Around five million adults with low basic skills are in work. Addressing the basic skills needs of people in work can contribute to enhancing overall skills levels in England. Yet many employers have not identified a need for basic skills training and do not offer any provision. Employees may not recognise the importance of their own literacy and numeracy skills, which underpin other work-related skills. Awareness raising and employer engagement can be supported through approaches which build a ‘business case’ for basic skills provision.
The Adult Education Budget (AEB) offers fully funded literacy and numeracy provision up to Level 2, and these courses may be delivered in the workplace. Effective partnerships between learning providers and employers can help to increase volumes of basic skills provision being delivered in the workplace, and/or targeted at people in work.
These resources were developed as part of a project, supported by the Department for Education, which focused on engaging employers with Adult Education Budget basic skills provision. They were developed with the input of learning providers, employers and sector stakeholders. The resources consist of:
- A guide for employers
- A guide for providers
