Research
Paper 7
Foundation Skills
Prepared by Training and Tertiary Education
Issues Paper – Foundation Skills
© ACT Education and Training Directorate 2014
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An appropriate citation for this paper is:
ACT Education and Training Directorate (2014) Skilled Capital Foundation Skills Issues Paper, Report 7
of 8, Canberra.
Publish date: December 2014
ACT Education and Training Directorate
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Issues Paper – Foundation Skills
Overview
Under Skilled Capital, students will have access to foundation skills training and support needed
to complete skills qualifications. This will be in the form of integrated vocational and foundation
skills training or contextualised foundation skills training and learning support.
As the main intent of Skilled Capital is to increase skills training participation and completion,
stand alone foundation skills training will only be funded if it is considered to be gap training and
is contextualised to the field of education the student is intending to enrol.
All students who are eligible for Skilled Capital must undertake an initial skills assessment. Under
Skilled Capital, registered training organisations (RTOs) will be required to align student’s
foundation skill levels to the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF). RTOs will use this
assessment to determine whether foundation skills training is required.
All Skilled Capital students will be eligible for up to six units of competencies (UoCs) from
approved foundation skills training courses. The cost of the training will be paid to the RTO on
completion of each UoC and the submission of correct data to the ACT Government. Skilled
Capital will identify specific foundation skills courses that will be approved to be funded.
Additional support will be funded on application to the ACT Government for students who are
identified as requiring learning support during skills training delivery. This support will be funded
up to a maximum of $1,000 per student per qualification.
All RTOs that apply to deliver training under Skilled Capital will need to demonstrate capability to
provide foundation skills training and support for all vocational training delivery. There will be
specific questions on the application regarding RTO strategies and these will be assessed by LLN
specialists. If an RTO does not have scope of registration to deliver accredited foundation skills
training, it will be required to sub-contract to an RTO that does have scope.
There will be no student tuition fees for foundation skills training and the government funding
will be 100 per cent of the published subsidy amount.
To assist RTOs to develop foundation skills strategies and support for students, the ACT
Government will provide professional development workshops.
The purpose of this paper is to consider options for both delivery and funding models of foundation
skills under Skilled Capital. The remainder of this paper is structured as follows:

Section 1 discusses the background to delivering foundation skills in an entitlement model

Section 2 examines the existing literature on the importance of providing foundation skills

Section 3 sets out existing foundation skills programs, including those in the ACT, other
jurisdictions and those run at the Commonwealth level across Australia

Section 4 examines the merits of different models for foundation skills in Skilled Capital

Based on the analysis in the above sections, Section 5 sets out the recommended approach.
ACT Education and Training Directorate
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1
Issues Paper – Foundation Skills
Background
Foundation skills are defined in the 2012 paper National Foundation Skills Strategy for Adults as the
combination of:

language, literacy and numeracy (LLN) – listening, speaking, reading, writing, digital literacy
and use of mathematical ideas

employability skills, such as collaboration, problem solving, self-management, learning and
ICT skills required for participation in modern workplaces and contemporary life.1
Foundation skills exist on a continuum from very basic skills to highly-developed and specialist skills.2
These skills are critical for learning and work, particularly in today’s technology rich environment.
Australian Governments, employers and Industry Skills Councils have voiced concerns about low
levels of LLN skills, citing negative impacts on productivity, social participation, general health and
well being. These concerns have also been confirmed in international studies such as the 2006 Adult
Literacy and Lifeskills Survey (ALLS) and the 2012 Programme for the International Assessment of
Adult Competencies (PIAAC).
In response to this, the Australian Government released the National Foundation Skills Strategy for
Adults 2012-2022 (NFSS). The NFSS aims to bring a national focus to improving the foundation skills of
Australian adults and identifies priority areas for action in the next 10 years to result in a productive
and inclusive Australia. All jurisdictions are participating in implementing strategies to improve
foundation skills.
Jurisdictions also agreed to the National Partnership Agreement on Skills Reform (National
Partnership) in 2012. The National Partnership aims to create a more accessible and equitable training
system through introducing and strengthening a national entitlement to a government subsidised
training place. These training places should be:

accessible through any registered training organisation (RTO), public or private, which meets
state-based criteria for access to the national training entitlement

available as a minimum to all working age Australians (from post-school age to pension age)
without a certificate lll or higher qualification, subject to meeting minimum entry
requirements and state based criteria

inclusive of foundation skills or lower qualifications contained within the certificate lll
qualification.
The ACT Implementation Plan for the National Partnership Agreement on Skills Reform commits the
ACT Government to implementing an ACT Entitlement to a Training Place. The ACT Government has
begun implementation through training initiatives such as the Priorities Support Program and Better
Linkages between Employment and Training. RTOs wishing to deliver these initiatives are required to
specify how they will assess and address foundation skill needs in their training programs. The ACT
Government has also identified specific foundation skills courses and placed them on the ACT Skilled
Capital Qualifications List to be funded. This aims to encourage the embedding or integrating
foundation skills training into vocational education and training (VET).
1
Standing Council on Tertiary Education Skills and Employment, Commonwealth of Australia (2012), National
Foundation Skills Strategy for Adults.
2
National Quality Council (2010) Foundation Skills in VET Products for the 21st Century.
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Issues Paper – Foundation Skills
The ACT has a benefit in addressing the issue of levels of LLN skills because, as a whole, the ACT is
starting from a comparatively high base. The PIAAC study results detailed in Appendix B show that the
ACT has the highest proportion of its population at literacy level three or above (67 per cent),
11 percentage points above the nearest jurisdiction. In numeracy, the ACT has 59 per cent of its
population at level three or above, 13 percentage points above the nearest jursidiction.
Despite this high existing base of LLN skills, the ACT Government will still face some challenges
including:

how to meet the target set in the National Partnership

how to encourage RTOs to provide integrated LLN and vocational training to students who
need it

allowing flexible funding availability for foundation skills training

having a limited amount of funding for foundation skills training

how to measure the effectiveness of the funding investment.
2
Benefits of foundation skills
Over the past few years, government and industry bodies have released a number of publications to
highlight the effects of low LLN in workplaces and vocational training across Australia. The Skills
Australia paper Australian Workforce Futures acknowledges that while governments are providing
programs specifically for LLN training, these have not improved adult LLN outcomes and more
investment is required to make a discernable difference.3 That paper also highlights that while LLN
skills are meant to be included in training packages, LLN levels have not improved. There is a concern
that while the national policy supported a ‘built in not bolted on’ approach for embedding LLN skills in
skills training, it has, in practice, buried LLN skills in the competency based model. This is due to
factors such as staff delivering vocational training not having LLN skills themselves and lacking the
funding or access to specialists to assist them. The Industry Skills Councils (ISC) have also identified
similar issues in vocational training delivery:

that many trainers lack LLN awareness

there is a limited number of LLN specialists

government funding of training programs does not allow for team teaching or access to a LLN
specialist.4
The No More Excuses report proposes that for learners to gain the full benefit of VET, early
assessment of their LLN level is essential to both inform the planning of the training program and to
ensure that necessary learning support is identified.5 Pre-training assessments should be used by
RTOs to identify any assistance the learner will require to successfully complete a skills qualification.
However, learners find it difficult to self-determine their LLN skill level for both training and work
environments.6 Moreover, both technical and core skills need to be continually updated to respond to
3
Skills Australia (2010) Australian Workforce Futures.
Industry Skills Councils (2011) No More Excuses
5
Ibid.
6
Roberts, A & Wignall, L (2010) Briefing on Foundation Skills for the National VET Equity Advisory Council.
4
ACT Education and Training Directorate
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Issues Paper – Foundation Skills
changes in workplaces, technologies and work responsibilities. Training programs need to support this
development of foundation skills for learners to adjust to changes in the workplace.7
A United Kingdom National Research and Development Centre (NRDC) report explains that learners
are often motivated to learn new vocational skills for the purpose of gaining employment but may not
be as motivated to improve their LLN skills.8 This was found to be particularly the case if they have
previous negative schooling experiences. This study also found that the learners would have benefited
from a better induction process to help them understand what the LLN demand was in vocational
training programs.
Students were found to be less likely to drop out of their vocational training program if the LLN was
embedded in training delivery.9 An evaluation of a sample group found that learners in embedded
courses had a 16 per cent higher completion rate than those who were in non-embedded courses.
However the report acknowledged that the embedded models are resource intensive and that to be
successful the following conditions need to be in place:

both LLN and vocational teachers need access to plan training programs

LLN teachers must be familiar with vocational area

vocational teachers need to understand the LLN demands in both training and workplaces

there needs to be team teaching opportunities

professional development needs to be provided to all staff.10
Australian research into integrated LLN and skills training delivery models across Australia has defined
‘integrating LLN in vocation training’ as when: ‘LLN are taught not as separate or discrete skills, but
contextualized or ‘situated’ within the process of learning vocational skills. Usually this concept finds
form in various team teaching strategies, and it also stands in contrast to ‘stand-alone’ LLN provision
in which the primary focus is improving LLN skills which may or may not be linked to the vocational
contexts of learners’. In the integrated LLN model, the primary focus is vocational learning. 11
With the exception of the Course in Applied Vocational Study Skills (CAVSS) model in Western
Australia, integrated programs are generally ad hoc and dependent upon the local teaching staff to
develop a model to suit teachers, students and funding limitations. The current delivery models
include:

classes where both vocational and LLN teachers are in the classroom and LLN teacher is
‘hovering’ around students

tag teaching between the LLN and vocational teacher

shared delivery where students are enrolled into both an LLN and vocational course,
delivered separately but a holistic program is planned together by both teachers

LLN support provided by small group or individual tutoring.
7
Ibid.
Casey, H., Cara, O., Eldred, J., Grief, S., Hodge, R., Ivanicv, R., Jupp, T., Lopez, D., McNeil, B., (2006) Embedding
literacy, language and numeracy in post-16 vocational programmes, the impact on learning and achievement.
9
Ibid.
10
Ibid.
11
Ibid.
8
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Research has questioned if this inconsistent practice is due to the lack of policy surrounding
integrated delivery and that improvements in equity participation, completion and employment
outcomes, teaching practice and LLN skills would be beneficial to all stakeholders in the skills training
system.12
It has been suggested that there could be an opportunity for a fee-for-service model for LLN
specialists if outcomes based funding models are introduced.13 However, as found in the NRDC report,
there are funding and implementation challenges to consider – initial assessment, time for teachers
to plan and establish good working relationships, curriculum or training package pressures and
remote or flexible delivery support: ‘the competitive nature of VET and the contestability funding
models that are currently favoured, can lead to pressures to complete courses quickly and at the
minimum costs, which works against VET providers building in additional costs for integrated LLN’.14
The recent Australian Industry Group paper Getting it Right: Foundation Skills for the Workforce raises
concerns about the PIAAC results for Australian workplaces and the impact that low levels of LLN has
on productivity for businesses.15 The paper makes a number of recommendations including
introducing integrated training combining LLN with occupationally specific training and encouraging
RTOs to include the Foundation Skills Training Package on their scope of delivery. It also further
recommends the further development of a national online LLN diagnostic tool based on the Australian
Core Skills Framework and used in the process of either self assessment or initial assessment of LLN
skills.16
3
Current foundation skills
3.1
Other states and territories
All states and territories are currently at various stages of implementing training entitlement systems
but all these systems include funding for foundation skills training. All jurisdictions are alike in that
they are limiting the range of foundation skills courses funded under entitlement and have identified
LLN and employability skills courses.
Most jurisdictions have published the subsidised price they will pay RTOs to deliver the foundation
skills training. This subsidy ranges from 75 per cent up to 100 per cent of the price of training. South
Australia is fully funding identified foundation skills courses, but other states such as Queensland,
Victoria and NSW are funding a published subsidised price per qualification.
Appendix A contains a more detailed jurisdictional comparison.
12
Black, S and Yasukawa, K (2011), Working Together: Integrated Language, Literacy and Numeracy Support in
Vocational Education and Training, pg 8.
13
Black, S and Yasukawa, K (2011), Working Together: Integrated Language, Literacy and Numeracy Support in
Vocational Education and Training, pg 8.
14
Ibid, p40.
15
Australian Industry Group (2013), Getting it Right: Foundation Skills for the Workforce.
16
Australian Workforce and Productivity Agency(2013), Future focus: 2013 National Workforce Development
Strategy.
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3.2
Issues Paper – Foundation Skills
Commonwealth programs
The Commonwealth Department of Industry currently administers three stand alone LLN programs.
The first is the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP), a national settlement program that provides
English language tuition for eligible migrants and humanitarian entrants. AMEP offers up to 510 hours
of free English language tuition to eligible adult permanent migrants and humanitarian entrants. A
second program, the Special Preparatory Program, offers additional tuition to humanitarian entrants
with low levels of schooling or who have had difficult pre-migration experiences, such as torture and
or trauma.
Another program is the Skills for Education and Employment (SEE), which seeks to improve
participants’ LLN with the expectation that such improvements will enable them to participate more
effectively in training or in the labour force and lead to greater gains for society in the longer term.
SEE provides up to 800 hours of accredited training for jobseekers whose LLN skills are below the level
considered necessary to secure sustainable employment. The closure of two other foundation skills
programs, the Workplace English Language and Literacy (WELL) program and the Australian
Apprenticeship Access (Access) program, were announced as part of the 2014 Federal Budget.
Table 1, below, shows the investment in these programs to assist both jobseekers and existing
workers with foundation skills development.
Table 1: Expenditure on Commonwealth LLN programs
Year
Program
Budget allocation (million)
2013/14
AMEP
$264.475
2014/15
AMEP
$236.035
2013/14
SEE
$135.110
2014/15
SEE
$152.518
2013/14
WELL
$24.020
2014/15
WELL
$8.267
2013/14
Access
$32.615
2014/15
Access
$5.712
Source: Portfolio Budget Statement 2014-15 Department of Industry and Government to Government Shared
Information (2013)
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3.3
Issues Paper – Foundation Skills
ACT programs
Table 2, below, sets out the current Foundation Skills programs in the ACT.
Table 2: Current ACT foundation skills programs
Stand Alone LLN programs





AMEP – Canberra
Institute of Technology
(CIT)
SEE – CIT, TAFE NSW
Illawarra
Foundation Skills
Training Package – CIT
ACCESS 10 – CIT
ESL classes – CIT
3.4
Integrated vocational and
foundation skills training
programs



Priorities Support
Program (PSP)
Better Linkages
Foundation Skills
Workforce
Development projects CIT pilot programs
Additional support
funding programs




PSP
User Choice
Learning
Support – CIT
Drop in
Centres - CIT
Informal LLN programs


Adult and Community
Education (ACE)
Volunteer programs
at libraries and
community centres
Online Foundation Skills Assessment Tools
While there are a number of online assessment tools RTOs can use to assess a student’s LLN, the
Department of Industry is developing an interactive online Foundation Skills Assessment Tool (FSAT)
to identify and measure an individual’s foundation skill levels. Australian Council for Educational
Research (ACER) has been contracted to develop this tool, building on ACER’s Vocational Indicator.
The tool will be freely available to assist learners, job seekers, trainers, educators and employment
services practitioners to assess their own or a client’s foundation skill levels, and identify any gaps in
skills and knowledge. It will use the theoretical underpinnings of the Australian Core Skills Framework
(ACSF) and the Core Skills for Work Developmental Framework. The tool will assist in targeting
foundation skill interventions to a maximum benefit and enable reporting on foundation skills training
in a consistent way. The project is expected to be completed in 2015.
An advantage of having an online tool means that a record is maintained to ensure the student is
enrolled in an appropriate level of training as well as identifying any LLN support needs they may
have. However, it is possible that such an assessment may mean that students are excluded from
training if their support needs are considered to be too difficult for the RTO.
4
Possible models
Given current research and examples from other jurisdictions, Table 3 sets out the models that have
been considered for foundation skills funding and training options for the ACT Entitlement model, as
well as their relative benefits and drawbacks.
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Table 3: Possible models for foundation skills provision under Skilled Capital
Model
Open Market
This would be a student
demand driven training
environment. Students who are
entitled to Foundation Skills
training would choose the
course and RTO of their choice.
Advantages

The funding stays with the
student and they determine
their training needs.
Disadvantages



Preferred Supplier List
This model is similar to the User
Choice model where RTOs have
been approved by the ACT
Government to deliver specific
qualifications.



Students may not have the
skills to choose courses
independently and funding
becomes RTO driven.
The ACT Government will need
to have a method to determine
who needs foundation skills,
probably during the initial skills
assessment.
Research shows that students
tend not to seek foundation
skills training.
The ACT Government could
publish a list of RTOs who are
registered to deliver foundation
skills in ACT.
Selected RTOs could be used as a
key preferred supplier due to
their qualified and experienced
LLN teachers.
There are 72 RTOs who have
Foundation Skills Training
Package on their scope of
registration in the ACT.

This model is logistically
difficult for students who may
end up at one RTO for
foundation skills and another
for their qualification.
Stand Alone Foundation Skills
training
This model is to deliver
language, literacy, numeracy or
employability skills training
based on student needs.

Because of its focus on general
LLN or employability needs, this
model is very useful for low level
skill for preparatory learning.

There is no definite pathway
from foundation skills training
to vocational training. This is
often due to the outcomes
required by the funded
program, in particular
Commonwealth programs.
Stand Alone Foundation Skills
contextualised to vocational
area
This model is to deliver
language, literacy, numeracy or
employability skills training that
focused on a specific industry
or vocational area.

This model makes the LLN
training relevant to students who
want to complete a qualification.
This model ensures that
vocational pathways are in place
for students.

Because of the ACT’s size, it
would be difficult to have the
numbers of students required
for a sustainable
contextualised LLN model.
ACT Education and Training Directorate

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Issues Paper – Foundation Skills
Model
Advantages
Integrated or blended LLN and
vocational delivery
This model supports a team
teaching approach to training
delivery by the vocational
teacher and LLN specialist
working together.





LLN Support
This model is where an RTO
provides additional learning
support to the student.



5
Disadvantages
The integration of this model
means that all students receive
contextualised foundation skills
training integrated with
vocational training.
The current research and LLN
practices support both the team
teaching delivery and the
outcomes of this model.
CIT have been conducting pilot
projects of foundation skills
integrated with vocational
training during 2013 and could
leverage these learnings in the
future implementation of this
model.
There are 47 RTOs who have the
Foundation Skills Training
Package on their scope of
registration in the ACT.
WA has been delivering the team
teaching model through Course
in Applied Vocational Study Skills
(CAVSS) since 1999. In CAVSS,
the vocational teacher
determines when additional LLN
support is required.

RTOs only have to apply when
student requires specific LLN
support to complete training.
This model is already being used
in User Choice and Priorities
Support Program.
CIT provides learning support
and drop in learning centres for
vocational students.





RTOs may not have the
expertise to deliver this model.
Teachers need time and
resources to develop and
implement this model
effectively.
Vocational teachers and LLN
specialist teachers may be
resistant to working outside
their traditional areas.
The ACT Government will have
to assess each application,
creating an administrative
burden.
RTOs may not have the skills to
identify the LLN support needs
of the student.
RTOs would need to access LLN
specialists for the support.
Recommendations
Under Skilled Capital, students undertaking vocational training should have foundation skills training
and support available to them. This can be in the form of informal training, learning support or
integrated LLN training. As the main intent of Skilled Capital is to increase training participation and
completion, stand alone LLN training should only be funded if it is considered gap training and is
contextualised to the vocational area the student is intending to enrol in. The integrated model would
be funded as an add on (not replacement) using either the Foundation Skills Training Package or a
specified range of courses. Learning support would be funded as Additional Support Funding where
ACT Education and Training Directorate
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RTOs will apply to the ACT Government individually when they have identified a student requires the
support (see the Additional Support Issues Paper for more details).
5.1
Student assessment
Students must undertake an initial skills assessment to be eligible for Skilled Capital. This is part of the
Standard 2.4 of the ACT Standards for Delivery of Training and is a mandatory standard for all RTOs
that have an ACT Funding Agreement (ACTFA). Part of the initial skills assesment is the determination
of a student’s LLN level. It is recommended that RTOs use this assessment to determine the next step
for students.
Figure 1 sets out the learning pathways for a student following the initial skills assessment. This shows
that if a student does not require foundation skills support to undertake training, they continue with
their qualification. However if a student needs foundation skills support, RTOs have four options (see
flowchart below) to offer the student:
1. Refer to a stand alone LLN training program
2. RTO provides contextualised foundation skills training prior to the vocational qualification
3. RTO provides integrated foundation skills and vocational training
4. RTO provides individual learning support through Additional Support.
If an RTO determines that a student requires additional learning support, it can apply to the ACT
Government for Additional Support. (refer to the Additional Support Issues Paper for further
information). This support must be provided by a qualified LLN specialist.
Figure 1: Learning pathway
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5.2
Issues Paper – Foundation Skills
RTO requirements
It is recommended that all RTOs that apply to deliver training under Skilled Capital would need to
demonstrate capability to provide foundation skills training and support for all skills training delivery.
There will be specific questions on the application regarding RTO strategies and these will be assessed
by LLN specialists.
If an RTO does not have scope of registration to deliver accredited foundation skills training, it will be
required to sub-contract with an RTO that does have scope. The funding would go to the RTO
delivering the vocational qualification and they would have a sub-contracting arrangement with the
RTO providing the foundation skills training.
To ensure RTOs do not claim foundation skills training that is not necessary, it is recommended that
an RTO that has received Foundation Skills funding through Skilled Capital will be required to show
evidence at the time of audit. This would include the LLN assessment conducted as part of the initial
skills assessment and documented evidence that this has been aligned to the ACSF. Similar
requirements should also be in place for RTOs receiving Additional Support.
5.3
Funded courses
All funding for foundation skills training will be in addition to the vocational training funded under
Skilled Capital. All Skilled Capital students will be eligible for up to six units of competency (UoCs) from
approved foundation skills training courses. The training will be paid to the RTO on completion of
each UOC and the submission of correct data to the ACT Government. The ACT Skilled Capital
Qualifications List identifies specific foundation skills courses that will be approved to be funded.
Courses being considered are:

Foundation Skills Training Package

Course in Preliminary Spoken and Written English

Certificates I, II and III in Spoken and Written English

Certificate IV in Spoken and Written English – Further Studies

Certificate IV in Spoken and Written English – Employment
There will be no student tuition fees for foundation skills training and the funding will be 100 per cent
of the published subsidy amount.
5.4
ACT Government progress
The ACT Government has begun piloting certain aspects of the ACT entitlement model within the PSP
in 2014. All applications were required to specify how they assess and address foundation skill needs
in training programs. Applications were evaluated for the appropriateness and relevance of the
offered foundation skills support. In PSP 2014, RTOs were encouraged to provide foundation skills
support either by integrating foundation skills units of competencies with the vocational training or by
providing non-accredited foundation skills support. The Priorities Support Program Qualification List
2014 identified 26 foundation skill courses and listed the prices per unit of competency for RTOs to
apply for funding to integrate foundation skills into their vocational training.
To assist RTOs to develop foundation skills strategies and support for students, the ACT Government
will provide professional development workshops. In 2014 this will include funding RTO staff to
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Issues Paper – Foundation Skills
undertake TAALLN411 Address adult language, literacy and numeracy skills. Other workshops will
include how to use the Foundation Skills Training Package effectively when integrating this training
with skills training.
ACT Education and Training Directorate
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Appendix A – Jurisdictional Comparison
Table 4:Comparison of foundation skills included in vocational training across different states and territories
New South Wales
Implementation
Victoria
South Australia
Queensland
Western Australia
January 2015
2008
2012
2013
Age
requirements
15 or over without a
certificate IV or above
Over 15
16 and over
15 or over, no longer at
school
Range of
courses
Identified foundation
skill qualifications,
published on website
Identified
foundation skill
qualifications,
published on
website
Identified foundation
skill qualifications,
published on website
Identified foundation skill
qualifications, published
on website
CAVSS, USIQ and
other identified
foundation skill
qualifications
Foundation skills
courses, certificate I
and II courses and
courses in priority
areas are student fee
free
Set by RTO and
concessions apply
Set by WA
Government and
concessions apply
Courses limit
Student fees
January 2014
Tasmania
2014
Over 15
17 and
over, no
longer at
school
Identified foundation
skill qualifications,
published on website
Certificate
III in
General
Education
for Adults
2 courses per year
Set by NSW
Government and
concessions apply
Set by RTO and
concessions apply
Northern
Territory
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Issues Paper – Foundation Skills
New South Wales
Victoria
South Australia
Queensland
Western Australia
Funding
mechanisms
Approved RTOs will be
paid a loading on top
of the base price for
training
disadvantaged
students, on a per
qualification basis
Funding is paid
per hour of
training delivery
and higher
subsidies are
provided for
foundation skill
qualifications
Funding is paid at an
hourly rate per unit of
competency
Funding is provided per 
qualification and the
Queensland Government
will pay a higher subsidy
for any participant
requiring literacy and
numeracy training
Foundation skills
courses and
qualifications will
receive the highest
proportion of
government subsidy
– for example
CAVSS and USIQ are
subsidised
100 per cent and
other identified
foundation skill
qualifications
subsidised at
99 per cent
RTOs
Entitlement training
(selected foundation
skills, certificate II and
III) will be a demand
driven model;
government funding
for the training will
follow the student to
their choice of
approved RTO
Fully contestable
open market
model
Increased
contestability,
working towards full
contestability
From July 2014 funding
for entitlement training
will be fully contestable.
Foundation skills
and Access
programs only at
TAFE
ACT Education and Training Directorate
Page 16
Tasmania
Northern
Territory
Only public
RTOs at this
stage
Page 16
Issues Paper – Foundation Skills
New South Wales
Other
information
Foundation skills
training through TAFE
NSW and ACE will give
students basic
language, literacy,
numeracy and
computer skills
ACT Education and Training Directorate
Victoria
South Australia
Certificate I in
Education and Skills
Development (SA
state based LLN
course) is one of the
top 10 growth
qualifications in TAFE
SA and has increased
course enrolments by
1362 people in 2012
Queensland
The Certificate III
Guarantee will support
any students requiring
foundation skills –
language, literacy or
numeracy. Enrolment in
these courses may occur
in parallel with the
qualification above being
undertaken and will not
affect a student’s
entitlement to a
certificate III level
qualification
Page 17
Western Australia
Caps on
qualification
numbers
Tasmania
The 26TEN Adult
Literacy Plan
provides $1 million
per year for
programs in the
workplace and
communities. There
is a register of
qualified teachers for
employers and RTOs
to access
Page 17
Northern
Territory
Prepared by Training and Tertiary Education
Issues Paper – Foundation Skills
Appendix B – PIAAC Data
This appendix sets out data from Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies
(PIAAC), Australia.
There were small differences in the proficiency scores for the three domains by state or territory, with
the exception of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) which had a larger proportion of people at
higher levels in all domains. In the ACT, 67 per cent were at literacy Level 3 or above, followed by
56 per cent in Queensland. The numeracy figures were led by the ACT with 59 per cent at Level 3 or
above, followed by Queensland with 46 per cent. The ACT also scored highest for problem solving in
technology rich environment (PSTRE) with 44 per cent at Level 2 or above, followed by Victoria with
29 per cent.
Figure 2: Proportion at literacy Level 3 or above, by jurisdiction of usual residence and sex, 2011-12
ACT Education and Training Directorate
Page 18
Prepared by Training and Tertiary Education
Issues Paper – Foundation Skills
Figure 3: Proportion at numeracy Level 3 or above, by jurisdiction of usual residence and sex—2011–12
Figure 4: Proportion at PSTRE Level 2 or above, by jurisdiction of usual residence and sex—2011–12
ACT Education and Training Directorate
Page 19