Raising the Basic Skills of Workers in England, United Kingdom
This report provides examples and recommendations to help overcome obstacles to engage
low-skilled workers and their employers in skills development. England has implemented
impressive measures aimed at helping workers and employers to upskill. Nonetheless,
there remains room for improvement. More can be done to identify workers with low
basic skills, raise awareness of why improving those skills is important, increase
the accessibility to relevant courses, ensure these courses are flexible enough to
accommodate adult learners who are already employed, and finally make the provision
relevant to career aspirations.
This report urges England to establish and promote a vision for raising the skills
of low-skilled workers, identify their needs more systematically, and provide targeted
guidance and information to them and their employers. It highlights that accessible
and flexible adult learning opportunities in the workplace, home, community and by
other means such as online and distance learning can better meet the varied needs
of low-skilled workers. It also makes the case for the use of contextualised learning
approaches, which create connections between basic skills and vocational context,
and a more effective use of basic skills in workplaces to maintain, develop and realise
the benefits of prior skills investments.
Available from December 18, 2020
In series:OECD Skills Studiesview more titles