Language, Literacy &
Numeracy
Essential Skills for
the Trades
Achieving Vocational Outcomes Conference 2014
What are Essential Skills
• Reading
• Document use
• Numeracy
• Writing
• Oral communication
• Thinking skills
• Computer use
• Working with others
• Continuous learning
FACT: The level of Essential Skills required for most trades is as
high or higher than it is for many white-collar jobs.
Five-Point Scale for Reading,
Document Use & Numeracy
Occupations
Reading
Document Use
Numeracy
Carpenters
3
4
4
Chefs
3
3
4
Dentists
4
3
3
Electricians
3
4
3
Hairdressers
3
3
3
Nurses
4
4
3
Optometrists
4
4
3
Plumbers
3
4
3
Social Workers
4
2
2
Welders
3
4
1
Trades Labourers &
Helpers
3
3
2
Numeracy
• The skills needed to make sense of and apply mathematical
concepts and information.
• At work - tally costs, create budgets, calculate lengths and
volumes, analyse data, estimate times and manage the other
mathematical demands of different situations.
• There is a difference between a worker’s ability to work with
numbers and their understanding of when they should use
certain types of maths.
Numeracy – Whole numbers
Read, write, count, round off, add, subtract, multiply and divide
whole numbers.
Examples:
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Order supplies
Take stock inventory
Count parts
Read serial numbers
Numeracy - Integers
(Positive or negative whole numbers)
Read, write, add, subtract, multiply and divide integers.
Examples:
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Read temperatures
Use survey tools
Set up computer numerical control programs
Measure air pressure
Numeracy - Fractions
Read, write, round off, add, subtract, multiply or divide
fractions.
Multiply or divide by a fraction.
Examples:
• Take and record imperial measurements.
• Determine tool or material sizes.
• Calculate quantities
Numeracy - Decimals
Read, write, round off, add, or subtract, multiply or divide
decimals.
Multiply or divide by a decimal.
Examples:
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Handle money
Take and record metric measurements
Measure tolerances
Select tool sizes
Numeracy - Percentages
Read and write percentages. Calculate the percentage one
number is of another.
Calculate a percentage of a number.
Examples:
• Calculate GST.
• Read and write tolerances.
• Adjust machine loads.
• Describe in terms of a proportion of maximum capacity or an
amount of progress towards completion.
Numeracy – Equivalent numbers
Convert between fractions, decimals and percentages.
Examples:
• Convert decimal readings on gauges to percent of output
• Convert decimals to fractions to select the correct part or size
of tool.
• Convert quantities of ingredients to decimals to calculate cost
Numeracy – Other real numbers
Use square roots, powers, scientific notation and significant
digits.
Examples:
• Calculate power and current in three-phase motors
• Use square roots to calculate dimensions for a staircase
• Use powers to express the volume of tanks
Numeracy – Equations & formulas
Solve problems using equations with one unknown quantity.
Use formulas by inserting quantities.
Solve quadratic equations.
Examples:
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Determine where to place holes
Calculate the correct angles for rigging loads
Set food prices
Use Ohm’s law to check motor voltage
Numeracy – Rates, ratios & proportions
Use a rate comparing two quantities with different units.
Use a ratio comparing two quantities with the same units.
Use a proportion comparing two ratios or rates.
Examples:
• Adjust tire pressure
• Mix additives
• Adjust ingredients in a recipe
• To make more servings
• Calculate speed and feed rates of a machine
• Read a scale drawing
• Calculate airflow rates
Numeracy – Measurement conversions
Convert between imperial and metric measurements.
Convert to another unit within a measurement system.
Examples:
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Convert units to select wrench sizes
Cut lengths of wire.
Mix colouring agents.
Meet product specifications.
Calculate airflow.
Use scale drawings.
Numeracy – Area, perimeter & volume
Calculate areas, perimeters and volumes.
Examples:
• Calculate the area or perimeter of a work surface to be
painted, sodded or caulked.
• Calculate the volume of additives or concrete required.
• Calculate the capacity of a storage tank.
Numeracy – Geometry
Apply geometric concepts such as parallelism, perpendicularity
and tangents.
Examples:
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Find the centre of a room to install fixtures.
Cut hair using angles.
Cut slopes to fabricate ramps.
Use angles to lay out patterns for materials.
Numeracy – Trigonometry
Use trigonometry to determine the size of an unknown side or
angle of a triangle.
Examples:
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Calculate angles for a circular staircase
Place holes on a part
Make bolt patterns for drilling or machine installation
Find offsets
Numeracy – Summary calculations
Calculate averages and rates other than percentages,
proportions or ratios.
Examples:
• Calculate averages for:
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fuel or power consumption;
tool lifespan;
speed and feed rates;
material production, and;
time needed to perform tasks
Numeracy – Statistics and probability
Use statistics and probability to draw conclusions.
Examples:
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Estimate how much of something clients use
Predict sales trends
Determine the probability of equipment and parts failure
Describe the progress of fabrication and installation tasks
The Australian Curriculum
Students become numerate as they develop the knowledge and
skills to use mathematics confidently across other learning areas
at school and in their lives more broadly.
Numeracy encompasses the knowledge, skills, behaviours and
dispositions that students need to use mathematics in a wide
range of situations.
Students need to recognise that mathematics is constantly used
outside the mathematics classroom and that numerate people
apply general mathematical skills in a wide range of familiar and
unfamiliar situations.
Numeracy Learning Continuum
Language & Literacy
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Reading
Document Use
Writing
Oral Communication
Working with Others
Thinking
Computer Use
Continuous Learning
Reading
• The skills needed to understand and apply information found
in sentences and paragraphs.
• At work, people use reading skills to locate and use
information from memos, emails, manuals, reports, proposals
and other written material.
• Level 1: being able to read short texts to find a single piece of
information
• Level 5: being able to understand and use long and
complicated texts, like contracts or reports
• The ability to read at a complexity Level 3 is essential for most
jobs
Reading - Automotive
• emails or notes from colleagues.
• comments on work orders to understand problems and repair
schedules.
• instructions and safety warnings on product labels.
• reports from manufacturers describing recalls and faults of specific
models of automobiles.
• repair manuals to diagnose and fix mechanical faults.
• specifications for trucks on a computer database.
• service bulletins and flyers.
• Workplace Hazardous Materials Information labels and Material
Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) to learn about the dangers of using
certain products.
• health and safety materials, such as descriptions of personal
protective equipment (PPE) and first aid information.
• installation and programming directions for electronic equipment.
• shop training manuals and written materials from the shop library to
learn more about engines and electronics.
Reading - Plumbing
• Read brochures from suppliers to find information on
materials.
• Read health and safety notices.
• Read and follow product installation procedures.
• Read Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) to obtain
information about hazardous products.
• Read manuals to install, repair and maintain plumbing
systems.
• Read trade text books to understand the science related to
plumbing, such as the properties of water, metals and alloys.
• Read the Australian Plumbing Code to follow the regulations
on plumbing systems.
Document use
• Document use refers to the skills needed to find, enter and
use letters, numbers, symbols and images in electronic and
paper formats.
• At work, people use document use skills to find and enter
information in electronic and paper visual displays, such as
forms, lists, tables, graphs, maps and drawings.
• Level 1 to Level 5 based on the number, type and structure of
documents; how information is found and entered (and
whether or not the information is modified in order to be
used); and the worker’s thought process and their previous
knowledge of the content.
Document use - Automotive
• Read safety symbols on movable parts.
• Fill out a variety of documents, such as job estimates, warranties, inspection reports and
accident forms.
• Study schematic diagrams for information on electrical, hydraulic, coolant and other
systems.
• Use work orders to find information on vehicles to be serviced, such as repair needs and
descriptions of previous problems.
• Find automotive system faults by interpreting diagnostic graphs and integrating information
from other sources.
• Complete preventive maintenance checklists.
• Fill out customer scheduling information on an appointment board.
• Complete warranty registration forms.
• Refer to size tables for tires and differentials and conversion charts for calibrating
speedometers.
• Interpret diagnostic graphs such as temperature graphs to see if sensors are within
specifications.
• Read assembly diagrams to assemble specialized equipment such as transmissions.
• Interpret blueprints and schematic diagrams for systems such as wiring or air brakes.
• Read and follow electrical troubleshooting charts and diagrams.
• Interpret tachographs which record speeds, revolutions per minute (rpm), and engine idling
for diagnostic purposes.
Document use - Hospitality
• Interpret Work Health and Safety hazard symbols.
• Read product labels to identify ingredients that could cause an
allergic reaction or that must be excluded from restricted diets.
• Check off items and quantities on delivery checklists.
• Complete reports for the head chef on the number of entrées
prepared.
• Use supply checklists when placing orders.
• Draw diagrams showing the arrangement of food items on a plate.
• Interpret customer satisfaction ratings displayed on charts.
• Read and prepare customer orders.
• Read event confirmation sheets.
• Refer to market reports regarding the availability and cost of goods
in order to make appropriate menu decisions.
Writing
• Writing refers to the skills needed to compose handwritten or
typed text to communicate information and ideas.
• At work, people use writing skills to compose texts, such as
notes, memos, bulletins, email messages, instructions,
procedures and reports.
• The writing complexity scale is organized into themes, which
explain the complexity requirements of writing tasks:
• length and purpose,
• style and structure, and
• content.
• Level 1: writing short and informal notes
• Level 5: writing longer, technical documents based on many
different sources of information and adapted to a specific
audience
Writing - Automotive
• brief notes on work orders describing repairs to customers'
cars.
• brief emails or notes on web forums and technical support
sites about unusual or difficult repairs.
• long letters for police and insurance investigations describing
the causes and results of accidents.
• notes to co-workers to provide updates on equipment.
• comments on preventative maintenance checklist forms.
• entries in work orders to show the cause of a malfunction and
how it was corrected.
• reports on vehicle damage for insurance claims
• Complete estimates of all items that need to be replaced
when a vehicle comes in.
Writing – Refrigeration Mechanic
• Complete work order forms to record the customer's name,
work site location and problem as stated by the customer.
• Maintain logbooks and service notes to track information such
as the number of filters changed, belt sizes and part numbers
for the next technician working on that particular equipment.
• Complete start up sheets for new installations, detailing the
make and model of equipment, the operating conditions and
start up settings.
• Prepare technical service reports to record a problem.
Oral communication
• Oral communication refers to the skills needed to exchange thoughts
and information with other people by speaking, listening and using
non-verbal cues, such as body language.
• At work, people use oral communication skills to talk to customers,
discuss products with suppliers, explain work procedures to coworkers, participate in virtual sales meetings with clients, and other
activities that involve verbal exchanges.
• Level 1: giving basic instructions, information communicated from a
familiar, simple topic, communicating with one person at a time in
an everyday situation
• Level 4: carrying out complicated negotiations, information
communicated from complex, highly detailed technical information,
communicating with a new and challenging audience in an
unfamiliar setting
Oral communication - Automotive
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Give instructions and guidance to shop colleagues and apprentices.
Inform supervisors and customers if jobs are going to take longer than expected.
Explain regular vehicle maintenance procedures to customers.
Place orders for parts and supplies by telephone.
Participate in discussion groups to share experiences, discuss problems and learn
new methods of increasing productivity and providing customer service.
Speak to customers and service advisors to obtain information about vehicle
repairs.
Respond to customer complaints regarding quality, cost or duration of repairs.
Communicate with Spare Parts personnel about parts.
Contact other mechanics to find out what repairs were previously done to a
vehicle and discuss how to carry out difficult repairs.
Talk to the shop foreman to discuss scheduling and the length of various jobs.
Communicate with truck company dispatchers about how long it will take before
their trucks are back on the road.
Talk to customers to discuss their vehicle and to provide important information
on parts and warranties.
Contact manufacturers to discuss problems with parts.
Oral communication - Welder
• Give directions to truck drivers picking up and dropping off
materials.
• Talk to tool room staff to ask for tools, supplies and personal
protective equipment.
• Discuss work assignments with a supervisor to understand
expectations.
• Compare measurements and calculations with a partner when
building a structure.
• Share ideas about tasks and safety issues at production
meetings.
• Explain welding designs to customers and help them
understand why structures were built in a certain way.
Working with Others
Working with a Partner or a Team
• Maintain open lines of communication
• Exchange contact information with
colleagues
• Contribute to group decisions
• Make decisions co-operatively
• Contribute to the team by completing the
tasks assigned to you on time.
Working with Others
• Get acquainted with new team members
• Build a good rapport with your colleagues
by participating in group activities (e.g.
after work social events).
• Acknowledge and understand your own
strengths and weaknesses.
• Acknowledge and use the skill strengths,
ideas and opinions of other team
members.
Working with Others
• Encourage your team members to share
ideas
• Always consider the feedback and advice
given by other team members.
• Phrase your suggestions as questions (e.g.
instead of saying “I think we should…” say
“What about doing…”).
• Let your colleagues know when they are
doing a good job.
Working with Others
• Respect the feelings, views and values of
other team members.
• Support and encourage fellow team
members by helping those who need
assistance.
• Do not avoid conflict. Address issues or
problems when they happen.
Thinking
•Problem solving
•Decision making
•Job task planning and
organising
Computer Use
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Keyboard shortcuts
Special characters
Creating shortcuts
Using Search Engines
Ergonomics
Email – attaching a file
Simple graphics
Formatting text
Word processing, spreadsheets & presentation software
Different file formats
Continuous Learning
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Be prepared to learn new things
Ask questions
Ask for feedback
Learn by observing others
Use learning materials, manuals etc.
Seek our further training
Develop goals
Use past experiences
Try new ways of doing things
Maintain skill levels
Online Resources
• Apprenticeship Central
http://www.apprenticeshipcentral.com.au/
• Language, Literacy & numeracy resources
• Harrison Online Career Assessment
• Employment & Social Development Canada
http://www.esdc.gc.ca/eng/jobs/les/tools/index.shtml
• Assessment tools
• Industry Skills Councils
http://www.isc.org.au/