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Adult Literacy and Numeracy

Just about every job in the service industry requires good literacy and numeracy skills. 


Research shows that service sector workers are more likely than average to have challenges relating to their levels of literacy, language and numeracy.

About one in every two workers in the service sector have literacy skills below those needed to participate fully. Business consequences can include an impact on the company bottom-line and lower productivity. In addition, many of the affected people cannot meet the complex demands of their everyday life and work. Tasks that many people take for granted become arduous: emailing, report-writing, reading and banking.


Employees need to know how to:

  • understand and follow rules and procedures
  • fill out forms such as contracts and timesheets
  • read notices, instructions, timetables, job sheets etc
  • work on a computer
  • write reports
  • speak and listen effectively.

An efficient workplace where people get along and things get done depends on everyone knowing what their responsibilities are. Understanding how to work with new and ever changing technology is important too – we all need good computer skills or we get left behind.

The success of New Zealand businesses in the service sectors and the whole New Zealand economy depends on having skilled and adaptable people in the workforce.


How can ServiceIQ assist to raise the standard in my workplace?

Understanding how to identify literacy challenges and learning differences can help ensure all trainees on ServiceIQ programmes are given the opportunity to succeed.

Even the most skilled and valued service sector employees can struggle with some aspects of learning. Hands-on ability and great interpersonal skills will make someone highly successful in their workplace role. But, sometimes, these same people fail to fully engage with workplace training because of their lack of confidence or skills in reading, comprehension and assessment.


ServiceIQ can: 

  • review your key training resources for plain English
  • equip your on-job trainers with a toolkit of knowledge that will help them identify any trainee learning challenges
  • provide advice about funding and providers who can support specific learning development opportunities
  • check new trainees’ reading and numeracy skills and give feedback, support and suggestions on any necessary improvements.