Workplace numeracy skills need to be practised in context. With more than half (55%) of Australian adults and 48% of employed adults assessed as lacking the numeracy skills needed to cope with everyday life and work (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2013), Tina and Dave put a case for a focused approach. Measurement skills are a subset of numeracy skills and adult numeracy skills are a key economic driver influencing both labour force participation and wage levels. Every workplace depends on accurate and reliable measurements. For example, a building contractor depends on the new window fitting in the space allowed and...

Many adults struggle with the specialised skill of health literacy. Health literacy is defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) as, ‘the knowledge and skills needed to understand and use information relating to health issues such as drugs and alcohol, disease prevention and treatment, safety and accident prevention, first aid, emergencies and staying healthy’. ABS data derived from the 2006 Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (ALLS) survey shows that 59% of Australian adults lack the minimum health literacy skills needed to cope with everyday life (ABS 4223.0 Health Literacy). This means that 3 out of 5 Australian adults...

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