Poor basic skill levels '˜holding millions back'

The York-based Joseph Rowntree Foundation highlighted figures showing five million adults lack the literacy and numeracy skills they need to get a job.

A further 12.6m have poor digital skills which leave them unable to send emails or fill out online application forms.

JRF said official statistics showed Yorkshire, the North East, the North West and the West Midlands were the areas with the poorest literacy levels.

Katie Schmuecker, head of policy at JRF, said: “In a prosperous country like Britain, everyone should have the basic skills they need to participate in society and build a career.

“But these shocking figures show millions of adults are being left behind in the modern economy, holding back their potential and the productivity of our businesses suffering as a result.

“Businesses and community groups must play a leading role in helping people learn the skills they need to be able to find work and progress into better-paid roles – but this needs to be backed by real ambition on the part of government.”

JRF pointed to international research showing that while in many countries numeracy and literacy levels were better in younger people compared to older generations, the reverse is true in England.

For those aged 55 to 65, England is third in international literacy rankings but for 16 to 18-year-olds it is 18th in the world.

Based on work by the Learning & Work Institute, JRF is calling for a radical overhaul of the way poor basic skills are tackled.

It wants greater use of “community settings” such as night classes, sessions in community centres and churches and more online learning.

The charity is recommending the training focuses on everyday tasks such as budgeting and financial planning and be tailored to the needs of individuals.

It wants a target setting to eradicate poor basic skills by 2030, a drive which would require the number of people taking part in literacy and numeracy education to double.

JRF estimates the current annual £200m literacy and numeracy budget along with a further £200m a year of new funding would be needed.

But it estimates the drive could help an extra 280,000 people into work by 2030 and suggests priority should be given to those in poverty.

Stephen Evans, deputy chief executive at Learning & Work Institute, said: ‘’Everyone needs a set of basics for life and work in modern Britain. It’s shocking that so many people lack these core capabilities.

“This holds back people’s life chances, businesses future success, and national prosperity.

“Our research for JRF should act as a clear call for a national mission to help everyone get these core skills.

“At Learning & Work Institute we’ve been trialling a new way to do this.

“The benefits of working with people and communities to tailor support and relate it to everyday life are clear: we’ve seen increased engagement in learning and community life, and savings to public services.”

JRF will publish a much broader strategy aimed at solving the problem of poverty in the UK next month.