Language, Literacy & Numeracy

Essential Skills for the TradesAchieving Vocational Outcomes Conference 2014

What are Essential Skills• Reading• Document use• Numeracy• Writing• Oral communication• Thinking skills• Computer use• Working with others• Continuous learningFACT: The level of Essential Skills required for most trades is as high or higher than it is for many white-collar jobs.

Five-Point Scale for Reading, Document Use & Numeracy

Occupations Reading Document Use Numeracy

Carpenters 3 4 4Chefs 3 3 4Dentists 4 3 3Electricians 3 4 3Hairdressers 3 3 3Nurses 4 4 3Optometrists 4 4 3Plumbers 3 4 3Social Workers 4 2 2Welders 3 4 1Trades Labourers & Helpers

3 3 2

Numeracy• The skills needed to make sense of and apply mathematical

concepts and information.

• At work - tally costs, create budgets, calculate lengths and volumes, analyse data, estimate times and manage the other mathematical demands of different situations.

• There is a difference between a worker’s ability to work with numbers and their understanding of when they should use certain types of maths.

Numeracy – Whole numbers

Read, write, count, round off, add, subtract, multiply and divide whole numbers.

Examples:

• Order supplies• Take stock inventory• Count parts• Read serial numbers

Numeracy - Integers

(Positive or negative whole numbers)Read, write, add, subtract, multiply and divide integers.

Examples:

• Read temperatures• Use survey tools• Set up computer numerical control programs• Measure air pressure

Numeracy - Fractions

Read, write, round off, add, subtract, multiply or divide fractions.Multiply or divide by a fraction.

Examples:

• Take and record imperial measurements.• Determine tool or material sizes.• Calculate quantities

Numeracy - Decimals

Read, write, round off, add, or subtract, multiply or divide decimals. Multiply or divide by a decimal.

Examples:

• Handle money• Take and record metric measurements• Measure tolerances• Select tool sizes

Numeracy - Percentages

Read and write percentages. Calculate the percentage one number is of another. Calculate a percentage of a number.

Examples:• Calculate GST.• Read and write tolerances.• Adjust machine loads.• Describe in terms of a proportion of maximum capacity or an

amount of progress towards completion.

Numeracy – Equivalent numbers

Convert between fractions, decimals and percentages.

Examples:

• Convert decimal readings on gauges to percent of output• Convert decimals to fractions to select the correct part or size

of tool.• Convert quantities of ingredients to decimals to calculate cost

Numeracy – Other real numbers

Use square roots, powers, scientific notation and significant digits.

Examples:

• Calculate power and current in three-phase motors• Use square roots to calculate dimensions for a staircase• Use powers to express the volume of tanks

Numeracy – Equations & formulas

Solve problems using equations with one unknown quantity. Use formulas by inserting quantities.Solve quadratic equations.

Examples:

• Determine where to place holes• Calculate the correct angles for rigging loads• Set food prices• Use Ohm’s law to check motor voltage

Numeracy – Rates, ratios & proportions

Use a rate comparing two quantities with different units.Use a ratio comparing two quantities with the same units.Use a proportion comparing two ratios or rates.

Examples:• Adjust tire pressure• Mix additives• Adjust ingredients in a recipe• To make more servings• Calculate speed and feed rates of a machine• Read a scale drawing• Calculate airflow rates

Numeracy – Measurement conversions

Convert between imperial and metric measurements.Convert to another unit within a measurement system.

Examples:

• Convert units to select wrench sizes• Cut lengths of wire.• Mix colouring agents.• Meet product specifications.• Calculate airflow.• Use scale drawings.

Numeracy – Area, perimeter & volume

Calculate areas, perimeters and volumes.

Examples:

• Calculate the area or perimeter of a work surface to be painted, sodded or caulked.

• Calculate the volume of additives or concrete required.• Calculate the capacity of a storage tank.

Numeracy – Geometry

Apply geometric concepts such as parallelism, perpendicularity and tangents.

Examples:

• Find the centre of a room to install fixtures.• Cut hair using angles.• Cut slopes to fabricate ramps.• Use angles to lay out patterns for materials.

Numeracy – Trigonometry

Use trigonometry to determine the size of an unknown side or angle of a triangle.

Examples:

• Calculate angles for a circular staircase• Place holes on a part• Make bolt patterns for drilling or machine installation• Find offsets

Numeracy – Summary calculations

Calculate averages and rates other than percentages, proportions or ratios.

Examples:

• Calculate averages for:• fuel or power consumption;• tool lifespan;• speed and feed rates;• material production, and;• time needed to perform tasks

Numeracy – Statistics and probability

Use statistics and probability to draw conclusions.

Examples:

• Estimate how much of something clients use• Predict sales trends• Determine the probability of equipment and parts failure• Describe the progress of fabrication and installation tasks

The Australian Curriculum

Students become numerate as they develop the knowledge and skills to use mathematics confidently across other learning areas at school and in their lives more broadly.

Numeracy encompasses the knowledge, skills, behaviours and dispositions that students need to use mathematics in a wide range of situations.

Students need to recognise that mathematics is constantly used outside the mathematics classroom and that numerate people apply general mathematical skills in a wide range of familiar and unfamiliar situations.

Numeracy Learning Continuum

Language & Literacy

• Reading• Document Use• Writing• Oral Communication• Working with Others• Thinking• Computer Use• Continuous Learning

Reading• The skills needed to understand and apply information found

in sentences and paragraphs.

• At work, people use reading skills to locate and use information from memos, emails, manuals, reports, proposals and other written material.

• Level 1: being able to read short texts to find a single piece of information

• Level 5: being able to understand and use long and complicated texts, like contracts or reports

• The ability to read at a complexity Level 3 is essential for most jobs

Reading - Automotive• emails or notes from colleagues.• comments on work orders to understand problems and repair

schedules.• instructions and safety warnings on product labels.• reports from manufacturers describing recalls and faults of specific

models of automobiles.• repair manuals to diagnose and fix mechanical faults.• specifications for trucks on a computer database.• service bulletins and flyers.• Workplace Hazardous Materials Information labels and Material Safety

Data Sheets (MSDS) to learn about the dangers of using certain products.

• health and safety materials, such as descriptions of personal protective equipment (PPE) and first aid information.

• installation and programming directions for electronic equipment.• shop training manuals and written materials from the shop library to

learn more about engines and electronics.

Reading - Plumbing• Read brochures from suppliers to find information on

materials.• Read health and safety notices.• Read and follow product installation procedures.• Read Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) to obtain

information about hazardous products.• Read manuals to install, repair and maintain plumbing

systems.• Read trade text books to understand the science related to

plumbing, such as the properties of water, metals and alloys.• Read the Australian Plumbing Code to follow the regulations

on plumbing systems.

Document use• Document use refers to the skills needed to find, enter and

use letters, numbers, symbols and images in electronic and paper formats.

• At work, people use document use skills to find and enter information in electronic and paper visual displays, such as forms, lists, tables, graphs, maps and drawings.

• Level 1 to Level 5 based on the number, type and structure of documents; how information is found and entered (and whether or not the information is modified in order to be used); and the worker’s thought process and their previous knowledge of the content.

Document use - Automotive• Read safety symbols on movable parts.• Fill out a variety of documents, such as job estimates, warranties, inspection reports and

accident forms.• Study schematic diagrams for information on electrical, hydraulic, coolant and other systems.• Use work orders to find information on vehicles to be serviced, such as repair needs and

descriptions of previous problems.• Find automotive system faults by interpreting diagnostic graphs and integrating information

from other sources.• Complete preventive maintenance checklists.• Fill out customer scheduling information on an appointment board.• Complete warranty registration forms.• Refer to size tables for tires and differentials and conversion charts for calibrating

speedometers.• Interpret diagnostic graphs such as temperature graphs to see if sensors are within

specifications.• Read assembly diagrams to assemble specialized equipment such as transmissions.• Interpret blueprints and schematic diagrams for systems such as wiring or air brakes.• Read and follow electrical troubleshooting charts and diagrams.• Interpret tachographs which record speeds, revolutions per minute (rpm), and engine idling for

diagnostic purposes.

Document use - Hospitality• Interpret Work Health and Safety hazard symbols.• Read product labels to identify ingredients that could cause an

allergic reaction or that must be excluded from restricted diets.• Check off items and quantities on delivery checklists.• Complete reports for the head chef on the number of entrées

prepared.• Use supply checklists when placing orders.• Draw diagrams showing the arrangement of food items on a plate.• Interpret customer satisfaction ratings displayed on charts.• Read and prepare customer orders.• Read event confirmation sheets.• Refer to market reports regarding the availability and cost of

goods in order to make appropriate menu decisions.

Writing• Writing refers to the skills needed to compose handwritten or

typed text to communicate information and ideas.• At work, people use writing skills to compose texts, such as

notes, memos, bulletins, email messages, instructions, procedures and reports.

• The writing complexity scale is organized into themes, which explain the complexity requirements of writing tasks:• length and purpose,• style and structure, and• content.

• Level 1: writing short and informal notes• Level 5: writing longer, technical documents based on many

different sources of information and adapted to a specific audience

Writing - Automotive• brief notes on work orders describing repairs to customers'

cars.• brief emails or notes on web forums and technical support

sites about unusual or difficult repairs.• long letters for police and insurance investigations describing

the causes and results of accidents.• notes to co-workers to provide updates on equipment.• comments on preventative maintenance checklist forms.• entries in work orders to show the cause of a malfunction and

how it was corrected.• reports on vehicle damage for insurance claims• Complete estimates of all items that need to be replaced

when a vehicle comes in.

Writing – Refrigeration Mechanic

• Complete work order forms to record the customer's name, work site location and problem as stated by the customer.

• Maintain logbooks and service notes to track information such as the number of filters changed, belt sizes and part numbers for the next technician working on that particular equipment.

• Complete start up sheets for new installations, detailing the make and model of equipment, the operating conditions and start up settings.

• Prepare technical service reports to record a problem.

Oral communication• Oral communication refers to the skills needed to exchange

thoughts and information with other people by speaking, listening and using non-verbal cues, such as body language.

• At work, people use oral communication skills to talk to customers, discuss products with suppliers, explain work procedures to co-workers, participate in virtual sales meetings with clients, and other activities that involve verbal exchanges.

• Level 1: giving basic instructions, information communicated from a familiar, simple topic, communicating with one person at a time in an everyday situation

• Level 4: carrying out complicated negotiations, information communicated from complex, highly detailed technical information, communicating with a new and challenging audience in an unfamiliar setting

Oral communication - Automotive

• Give instructions and guidance to shop colleagues and apprentices.• Inform supervisors and customers if jobs are going to take longer than expected.• Explain regular vehicle maintenance procedures to customers.• Place orders for parts and supplies by telephone.• Participate in discussion groups to share experiences, discuss problems and learn

new methods of increasing productivity and providing customer service.• Speak to customers and service advisors to obtain information about vehicle repairs.• Respond to customer complaints regarding quality, cost or duration of repairs.• Communicate with Spare Parts personnel about parts.• Contact other mechanics to find out what repairs were previously done to a vehicle

and discuss how to carry out difficult repairs.• Talk to the shop foreman to discuss scheduling and the length of various jobs.• Communicate with truck company dispatchers about how long it will take before

their trucks are back on the road.• Talk to customers to discuss their vehicle and to provide important information on

parts and warranties.• Contact manufacturers to discuss problems with parts.

Oral communication - Welder

• Give directions to truck drivers picking up and dropping off materials.

• Talk to tool room staff to ask for tools, supplies and personal protective equipment.

• Discuss work assignments with a supervisor to understand expectations.

• Compare measurements and calculations with a partner when building a structure.

• Share ideas about tasks and safety issues at production meetings.

• Explain welding designs to customers and help them understand why structures were built in a certain way.

Working with Others

Working with a Partner or a Team•Maintain open lines of communication • Exchange contact information with

colleagues• Contribute to group decisions •Make decisions co-operatively• Contribute to the team by completing the

tasks assigned to you on time.

Working with Others• Get acquainted with new team members• Build a good rapport with your colleagues

by participating in group activities (e.g. after work social events).• Acknowledge and understand your own

strengths and weaknesses.• Acknowledge and use the skill strengths,

ideas and opinions of other team members.

Working with Others

• Encourage your team members to share ideas• Always consider the feedback and advice

given by other team members.• Phrase your suggestions as questions (e.g.

instead of saying “I think we should…” say “What about doing…”).• Let your colleagues know when they are

doing a good job.

Working with Others

• Respect the feelings, views and values of other team members.• Support and encourage fellow team

members by helping those who need assistance.• Do not avoid conflict. Address issues or

problems when they happen.

Thinking

•Problem solving

•Decision making

•Job task planning and organising

Computer Use• Keyboard shortcuts• Special characters• Creating shortcuts• Using Search Engines• Ergonomics• Email – attaching a file• Simple graphics• Formatting text• Word processing, spreadsheets & presentation software• Different file formats

Continuous Learning• Be prepared to learn new things• Ask questions• Ask for feedback• Learn by observing others• Use learning materials, manuals etc.• Seek our further training• Develop goals• Use past experiences• Try new ways of doing things• Maintain skill levels

Online Resources• Apprenticeship Centralhttp://www.apprenticeshipcentral.com.au/• Language, Literacy & numeracy resources• Harrison Online Career Assessment

• Employment & Social Development Canadahttp://www.esdc.gc.ca/eng/jobs/les/tools/index.shtml• Assessment tools

• Industry Skills Councilshttp://www.isc.org.au/