Levels of Literacy and Numeracy Skills in New Zealand - Essay Sample

Introduction

In the article 'We are barely functioning, literally', the writer reveals the status of illiteracy and numeracy in New Zealand, and how the two affect the business industry. The work defines literacy as the skills that aid in interpreting and understanding literary works, and explains numeracy as the ability to use mathematical approaches in aspects of life. The world today requires the skills as they facilitate in the effective handling of daily the challenges in learning and working environment.

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Mitchel highlights on the literacy and numeracy data of in the New Zealand and how different sections of the business world interacts with it. The piece acknowledges that the individual who join the world through the Industrial Training Federation show the need for training in basic literacy and numeracy skills before they even go for higher functions and skills (''We are barely functioning, literally'', 2018). Even learning facilitators experience the same when he was involved in training different people. The literature blames the authorities like NCEA of producing half-baked graduates who can comprehend the elementary literacy qualifications. Mitchell also shows the extent of the situation that even the New Zealand government is aware of and initiates ways of countering it.

The piece assumes that due to functional illiteracy, unproductivity in business exits and the business records substantial losses. The writer tell as how business industry assumes that all the inadequacy of the tow skills results from poorly designed and implement curriculum. The industry accuses NCEA for only going for 'softs skills and not the required hard skills (''We are barely functioning, literally'', 2018). The writer shows that inadequacy reduces the confidence of such employees. The writer show how literacy and numeracy skills would lead to improved health, an argument forwarded by Aotearoa chief executive Bronwyn Yates who noted a drop of incontinence, medication and depression on adults who were put under adult education.

Mitchel vividly relates adult literary and numeracy and the business sector in New Zealand. Cooperate world suffers today due to the literacy and numeracy incompetency of graduate employees (Windisch, 2015). The loss results from lack of proactive steps to instill industry-based skills in the learners before they join the industry. On the other hand, the idea of the industry wholly blaming learning institutions does not stand. One would discuss the argument basing on the fact that even though there exist a slight gap between colleges and business industry regarding transition of the skills, individual effort of the learners plays a major role (Windisch, 2015). The percentage that the industry find fit took their earlier pursuits for the skills seriously.

Conclusion

New Zealand needs a comprehensive strategy that addresses the inadequacy of the two skills as taught in high schools and colleges. This strategy should help in reducing the numbers of graduates joining the workplaces without the qualifications. The implementation of such strategy will also help the learners to become life-long learners and champions of hand-on education. Through individual and combined efforts, learners will manage to acquire the skills fit for business industry.

References

We are barely functioning, literally. (2018). Retrieved March 19, 2019, from https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/104111160/we-are-barely-functioning-literally

Windisch, H. C. (2015). Adults with low literacy and numeracy skills: A literature review on policy intervention. OECD Education Working Papers, (123), 0_1. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/openview/1be66bc9baa41327262536ded9588341/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=54479