Adult literacy, language and numeracy education

A range of learning opportunities is also funded in the area of adult literacy, language and numeracy, including English for speakers of other languages.

The Workplace Literacy Fund assists employers to establish workplace literacy projects where employees can access literacy, language and numeracy tuition, linked to workplace requirements.

Industry training embedded literacy and numeracy projects support industry training organisations to build the capability necessary to effectively include literacy and numeracy in their trade training.

Learners who enrol in level 1 to 3 certificate-level programmes in tertiary education providers get the opportunity to improve their literacy and numeracy levels in the course of that learning. Additional funding is being made available for certificate-level providers who embed explicit teaching and assessment of literacy and numeracy into their programmes.

Intensive literacy, language and numeracy provision reaches high-need groups who might not be able to access learning at work, such as parents, people who have more casual employment arrangements and people with very low levels of literacy and numeracy. Learning is provided in meaningful contexts such as family literacy (for example, how to prepare a budget) and resettlement.  This provision is funded through the Intensive Literacy and Numeracy fund.

Training Opportunities and Youth Training programmes also provide some opportunities for particular groups of learners to build their literacy, language and numeracy skills for sustainable work.

Literacy Aotearoa provides flexible, community based individualised learning for adults. This is often a crucial first step for an individual in building their literacy and numeracy skills.

For the latest information on literacy, language and numeracy go to Profile & Trends 2008, chapter 7.

There a also a range of support provided for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). These include:

• Language Partners New Zealand, formerly known as the National Association of ESOL Home Tutor Schemes, which provides English language skills and resettlement support for migrants and refugees
• the Multicultural Centre for Learning and Support Services, which provides language and settlement support to migrants and refugees
• the English for Migrants scheme, which provides English language tuition for migrants to New Zealand who have pre-paid their training, and
• English for Speakers of Other Languages tuition is also provided through other funded provision, including Training Opportunities and student achievement component-funded courses.