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PIAACProgramme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies
A European Survey on Skills at Work (ESSW)
Workshop on “Exploring possibilities for the development of European data infrastructures for research in the social sciences”, The Royal Society, London, 23 June 2010
Mark Keese([email protected])
Outline
Why do we need a ESSW?
What would it look like?
What would it tell us?
What would need to be developed?
What do we need an ESSW?
Increasing interest in digging deeper into: Which skills are being used at work? How are these skills acquired? How are they rewarded? How is the demand for these skills changing? How important is skills mismatch?
Previously, much analysis has used proxy measures of skills such as qualifications and occupation
However, task-based measures of skills can provide more direct measures of skills used at work (particularly of broad and generic skills)
There are a few national surveys using this task-based approach but as yet no internationally comparable survey
The OECD’s PIAAC survey will fill this gap but only partly
Therefore, need for an ESSW either as a standalone survey or as a supplement to an existing European survey such as the European Labour Force Survey
What would an ESSW look like? The OECD’s Programme for the International
Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC)
Measures of literacy, numeracy & problem-solving skillso Direct assessment
Measures of skill formation & outcomes o Background
questions on adult learning, labour-market status, earnings, health …
Measures of generic skills used at workoJob Requirements Approach (JRA)
PIAAC is a household-based survey of adult skills, taking place in 2011/12. 28 countries participating and a minimum of 5000 respondents per country
Comprised of 3 modules:
Generic workplace skills covered by PIAAC
Key workplace skills
Cognitive skills
Physical skills
Learning skills
Interaction/social skills
Reading, Writing, Maths,
IT, Problem Solving
Stamina, Strength, Dexterity
Influence, Self-direction, Horizontal interaction,
Client interaction
Required to learn things,
Keep up to date, Help others
learnFormal education
requirements
What will the ESSW tell us?Some illustrative results from PIAAC’s JRA pilot survey
Provides rich picture of skill use that goes well beyond educational qualifications
Substantial proportion of workers only require a low level of literacy and numeracy skills in their jobs
Smaller proportion require a high level of writing and numeracy skills
Distribution of workers by level of cognitive-skill use% of workers at each level of skill use
Source: OECD JRA Pilot Study (general sample).
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Australia France Greece Korea
Reading
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Australia France Greece Korea
Writing
High Medium Low
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Australia France Greece Korea
Numeracy
What will the ESSW tell us?Some illustrative results from PIAAC’s JRA pilot survey
IT revolution not ubiquitous and there is a digital divide among workers
A significant proportion of workers do not use computers at all Only a minority of workers who use computers do so for performing
complex or advanced tasks
Computer use at work
Source: OECD JRA Pilot Study (general sample).
A. Time spent working with a computer% of workers by time spent
B. Level of computer usage% of workers using a computer by level
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Australia France Greece Korea
>50% <50% 0%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Australia France Greece Korea
Advanced Complex Moderate Straightforward
Computer skills are acquired through both formal and informal channels
Self-study, including learning by doing, was the most commonly cited source of these skills in each country
Informal assistance was also important while employer-led training was least cited
How computer skills are learned% of workers reporting each type of learning method
% of workers reporting each type of learning method
Source: OECD JRA Pilot Study (general sample).
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Education/ training
Employer-led Self-study Informal assistance
Australia France Greece Korea
What will the ESSW tell us?Some illustrative results from PIAAC’s JRA pilot survey
Skills mismatch
Provides measures of both education and skills mismatch
Proportion of workers over-qualified highest in Korea but relatively fewer over-skilled workers
In Australia and Korea, over-qualifications (under-qualifications) are associated with a large earnings penalty (premium)
Education and skill match
Source: OECD JRA Pilot Study (general sample).
A. Education match B. Skill match% of workers by match category % of workers by match category
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Australia France Greece Korea
Over-qualified Matched Under-qualified
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Australia France Greece Korea
Over-skilled Matched Under-skilled
Some illustrative results from the pilot
Range of other skills also covered in the pilot, e.g. caring, communication, self-direction, physical stamina and dexterity
There does not appear to be any simple relationship in terms of GDP per head and skill demands in these domains
While skill needs in some domains (e.g. self-direction) appear to correlate well with required qualifications there is little correlation in other domains
o Thus, for some skill domains, the work place and work experience may play a more important role than formal education/training in fostering these skills
The results also point to a number of interesting linkages between skill demands, technology and work organisation
For example, quality-improvement circles appear to require higher reading and numeracy skills and greater communication skills.
Similarly, client monitoring of workers implies greater use of customer communication skills, and teamworking is associated with greater internal communication skills
What would need to be developed?
Further work is needed on developing the skill domains covered by task-based questions and on the wording of these questions
Development of contextual questions on work conditions, field of study and work organisation
Development of a module which could be used as a supplement for a large European-wide survey such as the European Labour Force Survey
Conclusions
An ESSW would open a new window on skills at work
It would help identify which skills are essential, who has them and where there are skill gaps
It would also help identify the linkages with work organisation and broader economic, labour market and social settings
For further details on PIAAC, see:
www.oecd.org/piaac