Unlocking workforce potential: an employer guide to using the Australian Core Skills Framework in the workplace

Australian governments have committed to raising the core skill levels of the population through the National Foundation Skills Strategy for Adults. Literacy and numeracy are described in the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF) as the core skills of learning, reading, writing, oral communication and numeracy. These skills are needed to communicate at work, at home and in the community and are recognised as being critically important for individuals to continue to learn across their lifetime. The ACSF provides a reference point and consistent language for describing and discussing performance within the five core skill areas. It is used for a variety of purposes by government, training providers and industry audiences and can be used to track improvement in core skill levels within the Australian population.

This guide argues that, although employers do not need to know everything about the ACSF as it is primarily a tool designed for trainers and educators, having a basic understanding of its function and language can enable more effective conversations with their management teams about the workforce development needs of the business, key gaps that need addressing and ways to plan for improvement. The guide therefore demonstrates how the ACSF can be used to: document workplace core skill requirements; review internal systems and processes for their core skill demands; communicate with the workforce about core skills and their importance; and outline core skill needs to trainers and training providers.

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