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‘ACCI review’, published monthly, provides a means to communicate Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) policy concerns to the Government, the public service, the media and the general public. This article looks at the renewed emphasis being placed by governments and employers around the world on literacy and numeracy skills of employees. ACCI’s July 2004 quarterly ‘Survey of investor confidence’ indicated that the availability of suitably qualified employees was the number one constraint on future investment decisions. Addressing the numeracy and literacy problems requires action at all levels of education and in the workplace. In terms of vocational education and training (VET), the article highlights the recent requirement of training packages to outline literacy and numeracy outcomes and skill requirements in specific work competencies as a step in the right direction. The article concludes by suggesting ways in which the government, industry and education providers need to work together to ensure that Australian employees are able to compete in the global marketplace.