engaging with written texts to participate in society, to achieve one s goals, and to develop one s knowledge and potential. The operationalisation of this definition in the survey incorporates: understanding written text presented in graphic form and accessible through a variety of media; the construction of meaning from a text, including both individual words and the underlying theme of narratives; evaluating through making judgments about texts; application of information and ideas in a text; and engagement with reading. Numeracy Within the PIAAC survey, numeracy was defined as the ability to access, use, interpret and communicate mathematical information and ideas in order to engage in and manage the mathematical demands of a range of situations in adult life. This definition is also coupled with detailed definition of and facets of numerate behaviour. Numerate behaviour involves managing a situation or solving a problem in a real context by responding to mathematical content/information/ideas represented in multiple ways. The facets involved in numerate behaviour include contexts, responses, mathematical content/information/ideas, representations of mathematical information, and enabling processes (cognitive and noncognitive). The OECD notes that this definition is compatible with previous definitions and 1 Due to the high proportion (17%) of respondents who opted out of the computer-based assessment in Ireland, PSTRE score are not suitable for international comparison. 6

7 concepts of numeracy in the literature and the ALL survey. Furthermore, this reflects the emphasis of the PIAAC survey on competencies relevant for the information age. PSTRE Within the PIAAC survey, PSTRE was defined as using digital technology, communication tools and networks to acquire and evaluate information, communicate with others and perform practical tasks. This is the first study of its kind and the PIAAC problem-solving survey focused on the abilities of respondents to solve problems for personal, work and civic purposes by setting up appropriate goals and plans, and accessing and making use of information through computers and computer networks A Focus on Low Proficiency Current literature surrounding the PIAAC survey and from the OECD emphasises the central concept that a basic level of literacy and numeracy is essential for full participation in modern society. This is the case for even minimal engagement in society as a citizen, consumer, parent or employee (OECD, 2013). Furthermore, basic skills of literacy and numeracy are particularly important in order to support further learning due to growing technical requirements in the workplace (OECD, 2014). Previous surveys of literacy and numeracy in Ireland (IALS and ALL) showed that there were a significant number of adults in Ireland with poor literacy and numeracy skills. These poor skills were, in turn, associated with negative socio-economic outcomes including lower wages and a higher probability of unemployment both short and long term. In Ireland as in many other countries (for example, England, New Zealand, Northern Ireland and Scotland), these survey findings provided an evidence base for the development of national adult literacy and numeracy strategies. More recently, using data from the National Employment Survey (NES) Kelly et al. (2012b) highlighted the relationship between literacy difficulties and reduced earnings, and a marginal negative wage effect for employees with numeracy difficulties who worked full-time. With this research in mind and in consultation with the National Adult Literacy Agency, this research report focusses on the relationship between low proficiency in literacy, numeracy and PSTRE within the Irish workforce. Highlighting any factors (demographic and/or economic) which differentiate individuals with low proficiency from individuals immediately above the low literacy threshold (rather than those with high proficiency) may be useful to policy makers and education providers who are concerned with targeting education programmes towards adults who currently lack the basic skills to fully participate in modern society. 7

8 1.4. Comparative Proficiency Scores This report focusses on exploring the characteristics of respondents with low literacy in the Republic of Ireland only. In order to contextualise this research, the following results from the PIAAC survey in Ireland published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) (2013) and OECD are noteworthy. Literacy Compared with the OECD average score of 270 Ireland had a mean literacy score of 266. In terms of ranking, this placed Ireland 17 th out of 24 participating countries and this figure is comparable to that of Germany, Poland, Austria, Flanders (Belgium) and Northern Ireland. Across the literacy proficiency levels, 17.9% of respondents in Ireland were at or below level 1 compared with an OECD average of 16.7%, however these figures are not statistically different. Numeracy Compared with the OECD average score of 266 Ireland had a significantly lower mean literacy score of 225. This placed Ireland 19 th out of 24 countries and this figure is comparable to that of Northern Ireland and France. A total to 25.6% of respondents are at or below level 1 in numeracy, compared to the OECD average of 20.2%. Problem-solving in Technology Rich Environments (PSTRE) PSTRE is reported in 3 proficiency levels due to the small pool of items used in this first ever measure of IT proficiency which represents a narrow assessment of this skills domain (CSO, 2012). Recent OECD figures estimate that in Ireland, the proportion of respondents below level 1 PSTRE proficiency was 19% and 44% of respondents in Ireland were at level 1 PSTRE (OECD, 2014) Research Questions With this background in mind, the specific questions that are addressed in this report are as follows: What proportions of respondents in Ireland have low proficiency in literacy, numeracy and problem-solving in technology rich environment skills and how does this vary by a) age, b), gender, c) educational attainment, d) employment status, e) economic sector, f) income, g) occupational classification, and h) self-rated health? 8

9 What is the difference between respondents with low proficiency and respondents with mid-level proficiency in terms of a) age, b), gender, c) educational attainment, d) income, e) employment status, f) economic sector, g) income, h) occupational classification, and i) self-rated health? Within different skills-based occupational groups, what characteristics (age, gender, education, sector, occupation and health) raise or lower the odds of having low proficiency in literacy, numeracy and PSTRE skills? 1.6. Summary of the Main Findings In Ireland, 17% of respondents were at or below level 1 in literacy, 25% of respondents were at or below level 1 for numeracy and 63% were at or below level 1 for PSTRE. These proportions are higher than the OECD average of 15% (literacy), 19% (numeracy) and 55% (PSTRE) respectively. Within the Irish sample, there was no significant difference in the proportion of men and women with low literacy but a significantly higher proportion of women had low numeracy and PSTRE proficiency. A significantly higher proportion of older respondents and respondents with lower levels of educational attainment had low literacy, numeracy and PSTRE proficiency compared with mid-range proficiency scores. Within the workforce o Women had significantly higher odds of: low numeracy in all occupations (except elementary occupations); low PSTRE in skilled and semi-skilled (white collar) occupations; and low literacy in elementary occupations. o Older respondents had significantly higher odds of: low numeracy in all skilled and semi-skilled occupations; low PSTRE in semi-skilled (white collar) and semi-skilled (blue-collar) occupations; and low literacy in all skilled and semiskilled occupations. 9

10 o Respondents with a higher level of educational attainment had significantly lower odds of low literacy, numeracy and PSTRE within all occupational classifications. o Within skilled occupations, public sector employees had significantly higher odds of low PSTRE proficiency compared with those in the non-profit sector. o Within semi-skilled (white and blue collar) occupations, private sector employees had a significantly higher odds of low numeracy proficiency compared with those in the non-profit sector. o Within semi-skilled, white collar occupations, Service Worker, Shop or Market Salespersons had significantly higher odds of low literacy, numeracy and PSTRE compared with Clerks Conclusions and implications for policy makers These results highlight that low proficiency in these key skills is predicted by age and gender, particularly within skilled and semi-skilled occupations. While the measures of literacy, numeracy and PSTRE utilised in the PIAAC survey are intended to reflect adult skills beyond those captured by previous measure of educational attainment, this report also illustrates the consistent role of formal education in the literacy, numeracy and PSTRE skills base of the adult population in Ireland. Education and training Educational attainment was the strongest and most consistent predictor of low literacy, numeracy and PSTRE within all skills-based occupational classifications. However, increasing attainment alone may not fully ensure higher levels of proficiency in all three domains. The OECD has recommended that professional education and training programmes should ensure adequate literacy and numeracy skills among their students alongside occupation-specific competencies (OECD, 2014). According to the OECD, this means assessing basic skills at the outset of programmes, addressing weaknesses, and integrating basic skills development into professional programmes. The PIAAC survey is particularly useful in this regard. Attention could be paid to the specific content of the PIAAC measurement tools in order to fully understand the specific tasks which respondents with low proficiency are unable to complete. Furthermore, the PIAAC survey is a rich source of information on literacy, numeracy and 10

11 PSTRE tasks that adults with low literacy find difficult to complete. This information could be used to strengthen existing programmes of formal education as well as workplace training. Older Workers Increasing age was associated with lower proficiency scores in all three skill domains. The oldest respondents in the sample were aged 65, denoting early old age. This study shows that at present there is a concentration of older workers in Ireland who face substantial literacy, numeracy and PSTRE difficulties, which may undermine their economic and social wellbeing, their continued labour market participation. This is a considerable barrier to healthy ageing at an individual and population level. Gender Although there was little difference in the proportion of males and females who had low literacy levels, female respondents had higher odds of having low numeracy and PSTRE skills in skilled occupations. This finding is particularly problematic within the context of the rapidly expanding science, technology and financial sectors. Therefore education policies to address gender disparities in science and mathematics should be strengthened further to equalise numeracy and PSTRE proficiency between men and women entering, and currently in, the workforce. This may also have a positive impact in reducing the earning disparity between men and women at the bottom of the earnings distribution associated with low numeracy and perhaps, low PSTRE. The remainder of the report is outlined as follows. The motivation for focusing on low literacy is also discussed. Section Two contains details of the study methodology, including and overviewof the PIAAC survey and how the analysis has been designed. Section Three contains the results of the analysis. Section Four provides summary of the results, conclusions and implications for policy makers in Ireland. 11

12 Two: Study Methodology 2.1. The PIAAC Survey and Data As noted by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) and the Irish Department of Education and Skills, the PIAAC survey builds upon the previous research of the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) and the Adult Literacy and Life Skills (ALL) surveys which previously reported on adult skills in Ireland. A total of 24 countries participated in the PIAAC survey and data is available for national, sub-national and partner entities (the Russian Federation). For example, Ireland and the United Kingdom participated in the survey, however separate dataset are available for Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and England. In Ireland, approximately 6,000 adults aged between 16 and 65 completed the PIAAC survey with a response rate of 72%. The PIAAC survey was conducted in Ireland in between August 2011 and March This quantitative survey involved questionnaire responses and the completion of tasks utilising a laptop computer or on paper (if the respondent did not wish to use the laptop computer). A comprehensive overview of the study design and implementation is available in a technical report produced by the OECD, accessible at In Ireland approximately 17% of the sample opted to take the paper-based assessment rather than the computer-based assessment compared with an international average of approximately 9%. Therefore for this group there is no problem solving data available, despite a high proportion of respondents indicating some prior computer experience. The Irish sample comprises approximately 6,000 adults aged between 16 and 65. Proficiency Levels and Score Ranges The definitions of literacy, numeracy and problem solving in technology rich environments (PSTRE) have been provided in section 1.2 above. In terms of proficiency levels and score ranges, literacy and numeracy levels are broken down into five meaningful levels associated with specific scores ranges and PSTRE is broken down into three levels. These ranges and level are detailed in Table 1 (below). 12

13 Table 1: Proficiency Levels and Corresponding Ranges Literacy and Numeracy Problem Solving Level Range Level Range Below level Below level Level Level Level Level Level Level Level Level Source: Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), A short summary of level 2 tasks which participants with low proficiency (at or below level 1) would be unable to complete is provided in Table 2 below. Table 2: Overview of Proficiency Level 2 Survey Tasks Literacy Numeracy PSTRE Understand dense, lengthy, and continuous, non-continuous, mixed, or multiple pages of text; understand rhetorical structures and navigating complex digital texts; identify, interpret, or evaluate one or more pieces of information with varying levels of inference; construct meaning across larger chunks of text or perform multi-step operations in order to identify and formulate responses. Identify and act on mathematical information and ideas embedded in a range of common contexts where the mathematical content is fairly explicit or visual with relatively few distractors; the application of two or more steps or processes involving calculation with whole numbers and common decimals, percentages and fractions; simple measurement and spatial representation; estimation; and interpretation of relatively simple data and statistics in texts, tables and graphs. Make use of a novel online form; navigation across pages and applications; the use of tools (E.g. a sort function) to resolve a problem; navigate unexpected outcomes or impasses may appear; and evaluating the relevance of a set of items to discard distractors. 13

14 A detailed summary of all proficiency level survey tasks for literacy, numeracy and PSTRE is provided in Appendix A. Measures This report focusses on the relationship between low proficiency in all three domains (literacy, numeracy and PSTRE) and demographic, education, employment and health characteristics of the respondents. This relationship is explored with reference to four specific labour market contexts: economic sector, industry classification, occupational classification and occupational skills-based classification. All measures are now summarised below. A detailed overview of the derivation of each measure, the international methodology which underpins the various labour market and education measures is contained in Appendix B. Low proficiency is defined as a proficiency score at or below level 1. For the purpose of this analysis, a dichotomous variable was created whereby low proficiency = 1 and mid-range proficiency (level 2 or 3) = 0. Levels 4 and 5 (high proficiency) are not included in this analysis. As there are fewer PSTRE levels, low PSTRE proficiency (at or below level 1) is compared with level 2 and 3 PSTRE proficiency combined. Employment status Employment status is self-reported based on current work situation and includes the following categories: employed or self-employed; retired; not working and looking for work; student (including work programmes); doing unpaid household work; and other. Employment based occupational classification Employment based occupational classification measured using the International Standard Classification of Occupations (2008). This variable has 9 categories: armed forces; legislator, senior officials and managers; professionals; technicians and associate professionals; clerks; service workers and shop and market sales workers; skilled agricultural and fishery workers; craft and related trades workers; plant and machine operators and assemblers; and elementary occupations. Skills-based occupational classification 14

15 There are four skills-based occupational classifications: skilled, semi-skilled white-collar occupations, semi-skilled blue-collar occupations, and elementary occupations. In addition, within this measure individuals who have not worked more than 5 years and individuals where the occupation and/or industry is unknown or not stated or inferred are also coded. Economic sector In this analysis, economic sector is classified as private, public or non-profit organisation. The public sector comprises the general government sector plus all public corporations including the central bank. A non-profit organisation is a legally constituted organisation whose objective is to support or engage in activities of public or private interest without any external commercial or monetary profit. Education Education is measured as the highest level of formal education obtained using 6 categories derived from the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) (UNESCO, 2011). This includes: 1, lower secondary or less; 2, upper secondary; 3, post-secondary, non-tertiary; 4, tertiary professional degree; 5, tertiary bachelor degree; 6, tertiary masters/research degree. Age and Gender Age is measured in 5 categories: 24 or less; 25-34; 35-44; 45-54; Gender is measured as either male or female Analytic Strategy Comparing Proficiency Scores The core research aim is to profile the characteristics of respondents with low literacy, numeracy and PSTRE in different industry and occupational classifications. In terms of methodology, within each skills-based occupational classification, respondents with low literacy (at or below level 1) are compared with literacy levels of 2-3 combined. Descriptive Statistics 15

16 The proportion of the Irish sample with low proficiency (at or below level 1) within each occupation, industry and with respect to individual characteristics (age, gender, income, employment and health) is presented first. We then test if the proportion of respondents with low proficiency compared with level 2-3 proficiency differs by 1) background characteristics (age, gender, income, employment and health) and 2) by industry and occupational classification. We use Chi Squared ( 2 ) tests for significant differences in proportions of respondents in each category for this purpose. In the corresponding tables of results, these differences are described as being statistically significant at the three different levels. The significance level is indicated as *, ** or *** (* p<0.10, ** p<0.05 and ***p<0.001) and these denote marginal to highly significant results, respectively. Non-significant relationships are indicated as NS. Econometric Analysis We use econometric analysis techniques to identify the individual impact of different characteristics (age, gender, education and economic sector) on the likelihood of having low proficiency in literacy, numeracy and PSTRE, respectively. The specific models that we estimate are called logistic regression models. We present separate models for each skillsbased occupational classification: skilled, semi-skilled white-collar occupations, semi-skilled blue-collar occupations, and elementary occupations. We estimate the odds of having low versus level 2-3 proficiency in each domain (literacy, numeracy, and PSTRE). We investigate the extent to which demographic (age and gender), economic (education, sector and employment classification), and health status predictors of the odds of low proficiency. In each model, two categories of economic sector (public and private) are compared with the non-profit organization as a reference category. Therefore in the model, the odds of having low proficiency for respondents working in the public sector and respondents working in the private sector are compared with the odds of respondents working in a non-profit organisation. For respondents who are unemployed at the time of the survey, this analysis is completed with information for their last paid job. Interpreting the Results For the logistic regression models, results are presented as Odds Ratios (OR). An odds ratio (OR) is a measure of association between an exposure and an outcome; the odds that an outcome will occur given a particular exposure, compared to the odds of the outcome 16

17 occurring in the absence of that exposure. In this study, the outcome of interest is low proficiency and the exposures are the demographic and economic characteristics of Irish adults. For the purpose of interpretation: OR=1 Exposure does not affect odds of outcome OR>1 Exposure associated with higher odds of outcome OR<1 Exposure associated with lower odds of outcome In the regression analysis the p value of the OR indicates whether the relationship is statistically significant or not. Statistical significance is reported in the column Sig. in the regression tables. Statistical significance is reported as *, ** or *** depending on the level of significance (* p<0.10, ** p<0.05 and ***p<0.001). Non-significant relationships are indicated as ns. An additional note on missing values and statistical software is contained in Appendix C. 17

18 Three: Results The characteristics of the Irish sample relevant to this research report are summarised in Section 3.1. Tables illustrating the proportion of respondents at or below level 1 for each skill domain with reference to their background characteristics are presented in Section 3.2. Section 3.3 contains an overview of the bivariate and multivariate analysis which further investigates the background characteristics of respondents which predict low proficiency within different occupational classifications Sample Characteristics A comprehensive overview of the PIAAC survey results from Ireland is available from the CSO (2013). However, key demographic and economic results which are relevant to this study are now summarised. Demographic characteristics of the Irish sample In the Irish sample there were almost equal proportions of men and women. The majority (24.36%) were aged between 25 and 34. Only 16% of the sample where aged 55 and older, with an upper age limit of 65. In relation to self-reported health status, 36.96% of respondents reported their health as very good whereas almost 10% reported their heath as either fair or poor. Economic characteristics of the Irish sample A large proportion of the respondents reported an educational attainment level of lower secondary education or less (28.45%). This could partially relate to the age range of the sample which has a lower limit of 16 and therefore includes current secondary school pupils who have not yet completed the Leaving Certificate. Approximately 48% of the sample had a form of tertiary education. At the time of the survey just over half of the respondents were employed (56.7%). The majority of respondents in employment were working in the private sector at the time of the survey (44.6%). 18

19 Almost one third (27.0%) had an income rank of between 50 and less than 75. Almost equal proportions of the sample were employed in skilled occupations (28.2%) and semi-skilled, white collar occupations (27.2%). There were a high proportion of respondents who had not paid work in the five years prior to the survey (19.0%). The composition of this category is likely to include those who are retired early and those in full-time education (pupils and students). Almost equal proportions of the sample who were currently employed were either service workers (12.7%) or professionals (13.0%) Comparative Proficiency Levels Proficiency levels in Ireland compared with the OECD average, England (UK), Northern Ireland (UK) and England and Northern Ireland combined are summarised in Table 3. 19

20 Literacy Below S.E At S.E At S.E At S.E At Level 4 S.E At S.E Literacy S.E Level 1 (%) Level 1 (%) Level 2 (%) Level 3 (%) (%) Level 5 (%) related nonresponse (%) Literacy OECD Average 3 (0.1) 12 (0.1) 34 (0.2) 39 (0.2) 11 (0.1) 1 (0.0) Ireland 4 (0.4) 13 (0.8) 38 (0.9) 36 (0.9) 8 (0.5) # # England (UK) 3 (0.4) 13 (0.7) 34 (1.0) 36 (1.0) 13 (0.7) 1 (0.2) # Northern Ireland 3 (0.5) 15 (0.9) 37 (1.5) 35 (1.7) 10 (0.6) # # (UK) England & N. 3 (0.4) 13 (0.7) 34 (1.0) 36 (1.0) 12 (0.7) 1 (0.2) # Ireland Numeracy Below S.E At S.E At S.E At S.E At Level 4 S.E At S.E Literacy S.E Level 1 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 5 related nonresponse OECD Average 5 (0.1) 14 (0.1) 33 (0.2) 35 (0.2) 12 (0.1) 1 (0.0) Ireland 7 (0.5) 18 (0.8) 38 (0.9) 29 (0.9) 7 (0.6) 1 (0.1) # England (UK) 6 (0.5) 18 (0.9) 34 (1.1) 30 (1.1) 11 (0.8) 1 (0.2) # 20

21 response Source: Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), 2012 Northern Ireland 6 (0.8) 19 (1.2) 37 (1.2) 30 (1.2) 8 (0.7) 1 (0.2) # (UK) England & N. 6 (0.5) 18 (0.9) 34 (1.0) 30 (1.0) 10 (0.8) 1 (0.2) # Ireland PSTRE Below Level 1 S.E At Level 1 S.E At Level 2 S.E At Level 3 S.E No computer experience S.E Failed ICT Core S.E Refused CBA S.E Literacy related non- OECD Average 16 (0.2) 39 (0.3) 37 (0.2) 8 (0.1) Ireland 19 (1.0) 44 (1.2) 33 (1.2) 5 (0.5) # # # # England (UK) 18 (1.0) 40 (1.2) 35 (1.1) 7 (0.6) # # # # Northern Ireland 21 (1.9) 43 (1.5) 31 (1.5) 5 (0.8) # # # # (UK) England & N. Ireland 18 (1.0) 40 (1.2) 35 (1.0) 7 (0.6) # # # # Note: Not available; Not applicable; # Rounds to zero. S.E (Standard Error). Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Some apparent differences between estimates may not be statistically significant. report was generated using the PIAAC International Data Explorer. Table 3: Proportion of respondents within each proficiency level (Literacy, Numeracy and PSTRE (%) 21

22 Compared with the OECD average, Ireland has a higher proportion of respondents at and below level one in terms of literacy and numeracy and PSTRE. Compared with England, Ireland has a higher proportion of respondents below level one for literacy, numeracy and PSTRE, a higher proportion of respondents at level one for PSTRE and equal proportions of respondents at level one for literacy and numeracy. Compared with Northern Ireland, Ireland has a higher proportion of respondents below level one for literacy, equal proportion of respondents below level one for numeracy and a lower proportion of respondents below level one for PSTRE. Compared with Northern Ireland, Ireland has a lower proportion of respondents at level one for literacy and numeracy and a higher proportion at level one for PSTRE. The percentage (%) proportion of respondents at and below level 1 within each characteristic of interest is profiled in Tables 4-7. Table 4: Proportion of Respondents with Low Proficiency Levels and Demographic Characteristics (%) Low Proficiency Literacy Numeracy PSTRE Below 1 (%) At 1 (%) Below 1 (%) At 1 (%) Below 1 (%) At 1 (%) Age Group 24 or less plus Gender Male Female Note: # Rounds to zero. Reporting standards not met. ¹ The item response rate is below 85 percent. Missing data have not been explicitly accounted for. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Some apparent differences between estimates may not be statistically significant. Source: Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC),

23 Within each age category, the largest proportions of people with low proficiency were aged 55 and older. A total of 27.8 % had low literacy, 36.6 % had low numeracy and 85.3 % had low PSTRE. Equal proportions of men and women had low literacy, but a higher proportion of women had low numeracy (28.6%) and low PSTRE (65.6 %). Table 5: Proportion of Respondents with Low Proficiency Levels and Education (%) Low Proficiency Literacy Numeracy PSTRE Below 1 (%) At 1 (%) Below 1 (%) At 1 (%) Below 1 (%) At 1 (%) Education Lower secondary or less Upper secondary Post-secondary; non-tertiary Post-secondary; professional degree Post-secondary; bachelor # degree Post-secondary; masters/research degree Tertiary; bachelor/masters/research degree Note: # Rounds to zero. Reporting standards not met. ¹ The item response rate is below 85 percent. Missing data have not been explicitly accounted for. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Some apparent differences between estimates may not be statistically significant. Source: Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), Within level of educational attainment, a higher proportion of respondents with lower secondary education or less had low literacy (36.2%), low numeracy (46.3%) and low PSTRE (80.7%). Although the proportion of respondents at each higher level of educational attainment with low literacy does decrease, there are a consistently large proportion of respondents with 23

24 low PSTRE at each education level: 65.6% within upper secondary; 72.6% within postsecondary, non-tertiary; 58.2% within post-secondary, professional degree; 46.1% within postsecondary, bachelor degree; and 37% within post-secondary, masters/research degree. Table 6: Proportion of Respondents with Low Proficiency Levels and Employment and Income (%) Low Proficiency Literacy Numeracy PSTRE Below 1 (%) At 1 (%) Below 1 (%) At 1 (%) Below 1 (%) At 1 (%) Employment Sector Private sector Public sector Non-profit Skills-based Occupational Classification Skilled occupations 1.08¹ 6.27¹ 1.8¹ 9.2¹ 11.1¹ 41.1¹ Semi-skilled white-collar 2.51¹ 12.18¹ 5.3¹ 19.8¹ 18.8¹ 45.8¹ occupations Semi-skilled blue-collar 5.1¹ 15.85¹ 7.2¹ 19.2¹ 26.1¹ 46.5¹ occupations Elementary occupations 6.88¹ 19.07¹ 10.3¹ 24¹ 28.7¹ 45.9¹ Occupation: Industry classification Legislators, senior officials 1.73¹ 8.78¹ 2.1¹ 11¹ 12.9¹ 40¹ and managers Professionals ¹ 4.08¹ 0.6¹ 6.3¹ 9.5¹ 39.2¹ Technicians and associate 1.29¹ 6.37¹ 2.6¹ 10.8¹ 10.2¹ 43.3¹ professionals Clerks 1.44¹ 7.76¹ 2.8¹ 12.7¹ 14.2¹ 45.4¹ Service workers and shop 3.15¹ 13.33¹ 6.1¹ 22.3¹ 21.7¹ 45.8¹ and market sales workers Skilled agricultural and fishery workers 4.25¹ 14.74¹ 6.4¹ 15.8¹ 30.8¹ 45.7¹ 24

25 Craft and related trades 5.22¹ 13.36¹ 6.6¹ 16.5¹ 23.3¹ 44¹ workers Plant and machine operators 5.95¹ 18.57¹ 8.1¹ 22.9¹ 25¹ 52.3¹ and assemblers Elementary occupations 6.71¹ 19.48¹ 10.5¹ 24.2¹ 31.8¹ 44.6¹ Current employment status Employed/self-employed Retired Not working and job seeking Student (including work programmes) Doing unpaid household work Other Note: # Rounds to zero. Reporting standards not met. Armed forces are not reported due to the low number of respondents. ¹ The item response rate is below 85 percent. Missing data have not been explicitly accounted for. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Some apparent differences between estimates may not be statistically significant. Source: Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), Within each employment sector, the largest proportion of respondents with low literacy and low numeracy were in the non-profit sector; 19.5% and 32.6%, respectively. However, similar proportions of respondents with low PSTRE were observed in each employment sector: 59.1% in the private sector; 62.9% in the public sector; and 58.6 % in the non-profit sector. Within each skills-based occupational classification, higher proportions of respondents with low literacy were observed in the semi-skilled, blue-collar occupations (20.95%) and elementary occupations (25.95%). A similar pattern was observed in relation to low numeracy and PSTRE. However, a high proportion of respondents with skilled, white-collar occupations and semi-skilled, blue-collar occupations had low PSTRE; 52.2% and 64.6%, respectively. The proportion of respondents with low proficiency decreases considerably as income level increase, reflecting the higher proportion of adults with low proficiency who are employed in elementary occupations. 25

26 Table 7: Proportion of Respondents with Low Proficiency Levels and Health Status (%) Low Proficiency Literacy Numeracy PSTRE Below 1 (%) At 1 (%) Below 1 (%) At 1 (%) Below 1 (%) At 1 (%) Self-reported health status Excellent Very good Good Fair Poor Note: # Rounds to zero. Reporting standards not met. ¹ The item response rate is below 85 percent. Missing data have not been explicitly accounted for. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Some apparent differences between estimates may not be statistically significant. Source: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), Within each health status category, lower proportions of respondents with excellent health had low literacy (11.8%), low numeracy (18.5%). A larger proportion of respondents with fair or poor health also had low literacy and numeracy. Similar proportions of respondents with excellent, very good, good health had low PSTRE (between 59 and 64.7%), whereas 73.1% of respondents with fair health had low PSTRE Low Proficiency Compared with Mid-level Proficiency (Level 2-3) We used bivariate analysis (Chi Squared 2 ) to compare the proportion of respondents at or below level 1 proficiency with the proportion of respondents at level 2-3 (combined). These results are presented in a series of tables in Appendix D. Importantly, and in order to inform the econometric analysis, key results showed that: There was no significant difference in the proportions of men and women with low proficiency scores for literacy but a significantly higher proportion of women had low numeracy and PSTRE scores. 26

27 A significantly higher proportion of older respondents and respondents with lower levels of educational attainment had low literacy, numeracy and PSTRE scores compared with level 2-3 scores. No significant difference was observed between economic sectors for the proportion of respondents with low proficiency compared with level 2-3 for literacy and numeracy. However a significantly higher proportion of respondents in the private and public sectors had a low PSTRE score compared with those in the non-profit sector. A higher proportion of respondents who are in semi-skilled white and blue collar occupations have low proficiency scores in all three domains. Although there was no significant difference observed in the proportion of adults with low and mid-level literacy in each economic sector, a significant difference was observed for the proportion of adults with low proficiency scores for all domains in each skills-based occupational status classification. On this basis, separate regression models were constructed for each category of the skills-based occupational status classification. This approach facilitates the investigation of the characteristics of respondents with low literacy within these categories. The characteristics include gender, age and educational attainment and health. The economic sector of the respondent and the occupation-based employment classification of the respondent are also included in the model. Where occupation-based employment classification is significant in the model, an additional model was constructed to further explore the employment classifications which significantly predict low literacy within each skills-based occupation. As will be shown, this is only the case for semi-skilled, white and blue collar occupations. Due to smaller number of respondents who completed the PSTRE component of PIAAC, once the sample is stratified by skills-based occupational classification the sample size is insufficient for a logistic regression model to detect significant differences in the predicting variables of interest. Therefore for semi-skilled, blue collar occupations and elementary occupations, regression results are shown for low literacy and low numeracy only. The results of each regression model are presented in Tables 8 to 11 below. 27

28 Table 8: Multivariate Logistic Regression of Low Proficiency for Skilled Occupations Characteristic Low Literacy Low Numeracy Low PSTRE Sig. p OR CI (95 %) Sig. p OR CI (95 %) Sig. p OR CI (95 %) Gender (female) NS ** ** Age Group NS ** *** Education *** *** *** Economic Sector NS.594 NS.476 ***.000 (Non-profit reference group) Private Sector NS NS NS Public Sector NS NS ** Occupation-based NS NS NS Employment Classification Self-rated Health NS NS NS Constant NS Pseudo R N= Note: OR (Odds Ratios); Significance: * p<0.10, ** p<0.05, ***p< Source: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC),

29 Regression results for the skilled occupation groups were shown in Table 8. The Skilled Occupations group includes Legislators, Professionals and Technicians and Associate Professionals. Among the skilled occupations, respondents with a higher level of educational attainment had significantly lower odds of having low literacy, numeracy and PSTRE. Women and older respondents had significantly higher odds of low numeracy and low PSTRE. The odds of women having low numeracy and low PSTRE are approximately 40% higher than men. Increasing age was associated with approximately a 15% increase in the odds of low numeracy and approximately a 19% increase in the odds of having low PSTRE. Respondents who had skilled occupations within the public sector (compared with the non-profit sector) were more than twice as likely to have low PSTRE. Higher education was consistently associated with a lower odds of low literacy, numeracy and PSTRE; approximately 7%, 63% and 65% respectively. 29

30 Table 9: Multivariate Logistic Regression of Low Proficiency for Semi-skilled, White Collar Occupations Characteristic Low Literacy Low Numeracy Low PSTRE Sig. p OR CI (95 %) Sig. p OR CI (95 %) Sig. p OR CI (95 %) Gender (female) ** *** ** Age Group ** ** *** Education *** *** *** Economic Sector NS.249 *.061 NS.513 (Non-profit reference group) Private Sector NS ** NS Public Sector NS NS NS Occupation-based *** *** ** Employment Classification Self-rated Health NS ** * Constant Pseudo R N= Note: OR (Odds Ratios); Significance: * p<0.10, ** p<0.05, ***p< Source: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC),

31 Regression results for the semi-skilled, white collar occupations group were shown in Table 9. The Semi-skilled, White Collar occupations group includes Clerks and Service Workers, Shop and Market Sales. Among Semi-skilled, White Collar Occupations, women and older respondents had significantly higher odds of low literacy, numeracy and PSTRE. In each case, women were approximately twice as likely to have low proficiency compared with men. Increasing age was associated with a 31% increase in the odds of low literacy, a 17% increase in the odds of having low numeracy and a 57% increase in the odds of low PSTRE. Respondents with higher levels of educational attainment had between a 68% and 71% decrease in the odds of low proficiency. Clerks (compared with a Service Worker, Shop or Market Salesperson) had significantly lower odds of having a low literacy, numeracy and PSTRE. Private sector respondents had significantly lower odds of low numeracy compared with those in the nonprofit sector. Finally, respondents in poorer health had significantly higher odds of low numeracy, though this effect was relatively small. 31

32 Table 10: Multivariate Logistic Regression of Low Proficiency for Semi-skilled, Blue Collar Characteristic Low Literacy Low Numeracy Sig. p OR CI (95 %) Sig. p OR CI (95 %) Gender (female) NS *** Age Group NS ** Education *** *** Economic Sector NS.399 *.061 (Non-profit reference group) Private Sector NS ** Public Sector NS NS Occupation-based NS *** Employment Classification Self-rated Health *** ** Constant Pseudo R N= Note: OR (Odds Ratios); Significance: * p<0.10, ** p<0.05, ***p< Source: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), Occupations Regression results for the semi-skilled, blue collar occupations group are shown in Table 10. The Semi-skilled, Blue Collar Occupations includes: Skilled Agriculture and Fishing; Craft and Related Trades; and Plant and Machine Operators and Assemblers. Among Semi-skilled, Blue Collar Occupations, women and older respondents had significantly higher odds of low numeracy but not low literacy. Women were more than twice as likely to have low PSTRE and age was associated with approximately 18% increase in low numeracy. Increasing educational attainment was associated with a 61% decrease in the odds of low literacy and approximately a 66% decrease in the odds of low numeracy. Semi-skilled, Blue Collar respondents within the private sector had 47% lower odds of low numeracy compared with respondents in the non-profit sector. Machine Operators and Assemblers had a significantly lower odds of low numeracy compared with respondents classified as Skilled 32