Numeracy Skills

We are all required to be numerate to maximise our potential and to make a positive contribution to society. In our exceedingly technical world, numeracy skills, in particular the ability to interpret data, are becoming increasingly more significant and are hugely sought after by employers. An absence of mathematical confidence and poor numeracy skills are obstructions to employment as numeracy tests are increasingly becoming a routine part of the recruitment process. 

Rapidly growing technological advances are making the need for numeracy skills more critical within the workplace. With more employees engaging in more sophisticated tasks, numeracy is recognised as an essential employability skill. 

Numeracy is defined as the ability to access, use and interpret and communicate mathematical information and ideas, in order to engage in and manage the mathematical demands of various situations in adult years. To be numerate is to confidently and effectively use mathematics to meet the everyday demands of life. 

Numeracy is important for individuals to develop logical thinking and reasoning strategies in their everyday activities. We need numeracy to solve problems and make sense of numbers, time, patterns and shapes for activities like cooking, reading receipts, reading instructions and even playing sport. 

Literacy and numeracy help people gain the fundamental skills necessary to achieve success in life. There is a huge national strategy to improve literacy and numeracy and to support students to live a satisfying and rewarding life as well as being an active participant as an active and well informed resident. Literacy and numeracy skills are crucial for accessing the broader curriculum because they are used in many aspects of our lives. Workplace numeracy, literacy and employability skills are often used in conjunction with one another. These required skills often overlap and are necessary for any task.