The plan by the Government, unions and business to lift the skill levels of workers was yesterday endorsed in Otago, although the need for adequate funding was raised as an important issue.
Tertiary Education Minister Pete Hodgson and Associate Tertiary Education Minister Maryan Street will co-chair a forum to implement a skills strategy for New Zealand.
Mr Hodgson said 80% of workers New Zealand would have in 2020 were already on the job now.
‘‘So to raise our skill levels, work needs to be targeted across a wide range of society - from people already in employment, educators and industry, to those who have just started school,'' he said.
Otago Chamber of Commerce chief executive John Christie said it was good to see the focus switch to those in the workforce and school leavers.
However, there needed to be some tough targets set to ensure the programme achieved its aims.
Having 100% of school leavers reach ‘‘base competency'' for numeracy and literacy would be a start.
‘‘Employers will be receptive to this measure. They are already paying higher wages for no greater output. Better productivity leads to better profitability and that means the whole community gains.''
Some ‘‘serious funding'' was needed to ensure the success of the programme. Already, there were some good ideas in the community being implemented by not-for-profit organisations on a tight budget.
‘‘They are trying to address the issues of numeracy and literacy, but they are grossly under-funded. That should be addressed, perhaps through a contestable fund.
‘‘The whole community should be working together on these issues rather than leaving it to 10 people standing around a white board,'' he said.
Otago-Southland Employers Association chief executive Duncan Simpson said improving literacy and numeracy abilities of many workers was the best way to lift their skill levels.
Although there were subsidies available for employers to run literacy and numeracy courses, money was limited.
‘‘It is hard to sell a literacy programme to employers without subsidies. We are hearing the budget this year will include more money to roll out these courses.''
A survey released in December found 800,000 working New Zealanders did not have the skills needed to fully participate in a knowledge-based economy, he said.
The Adult Literacy Life Skills survey, carried out in 1990, found half the NZ workforce was below a ‘‘normal life'' standard of numeracy and literacy.
Part of the latest survey, released in December, was about ‘‘document literacy'', the ability of workers to understand, graphs, charts and tables.
Unreleased results included ‘‘prose literacy'', involving the ability to understand written manuals.
‘‘That has an impact on health and safety. If you can't read the instructions or notices, it increases the chances of being more accident-prone.
That sheets back to the employers who are keenly interested in getting that sorted,'' he said.
