Australia recently rejoined the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), after a short-lived withdrawal. We’ll be waiting for new data until 2029 at the earliest. This reinvigorated promise comes at an extremely opportune time. As it stands, about 14 percent of Australian adults live with literacy skills below level two, and 21 percent have no numeracy skills whatsoever. In a recent study, one in five Australians were found to have low literacy or numeracy skills. This ongoing challenge severely limits their ability to participate fully in daily life.
The only recent national survey on adult literacy and numeracy was in 2012. The outcomes came out in the same year. A lot has changed in the landscape of adult learning since last October. Adults with the lowest literacy skills still have a much harder time finding their way through everyday activities than they are able to do. This critical need is exacerbated by the lack of adequate adult literacy and numeracy programs.
A proactive and preventative approach has been adopted in Tasmania through the 26Ten program to address this challenge. The project purposefully improves adult literacy and numeracy skills. It delivers highly individualized attention to students hungry to increase their academic achievement. Our National Partnerships & Community Engagement Director, Fleur McConnon, has been leading this work. Additionally, she works as the language, literacy and numeracy coach for Build Up Tassie.
Cedrick Smith, a second-year apprentice carpenter, is one of the success stories the program has produced. In the beginning, he focused on practical applications, like installing slabs in field offices. It was him getting the chance to work one-on-one with McConnon that really helped his learning experience. Under her guidance, Smith learned to feel comfortable in using tools while strengthening his knowledge of key calculations necessary for a carpenter.
“She gave me the confidence to realise that I’ve already got the skills I’ve just got to work on them a bit, just got to make them work for me.” – Cedrick Smith
Smith’s impressive transformation can serve as a metaphor for the impact that 26Ten is now having. The program meets people where they are at with different goals, letting people customize their learning path to fit their own desires. According to Iona Johnson, participants often enter the program with specific objectives in mind—whether it’s learning to read to their children or passing certifications essential for advancing their careers.
“People generally come in with an idea of what it is that they’re wanting to achieve in their life, and realising that literacy has kind of got in the way of them being able to achieve that.” – Iona Johnson
As Smith moved through the program, he took valuable skills-based, hands-on workshops that he was able to immediately implement in his work. He mentioned that the laser-like focus on the carpentry-relevant, very basic math calculations has been a game changer. He imagined how adults in previous generations relied on rote memorization for on-the-spot math. Skills like that one may be lost on many of our younger people today.
“Nothing crazy. So like a lot of the older generation would have learnt, they would memorised these things like times tables to make it simpler because a lot of us young people we never memorise this sort of stuff.” – Cedrick Smith
Another feature that really makes the program stand out from others is the strong focus on real-world application. McConnon emphasized the program’s intimate, small-scale approach, which allows for each person to have their needs addressed on an individual level.
“The beauty of our program is it’s a small group. Everyone’s known. No one’s flying under the radar.” – Fleur McConnon
The success stories emerging from 26Ten are not just about improving skills. They reflect a shift in mindset and confidence among participants. McConnon said she was grateful to see people discover their inner strength and expand their opportunities for the future.
“Seeing someone realise that, yes, I can do this just watching their confidence grow throughout the program and seeing the possibilities… is the best part of the job.” – Fleur McConnon
Australia is already looking forward to the next release of data from PIAAC in 2029. This further emphasizes the important work done by programs such as 26Ten. The figures show just how important it is to boost the literacy and numeracy levels of adults. There is still so much potential for a better future.
