2. AGENDA
10:30 – 10:40 Welcome
Siobhan Carey, Chief Statistician,
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
10:40 – 10:55 Introduction
Catherine Paulson-Ellis, Head of English and Maths,
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
10:55 – 11:20 Skilled for Life:
Key Findings from the Survey of Adult Skills
Marco Paccagnella, Analyst,
Directorate for Education and Skills, OECD
11:20 – 11:40 Implications of PIAAC findings for England
Dr Newman Burdett, Head of Centre for International Comparisons
National Foundation for Education Research
11:40 – 12:00 Impact of poor basic skills: Employer perspective
Trinh Tu, Research Director,
Ipsos MORI Social Research Institute
12:00 – 12:30 PANEL DISCUSSION
12:30 – 13:30 LUNCH NETWORKING
Improving basic skills:
An international perspective
on a UK dilemma
14 January 2015
10:00 – 15:30
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS)
Victoria Conference Centre, London SW1H 0ET
IMPROVING BASIC SKILLS: AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE ON A UK DILEMMA
13:30 – 13:50 International review of adult basic skills: Learning from high-
performing and improving countries
David Mallows, Director of Research,
National Research and Development Centre for Adult Literacy and Numeracy
13:50 – 14:10 Basic skills policy development building on PIAAC:
Lessons from Norway
Xeni Dimakos, Director, Research Department,
Vox - Norwegian Agency for Lifelong Learning
14:10 – 14:30 Skills and practices in long-term adult literacy development:
Evidence from PIAAC and the Longitudinal Study of Adult Learning
Professor Steve Reder, Department of Applied Linguistics,
Portland State University
14:30 – 14:40 Nick Boles MP
Minister of State for Skills and Equalities
14:40-– 15:20 PANEL DISCUSSION / OPEN FORUM
15:20 – 15:30 Wrap Up
Siobhan Carey, Chief Statistician,
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
3. Skilled for Life: Key
findings from the Survey
of Adult Skills
Marco Paccagnella
Analyst, Directorate for
Education and Skills, OECD
The Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC)
was designed to provide insights
into the availability of some key
skills in society and how they are
used at work and at home. It
directly measures proficiency in
several information-processing skills
– namely literacy, numeracy, and
problem solving in technology-rich
environments.
The results of the Survey highlight
that in most countries there are
significant proportions of adults who
score at low levels of proficiency
on the literacy and numeracy
scales. Similarly, very few adults
demonstrated high levels of
proficiency on the problem solving
in technology-rich environments’
scale. Adults with tertiary-level
qualifications have generally large
advantages in proficiency over adults
with lower levels of educational
attainment. However, there are
significant overlaps in proficiency
levels across degrees, indicating that
proficiency is only partially related to
formal education, and that success
is increasingly about building skills
beyond schools. Immigrants with
a foreign-language background
and older adults have significantly
lower proficiency, when compared
respectively with native-born and
younger individuals.
Proficiency in literacy, numeracy,
and problem solving in technology-
rich environments is positively and
independently associated with the
probability of participating in the
labour market and being employed,
and with higher wages. Individuals
who score at lower levels of
proficiency are more likely to report
poor health, believe they have little
impact on the political process, not
participate in associative or volunteer
activities, and have lower levels of
trust in others.
Implications of PIAAC
findings for England
Dr Newman Burdett
Head of Centre for
International Comparisons,
National Foundation for
Education Research
NFER conducted the International
Survey of Adult Skills, an
international study led by the
Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development
(OECD)(see www.nfer.ac.uk). It
assessed adults’ skills in literacy,
numeracy and problem-solving in
technology-rich environments, and
collected background information
about participants through a
questionnaire. This presentation
covers the key findings from
additional research into how the
skills of young adults in England
compare to other countries, and the
implications of these differences.
In England, compared to other
OECD countries, the final stages of
compulsory education do not develop
young adults’ ability to perform the
types of tasks of real world literacy
and numeracy assessed in the Survey
of Adult Skills. The strong effect of
social background on the proficiency
of young people also suggests that
compulsory education in England is
not doing as much as other OECD
countries in reducing inequity.
In most other OECD countries, skills
peak at the end of compulsory
education. In England young adults
show significant gains in the period
after compulsory education. Although
young adults enter the world of work
or further education with relatively
low skills compared to other OECD
countries, they do continue to
effectively develop the relevant skills
whilst in the workplace. Businesses
in England also seem to make more
efficient use of these skills than
many other countries, giving young
adults more opportunities to practise
these skills and translate them into
productivity (earnings).
Impact of poor basic
skills: Employer
Perspective
Trinh Tu, Research Director,
Ipsos MORI Social Research
Institute
Successive UK governments have
focused on addressing basic skills
deficits in the workforce in recognition
of the economic and wider public
benefits. However, whilst there is a
wealth of research on employees’
basic skills levels, there is a lack
of evidence on the prevalence of
poor basic skills in the workplace
and its impact. Where research has
been undertaken in this field, it has
focused on the routes through which
employers might incur costs rather
than attempting to estimate them.
This presentation reports on the
findings of a large scale study of
employers in England,designed
specifically to bridge this evidence
gap. The research findings suggest
that the prevalence of basic skills
deficits(and associated costs) to
businesses may be understated.
It also finds that the majority of
workplaces with such deficits do not
provide basic skills training; rather
employers and employees are using
a range of informal solutions and
strategies with implications for policy
and program design.
International review
of adult basic skills:
Learning from high-
performing and improving
countries
David Mallows, Director of
Research, National Research
and Development Centre for
Adult Literacy and Numeracy
This presentation reports on the
findings of a recently completed
International Review of Adult Basic
Skills carried out for BIS by Ipsos
MORI and NRDC. The review drew
on analysis of PIAAC data and
national policy in high-performing
and improving countries, with the aim
of drawing lessons that could inform
future adult basic skills policy, its
delivery and the application of skills
by adults in England.
Basic skills policy
development on PIAAC:
Lessons from Norway
Xeni Dimakos, Director,
Research Department, Vox–
Norwegian Agency for Lifelong
Learning
In an international perspective
Norway is one of the high performing
countries in PIAAC. However, results
from PIAAC indicate that around 12
percent of the adult population is
poor at reading.
Moreover, the results show that
Norway’s younger population
scores below the population
average and that the results for all
age groups have been declining
over time (comparing PIAAC to
its predecessors IALS and ALL).
This presentation focuses on the
main challenges facing Norway, as
indicated by PIAAC, and the basic
skills policy developments following
PIAAC, focusing on obstacles and
possible new initiatives for improving
the level of basic skills of the
Norwegian population.
Skills and practices in
long-term adult literacy
development: Evidence
from PIAAC and the
Longitudinal Study of
Adult Learning
Professor Steve Reder,
Department of Applied
Linguistics, Portland State
University
This presentation focuses on the
development of literacy proficiency in
adulthood. PIAAC demonstrates that
literacy proficiency in adulthood is
closely connected with individuals’ life
chances, employment and earnings.
Nevertheless, relatively little is known
about lifespan development of adult
literacy proficiency. Although PIAAC
indicates that literacy proficiency
and literacy practices are positively
correlated, it does not clarify how
the two interact and reinforce one
another in the course of adult literacy
development over time. Using data
from the Longitudinal Study of Adult
Learning (LSAL), this presentation
examines how literacy proficiency and
literacy practices co-evolve over time in
adult life. Practice Engagement Theory
(PET) posits that literacy proficiency
develops across the lifespan as
individuals engage in literacy practices.
Higher levels of engagement in literacy
practices lead to greater growth of
literacy proficiency. Reciprocally,
higher levels of literacy proficiency
lead to increased engagement in
literacy practices.
Statistical models of PET are tested
with LSAL data consisting of repeated
measures of individuals’ literacy
proficiencies and their engagement
in literacy practices at multiple time
points. Dynamic models test whether
proficiency at later time points is
predicted by preceding levels of
proficiency and engagement in
literacy practices, and, simultaneously,
whether engagement levels at later
time points are predicted by earlier
levels of proficiency and practice
engagement. The findings support
PET and underline the importance of
including measures of engagement
in literacy practices in program
outcomes and of increasing the
follow-up intervals used in program
evaluations. Implications are
discussed for policy and program
design in adult education and training.
RESEARCH ABSTRACTS IMPROVING BASIC SKILLS: AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE ON A UK DILEMMA
4. Siobhan Carey, Chief
Statistician and Head of
Profession, Department for
Business, Innovation and Skills
(BIS)
Siobhan Carey joined BIS in November
2011. Her role includes leading the
statisticians in the Statistical Analysis
Unit, acting as Head of Profession for
statisticians across BIS and leading
on BIS capability in analysis and data
science. Key elements of the role are
ensuring compliance with the Code
of Practice for Official Statistics and
assessments of BIS outputs by the UK
Statistics Authority, and managing the
relationship with ONS (who produce
the bulk of economic statistics
essential for much of BIS analysis).
Before joining BIS, Siobhan worked
in a number of different areas in both
ONS and elsewhere, most recently
heading up the Economic Surveys
Division in ONS. She spent two and
a half years as Assistant Director
General in the Central Statistics
Office in Ireland and before that she
was Chief Statistician and Head of
Profession in the Department for
International Development. Siobhan
spent much of her earlier career
on household surveys specialising
in health and education surveys
including the first ever survey of
Adult Literacy in the UK and the
Programme for International Student
Achievement (PISA), and while at the
CSO led the PIAAC survey in Ireland.
Catherine Paulson-Ellis,
Head of English and Maths,
Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills
Catherine Paulson-Ellis has been
working in Government for nearly
twenty years. Her role is to lead a
programme of work and to advise
ministers and help them to fulfil their
democratic responsibilities.
Catherine has specialised in post-16
education and training, most recently
in adult literacy and numeracy, but
prior to that in vocational education
for young people and training for
unemployed people. She has also
worked across wider social policy
agendas including welfare reform,
child poverty and social mobility.
Catherine is a school Governor for a
large maintained secondary school
in Sheffield.
Nick Boles MP, Minister of State
for Skills and Equalities
Nick Boles was appointed as Minister
of State jointly for the Department for
Business, Innovation and Skills and
the Department for Education on 15
July 2014. He was elected as the
Conservative MP for Grantham and
Stamford in May 2010.
Nick is also a political fellow at the
Institute for Government and is the
founder, and a former director, of
Policy Exchange, a centre right policy
research institute.
Nick spent the first 10 years of his
career in business. He worked as a
merchant banker for a few years in
Germany, Russia and Eastern Europe,
helping state owned industries
prepare for private ownership. He
and a friend later formed a small
group of companies supplying the
DIY industry.
Marco Paccagnella, Analyst,
Directorate for Education and
Skills, OECD
Marco Paccagnella is an Analyst in
the Directorate for Education and
Skills of the OECD, working in the
PIAAC team. His research interests
are mainly in Labour Economics
and in the Economics of Education.
In particular, he has worked on the
estimation of teacher quality in higher
education, on cheating in school,
on gender complementarities in the
labour market, and on territorial wage
differences among Italian regions.
Marco is currently involved in a
number of research projects,
covering issues such as the link
between skills and wage inequality,
the relationship between ageing
and skills, the market returns to
different tasks, and school bullying.
His research appeared in academic
outlets such as the Journal of
Labor Economics, the Economics
of Education Review, Education
Economics, and Research in Labor
Economics. Before joining the OECD,
he spent five years as an Economist
at the Bank of Italy.
Dr Newman Burdett, Head
of Centre for International
Comparisons, National
Foundation for Education
Research (NFER)
Dr Newman Burdett is an educational
assessment expert with extensive
experience of conducting research,
reviews and policy advice in both
national and international contexts. He
is a fellow of the European Association
for Educational Assessment. Newman
is currently Head of Centre at the
National Foundation for Educational
Research (NFER)’s Centre for
International Comparisons. The
Centre’s work includes international
benchmarking of educational
initiatives for countries and
organisations around the world, and
managing international surveys such
as PISA, TIMSS, PIRLS and PIAAC.
Prior to this, Newman spent 12 years
at Cambridge Assessment, initially
as an assessment expert and then
managing ministry partnerships.
Following this he worked as a
freelance educational assessment
expert on a wide variety of projects,
before joining NFER. His particular
interests are national assessment
policies, how to monitor educational
outputs, and how to compare national
education systems and standards.
Trinh Tu, Research Director,
Ipsos MORI Social Research
Institute
Trinh Tu is Head of Employment,
Welfare and Skills research in
the Ipsos MORI Social Research
Institute. She has 20 years
research experience focusing on
skills shortages, unemployment
and the evaluation of government
training and employment initiatives.
She has undertaken numerous
studies to evaluate the impact
of key programmes in England
such as Apprenticeships, Train to
Gain and Traineeships, alongside
initiatives targeted specifically at the
unemployed including a number of
European Social Fund interventions
such as the evaluation of the ESF
Families programme (forthcoming).
Prior to joining MORI, she worked at
the Employment Service, part of the
Department for Work and Pensions.
Trinh has undertaken extensive
research focusing on employers’
demand for skills and was part of the
team leading on the design of the UK
Employer Skills Survey – the largest
survey of its kind. She is currently
leading on a number of exciting
evaluations focusing on the impact
of new models of funding aimed
at creating greater employer co-
investment in skills infrastructure.
SPEAKERS IMPROVING BASIC SKILLS: AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE ON A UK DILEMMA
5. David Mallows, Director of
Research, National Research
and Development Centre
(NRDC) for Adult Literacy and
Numeracy
David Mallows has over 25 years
experience in adult education as a
teacher, teacher trainer, manager and
researcher. He is currently Director
of Research at National Research
and Development Centre for adult
literacy and numeracy (NRDC) at the
UCL Institute of Education, London.
He has worked as part of the NRDC
management team since 2004,
building up detailed knowledge of
the sector. He has managed and
directed national and transnational
research projects in adult literacy,
language and numeracy, drawing on
qualitative and quantitative methods,
covering the workplace, teacher
education, family literacy, language
support and assessment. He has also
directed a number of evaluations in
the field of adult learning including an
evaluation of the Skills for Life ESOL
qualifications, analysis of the Skills for
Life teaching workforce in England,
and research into shared reading
between fathers and their children.
David is currently directing an
evaluation of family literacy
interventions with Roma families in
Romania, Slovakia and Montenegro
as well as leading the adult literacy
work of the European Commission
funded European Literacy Policy
Network and is active in European
and international academic and
policy networks related to adult
literacy, language and numeracy.
He is also part of a small team
producing a thematic paper for
OECD on those who scored at
or below Level 1 in PIAAC. He is
editor of the OUP Adult Skills series
and has also recently edited two
volumes for the British Council with
a focus on language teaching for
migrants and refugees.
Xeni Dimakos, Director
Research Department, Vox –
Norwegian Agency for Lifelong
Learning
Xeni is Director of the Research
Department in Vox, the Norwegian
agency for lifelong learning and
part of the Norwegian Ministry
of Education and Research. The
main goal of Vox is to contribute
to supporting active citizenship,
improving employability and
increasing participation in education.
The research department collects,
analyses and disseminates evidence
about adult learning. It contributes
to the body of statistical evidence on
adult learning and also documents
needs and effects of measures and
methods – for the individual and
society. Examples of current research
include effects of basic skills training
in the workplace and analysis of
PIAAC data.
Before joining Vox, Xeni worked
more than 10 years as a senior
research scientist and project leader
in statistical and mathematical
modelling. Xeni holds a PHD in
statistics from the University of Oslo.
Professor Steve Reder,
Department of Applied
Linguistics, Portland State
University
Stephen Reder is Professor of
Applied Linguistics at Portland
State University. He has been
involved throughout his career in
teaching, research and service
activities in education, workplace
and community settings. Dr.
Reder’s research focuses on adults’
lifelong and life-wide literacy, digital
literacy and second language
development processes. He has
been the Principal Investigator of
several recently completed research
projects: the National Labsite for
Adult ESOL, the Longitudinal Study
of Adult Learning (LSAL), and Tutor-
Facilitated Digital Literacy Acquisition
in Vulnerable Adult Populations. He
is currently conducting research and
preparing a publication series on the
long-term impacts of adult education
programs on economic, educational
and lifelong learning outcomes.
Professor Reder is the author of
numerous publications about adult
literacy and second language
research and its implications for
education and training programs. He
recently edited a volume with John
Bynner, Tracking Adult Literacy and
Numeracy: Longitudinal Studies
in Adult Education, published by
Routledge. He has published
widely on his research in a variety of
international journals and frequently
presents at national and international
conferences. Dr. Reder has served
on the advisory boards of numerous
organizations and journals devoted
to adult education and literacy. He
actively works with networks of adult
education researchers, practitioners
and policymakers at the local, state,
national and international levels.
SPEAKERS IMPROVING BASIC SKILLS: AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE ON A UK DILEMMA
6. Heather Akehurst
Open Awards
Georgiana Barnaby
IOE
Mark Beatson
CIPD
Kelly Beaver
Ipsos MORI
Karen Bentley
Coombe Sixth Form
Howard Bines
Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills
Emily Bird
National Housing Federation
Nick Boles MP
Minister of State for Skills
and Equalities
Frank Bowley
Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills
Greg Brooks
University of Sheffield
Margaret Brown
King’s College London
Yvonne Browne
Coventry University
London Campus
Dr Newman Burdett
National Foundation for
Educational Research
Alex Burt
British Army
Maxine Burton
UCL Institute of Education
Olga Cara
Institute of Education, NRDC
Siobhan Carey
Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills
Helen Casey
UCL Institute of Education
Jacquie Chambers
Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills
Kris Chapman
Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills
Anthony Clarke
Department for Education
Genevieve Clarke
The Reading Agency
Naomi Clayton
Centre for Cities
Miguel Coelho
Institute for Government
Matthew Colahan
Ipsos MORI
Judith Compton
UKCES
Peter Cook
Essex County Council
Joanne Corke
Welsh Government
E Corsellis
Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills
Nick Corston
ReadingWise
James Davison
Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills
Xeni Dimakos
Vox - Norwegian Agency for
Lifelong Learning
Roisin Doherty
SOLAS - Further Education
Training Authority
Peter Drummond
DfE
Daniel Dumoulin
St Mungo’s Broadway
Sam Duncan
NRDC, IOE
Rahimah Elaheebucus
Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills
Mike Ellicock
National Numeracy
Robin Elliott-Marshall
Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills
Jeff Evans
Middlesex University
Stephen Evans
NIACE
Simon Field
OECD
Amanda Fisher
NCC Skills Ltd
Jamie Fries
IdeasWise Ltd
Tara Furlong
Research and Practice in
Adult Literacies
Julie Furnivall
Consultant Trainer
Helen Gardner
Capitalsight
Sophie Gerrard
Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills
Kate Griggs
Untap.it
Chris Hale
Ipsos MORI
Bryan Halka
Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills
Mary Hamilton
Lancaster University
Fiona Hartley
SOLAS - Further Education
Training Authority
Nicola Harwood
Prince’s Trust
Cathy Heathwood
CCEA
Steven Heaton
Skills Funding Agency
Susie Hill
SQA
Emily Hodges
Prince’s Trust
Fiona Hodkinson
Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills
Dan Hooper
Federation of Small Businesses
Bryan Horne
Ofqual
Jasbir Jhas
Local Government Association
Tony Johnson
Department for Work
and Pensions
Claire Johnson
Ipsos MORI
Wendy Jones
National Numeracy
Craig Jones
Alstom
Emily Jones
NIACE
Lucy Joyce
Ipsos MORI
Ewart Keep
SKOPE
Kirsi Kekki
TUC unionlearn
Rebecca Klahr
Ipsos MORI
Mike Klym
Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills
Carolin Knauber
German Institute for
Adult Education
Emily Knowles
Department for Education
Malgorzata Kuczera
OECD
Brindley Linsell
Skills Funding Agency
Jenny Litster
NRDC, IOE
Hayley Lyons
Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills
Bryan Maddox
UEA
David Mallows
NRDC
Anthony Mann
Education and
Employers Taskforce
Nina Marsden
Learndirect Limited
Geoff Mason
National Institute of Economic
and Social Research
Vikki McAuley
Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills
Alex McCallum
Ipsos MORI
Terri McComiskey
CCEA
Deirdre McGill
Department for Employment
and Learning
DELEGATES IMPROVING BASIC SKILLS: AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE ON A UK DILEMMA
AS AT JANUARY 9, 2015
7. Kathy Murphy
Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills
Pauline Musset
OECD
Becci Newton
Institute for Employment Studies
(IES)
James Nicholson
Durham University
Tara O’Brien
Further Education
Training Authority
Noelle O’Dwyer
Further Education
Training Authority
Marco Paccagnella
OECD
Matthew Palutikof
GK Strategy
Eoin Parker
Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills
Catherine Paulson-Ellis
Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills
Susan Price
Institute of Education
Richard Puleston
Essex County Council
Charlynne Pullen
Education and
Training Foundation
Julia Pye
Ipsos MORI
Vesselina Ratcheva
National Numeracy
Tom Richmond
Department for Education
Sean Robinson
BIT
Martin Rose
NIACE
Jaspreet Ruprah
London Borough of Ealing
Nicola Saldanha
UCLIOE
Diane Sammon
Ascentis
Klaus Schoemann
Leibniz Center on Lifelong
Learning DIE Bonn
Peter Sellen
Department for Education
Qasir Shah
East Berkshire College of FE
Jayesh Shah
Ipsos MORI
Laura Smyth
Department for Employment
and Learning
Alison Spence
Welsh Government
Paul Steeples
Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills
Carole Still
Coventry University
London Campus
Alan Strickley
Software for Data Analysis
Tania Tamman
Workers’ Educational
Association
Angela Tchetchnev
Leicester College
Lyn Tett
University of Huddersfield
Trinh Tu
Ipsos MORI
Katherine Tunnadine
King’s College London
Samera Owusu Tutu
Civil Service World
Peter Vallely
Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills
Andy Walls
JCQ
Donna Ward
Department for Education
Angela Whiteside
Department for Employment
and Learning
Katya Williams
Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills
Rosalyn Xavier
Department for Work
and Pensions
Harvey Young
NCC Skills Ltd
DELEGATES IMPROVING BASIC SKILLS: AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE ON A UK DILEMMA
