Almost every job relies on foundation skills: reading instructions, writing a message, working with numbers, using a phone app or filling in an online form. These skills are so much a part of everyday work that they are easy to overlook, until they become a barrier.
Many adults would like to strengthen their foundation skills but feel embarrassed to say so. This article explains what foundation skills are, why they matter and how adults can build them.
What are foundation skills?
Foundation skills are the core skills that underpin work, training and everyday life. They are usually described as:
- Reading: understanding instructions, safety information, emails and forms
- Writing: filling in forms, writing messages, incident reports and simple documents
- Numeracy: working with numbers, measurements, time, money and rosters
- Oral communication: speaking and listening at work, including with customers and supervisors
- Digital literacy: using computers, phones, email, online forms and workplace systems
- Learning skills: knowing how to learn new things, ask questions and solve problems
Why they matter more than ever
Workplaces are increasingly digital. Rosters are published in apps, timesheets are submitted online, training is delivered through e-learning and job applications happen almost entirely online. Someone who was capable and confident in their work twenty years ago may now find the digital side of a job daunting.
Foundation skills also affect training. People who struggle with reading or numeracy may find a course harder than it needs to be, not because they cannot understand the content, but because of how it is presented and assessed.
Many people are in the same boat
There are many reasons an adult might want to build foundation skills. They may have left school early, had disrupted schooling, learned English as an additional language, had a learning difficulty that was never identified, or simply not needed certain skills until now. None of these say anything about a person's intelligence or capability.
Needing to strengthen a skill is not a weakness. It is the first step to using it.
How foundation skills fit into a pathway
Building foundation skills works best when it is connected to a goal. Learning workplace maths for a specific job, or practising digital skills on the systems you will actually use, is more motivating than learning in the abstract.
In our approach, foundation skills come up during planning. If they would help, they become part of the person's individual training and support plan, alongside pre-employment workshops and, where it fits, accredited training through our partner registered training organisations. We can also connect people with specialist adult literacy and numeracy programs.
Digital skills for job seeking
For many people, the most immediate need is digital: setting up an email account, creating a resume in a word processor, applying for jobs online and joining a video interview. These are some of the first things we cover in pre-employment support, because they open the door to everything else. You can read more in what pre-employment workshops cover.
Talk to us
If you would like to build your foundation skills as part of getting into work, or you support someone who would, get in touch or call 1800 993 557. There is no judgement, and we treat every enquiry with respect and discretion.