Workplace Literacy & Numeracy
What is workplace literacy & numeracy?
Workplace literacy and numeracy refer to all the reading, writing, speaking, listening, numeracy, digital and problem-solving skills an individual needs to do their job effectively.
Best for
Companies that want to upskill their operational workforce with a tailored communication programme
Duration
25-80 hours
Price
Funded via the Tertiary Education Commission’s Employer-led Workplace Literacy Fund
NZQA qualification
Can be included depending on need
Location
Onsite
Format
Client cohort
There are set deadlines for funding applications. The deadlines for 2025 are on the following Fridays:
7 February | 11 April | 13 June | 8 August | 10 October
New Zealand research indicates that using this definition, four out of ten of our workers have a literacy and/or numeracy gap.
20% of New Zealanders have a significant digital skills gap, with the manufacturing and construction industries having lower digital skills than other industries.
The links between increased literacy levels and productivity are clear. So our government has made it easier for organisations to run programmes on-site by fully funding this training.
Staff who have been through this programme are generally more assertive and participative in health and safety matters. They are more engaged with quality issues and processes. They also communicate better with team members and managers and are better equipped to problem-solve.
Increasingly we see workplaces moving to a paperless digital environment but, with over 200,000 people missing out on essential digital skills, we need to be intentional about taking the whole workforce with us on the digital journey to ensure inclusion and productivity.
Depending on the needs of your team, we can incorporate TetraMap® a tool to help us make our courses even more effective at improving communication skills.
Upskills can take the hassle out of the funding application process. We can project-manage the whole process from start to finish. If you think literacy and numeracy gaps might be having an impact on your business, act now.
Watch
Find out how Dempsey Wood Civil learners benefit from Upskills Literacy and Numeracy training during downtime over the winter months.
Book a Free Communications Analysis
Get in touch with us at Upskills to request a Communications Analysis. This free review will help you understand how you could use this government funding to boost employees’ core skills and your business simultaneously.
FAQs
Literacy - doesn't that mean reading and writing? My staff all know how to read.
Literacy in this context means all the skills employees need to communicate effectively at work.
This may mean giving instructions to a co-worker, filling out a near-miss form correctly, or understanding the important messages at a health and safety briefing.
It also includes working with technology, using problem-solving tools and critical thinking.
How much does a programme like this cost?
The government funds this work because of the connection between improved literacy and numeracy and workplace productivity.
Specialist providers such as Upskills project manage the entire programme on an employer’s behalf.
Who is likely to be digitally excluded?
Digitally excluded people are more likely to be older, and from lower socio-economic groups, according to the research.
What type of content is covered?
Each programme is tailored to meet the individual workplace’s needs. There’s no off-the-shelf textbook, rather the goals for the programme are decided at the outset.
Trainers then work with company forms, documents and processes to cover communication-based content that is useful and relevant.
How can it help with health and safety?
By making sure that staff are familiar and confident with health and safety-related vocabulary and signage.
By helping staff understand the rationale behind health and safety forms and procedures. And helping them to feel more confident communicating assertively about health and safety.
How do we know if we need this type of training at our company?
Gaps in literacy and/or numeracy can show up in surprising ways. Waste levels can be higher than they should be due to skill gaps in numeracy, for instance. Another example is getting limited feedback from staff at meetings when you know your team has good ideas or solutions to bring forward.
Misunderstanding verbal or written instructions, (internal) customer frustrations and incomplete form filling are a few more examples of how this issue can impact a business.
Literacy - doesn't that mean reading and writing? My staff all know how to read.
Literacy in this context means all the skills employees need to communicate effectively at work.
This may mean giving instructions to a co-worker, filling out a near-miss form correctly, or understanding the important messages at a health and safety briefing.
It also includes working with technology, using problem-solving tools and critical thinking.
How much does a programme like this cost?
The government funds this work because of the connection between improved literacy and numeracy and workplace productivity.
Specialist providers such as Upskills project manage the entire programme on an employer’s behalf.
How much does a programme like this cost?
The government funds this work because of the connection between improved literacy and numeracy and workplace productivity.
Specialist providers such as Upskills project manage the entire programme on an employer’s behalf.
What type of content is covered?
Each programme is tailored to meet the individual workplace’s needs. There’s no off-the-shelf textbook, rather the goals for the programme are decided at the outset.
Trainers then work with company forms, documents and processes to cover communication-based content that is useful and relevant.
How can it help with health and safety?
By making sure that staff are familiar and confident with health and safety-related vocabulary and signage.
By helping staff understand the rationale behind health and safety forms and procedures. And helping them to feel more confident communicating assertively about health and safety.
How do we know if we need this type of training at our company?
Gaps in literacy and/or numeracy can show up in surprising ways. Waste levels can be higher than they should be due to skill gaps in numeracy, for instance. Another example is getting limited feedback from staff at meetings when you know your team has good ideas or solutions to bring forward.
Misunderstanding verbal or written instructions, (internal) customer frustrations and incomplete form filling are a few more examples of how this issue can impact a business.
Testimonials
"We've seen many benefits from the Upskills workplace literacy programme for our people at Goodman Fielder.
One of the most exciting things has been seeing the big improvement in people's confidence to communicate.
Harnessing this confidence (to speak up, to raise quality issues, to be assertive around health and safety messages) has helped with greater engagement and improvement in these key areas of our business.
The support that we received from Upskills in achieving this has been invaluable. I can't recommend them highly enough."
Susan Walls, Head of HR, Goodman Fielder NZ
Find out more
- About the benefits of literacy and numeracy training on the Skills Highway website.
- Read our article – How workplace numeracy skills impact a business.
- Read the NZ Herald article, ‘Why this man loves his work so much.‘
