3.1 Literacy and numeracy

Data for literacy and numeracy are taken from OECD, Literacy Skills for the Knowledge Society. The chart shows the percentage of adults with ‘poor’ level 1 literacy and numeracy skills. Further results from the Adult Literacy Survey, November 1997, OECD.

Data measuring progress in meeting National Learning Targets for England for 2002, set by the Department for Education and Employment, are derived from National Statistics, Spring Labour Force Surveys.

3.2 Intermediate and higher level skills

Data on vocational and general qualifications in France, Germany and the UK are taken from the Skills Task Force Research Paper.

3.3 Lifelong learning

Data on continuing education and training are taken from the OECD Programme for International Study Assessment (PISA), sourced on the International Adult Literacy Survey 1994-98 and national household surveys on adult education and training.

3.4 Management skills

Data on business perceptions of the efficiency of management are taken from the International Institute for Management Development’s World Competitiveness Yearbook 2002. The indicators used from the publication chosen were principally the availability of competent senior managers and the international experience of management. The priority of employee training was also included (with a lower weight) as an indicator of the degree to which management invests in its people.

3.12 IT skills shortage reason for not adopting or further developing ICT

Data on IT skills shortages as a reason for not adopting or developing ICT are taken from DTI Business into the Information Age: International Benchmarking Study, 2001.  Note that this indicator has changed since UK Competitiveness Indicators: 2nd Edition.  The latter recorded data on IT skills shortages as a reason for not adopting or further developing e-commerce.  Another change to UK Competitiveness Indicators: 2nd Edition is the scale, 5 measuring disagree strongly.

Last updated on 20 November 2003