Skills for Life

Skills for Life is the national strategy in England for improving adult literacy, language (ESOL) and numeracy skills. The strategy was launched by the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, in March 2001.

The Skills for Life strategy sets out how the Government will reach its Public Service Agreement (PSA) target to improve "the basic skill levels of 2.25 million adults between the launch of Skills for Life in 2001 and 2010, with a milestone of 1.5 million in 2007". This PSA target is part of the wider objective to "tackle the adult skills gaps", by increasing the number of adults with the skills required for employability and progression to higher levels of training.

The Leitch Review, (Prosperity for all in the global economy - world class skills, Dec 2006) commissioned by the Government, has indicated the next likely Skills for Life target. The Review recommends that the UK commit to becoming a world leader in skills by 2020 with a basic skills objective "for 95% of adults to achieve the basic skills of functional literacy and numeracy" by 2020 (a total of 7.4 million adult attainments over the period).

In 1998 the Government asked Sir Claus Moser, Chairman of the Basic Skills Agency, to produce a report on how to "tackle the vast basic skills problem in this country". The Moser Report (A Fresh Start – improving literacy and numeracy) was published in 1999, and found that 20% of adults lacked functional basic skills.

The Government responded by launching the Skills for Life strategy. When the strategy was launched in 2001, free literacy, language and numeracy training was made available to all adults without a Level 2 qualification (equivalent to a GCSE at A* - C).

As part of the Skills for Life strategy, a nationwide survey of basic skills (Skills for Life Needs and Impact Survey) was published in 2003. The survey showed that of the adult population aged 16–65 in England:

Estimates place the cost to the country of poor basic skills at £10 billion a year. This takes account of the effect of lower incomes, reduced productivity, poorer health and the cost of benefits and welfare services. The cost of poor numeracy and literacy skills for a company employing 1,000 people has been estimated at £626,000 per year. For organisations employing 51-100 employees the cost is estimated to be nearer £108,000.

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