The Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). This is an OECD sponsored survey aimed at measuring certain adult skills across 32 different countries.
PIAAC is being conducted in Ireland by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) at the request of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. This survey has been designed to collect information about respondents' education, work experience and use of computers and technology. The survey also measures important adult skills, such as literacy, numeracy and problem-solving in technology-rich environments. This information will help get a clear picture of the challenges we face as a country to develop a more skilled work force in the 21st century.
Measure the degree to which adults in various countries have attained various adult skills, such as literacy, numeracy and problem solving in technology-rich environments.
Assess the impact of these competencies on individual success in such situations as employment and lifelong learning, and their impact on economic growth and overall social performance among various countries.
Gauge the performance of education and training systems in generating required "adult competencies".
Identify the key factors, such as school education, lifelong learning and vocational training that can contribute to enhancing "adult competencies".
PIAAC was conducted in Ireland between August 1st 2011 and March 2012.
Households were selected at random in each county in Ireland, and from within selected households one person, aged between16 and 65, was selected to complete the PIAAC survey.
Since interviewing every adult in Ireland would be very expensive and difficult, we use scientific statistical methods to randomly select adults. While participation in our study was voluntary, it was important that selected adults took part so all adults throughout the country were represented.
As a representative of a section of society, it was very important that you participated. It is essential that adults from different backgrounds are represented in this study. We needed information from:
The questionnaire is tailored to ask questions depending on individual circumstances (e.g. employed, unemployed, student, retired). Responses dictated subsequent question routing, thereby varying the length of the survey. The survey took on average one and a half hours to complete.
The survey consists of two main parts. In the first part, the background questionnaire, we asked questions about previous and current education, employment history, computer usage and use of certain skills in everyday life and the workplace. In the second part of the survey, we asked respondents to complete a number of tasks either on the computer or on paper.
No. There was an expectation that most people would use a computer for the assessment. However, it was also possible to complete the assessment using a paper booklet.
All individual information obtained by the CSO is treated as strictly confidential. The information is used solely for statistical purposes. Results are published in aggregate form and great care is taken to ensure that details relating to an identifiable person or undertaking are not inadvertently divulged. This confidentiality is guaranteed by law (Part V, Statictics Act, 1993 (PDF 431KB)).
PIAAC will offer participating countries a powerful tool for the measurement and analysis of competencies among their adult populations. It is specifically designed to provide an evidence base for policy-relevant analysis.
Even in the most economically advanced countries, large proportions of adults have low literacy skills. In countries participating in IALS, between one-quarter and three-quarters of adults failed to attain literacy Level 3, considered to be the minimum skill level required to cope with the demands of modern society.
Some adults who do poorly on literacy surveys have been shown to have strong basic reading and writing skills, but are unable to apply these skills to real-life situations.
The cohort of students who took part in the first PISA survey in 2000 will be aged 26 years at the time of the first PIAAC survey. PIAAC will look at how well young adults are making the transition from education to work and the distributions of key skills and activities in this age group.
