PIAAC - Essential Skills Ontario

What do PS-TRE andJRA Mean for Ontario?The new elements of PS-TRE and JRA willprovide Ontario with a broader understandingof the cognitive skills that are used intechnologically-rich environments and the linksbetween generic workplace skills and labourmarket outcomes, jobs and the employmentand training system. As skill demands alterin response to technological advancements,access to reliable aggregate data that capturesthe levels, types and distribution of skills inrelation to socioeconomic outcomes canprovide policy makers in Ontario with the kind ofinformation that is necessary for more informedpolicy and programming decisions in educationand training. The findings of PIAAC will provideOntario with a broader and more detailedunderstanding of human capital developmentand its relationship to social and economicoutcomes.What do PS-TRE andJRA Mean for Literacyand Basic SkillsPrograms?The new PIAAC framework offers an enhancedversion of what literacy, numeracy and problemsolving are in the 21 st century. When thefindings from PIAAC are released, this informedevidence will give programs and practitionersanswers for two of the biggest challenges theyface:First, how do we teach technology skills in amanner that reaches beyond specific computerskills, operations and software? The elementof PS-TRE and its associated frameworkprovide comprehensive understatings of howtechnology is used and its relation to essentialcognitive skills. This framework can be used toas resource to inform ongoing development ofcurriculum with particular exercises that focuson the competencies required for using digitaltechnology.Second, PIAAC may provide answers to thequestion of what kinds of generic skills arestill needed for today’s jobs. Different fromtraditional job search skills, PIAAC’s Surveyof Skills Used at Work may offer importantinsights into what types and levels of genericskills are used in modern workplaces. Thisinformation can be used by programs to focuson competencies and tasks that are increasinglyrequired and utilized by the workforce. This isparticularly important for learners and programswho have an interest in building the skillsnecessary for employment and job progression.In the coming months, Essential SkillsOntario will explore, discuss and investigatethe interconnections between literacy andessential skills (LES), PS-TRE, job-specificskills, quality programming and their connectionto geographical location (place), labour marketoutcomes and economic development.6 The Essential SKILLS Bulletin 2013 Issue 2