people and planet

13
A student works
on a microscope
in Indonesia.
CREDIT: United States government work
KEY MESSAGES
The probability of having a decent job is almost double among those with high, rather than low, reading skills.
However, other than literacy and numeracy, it is difficult to identify skills that both help with access to decent
work in various contexts and can be measured.
Information and communication technology (ICT) skills have become essential to daily life and work. In the
European Union in 2014, 65% of adults could send an email with an attachment, 44% could use basic arithmetic
formulas in a spreadsheet and 28% could download and configure software.
Digital literacy skills are a better marker for this target than ICT skills. However, monitoring them globally
requires keeping up with rapid technological change and keeping diverse contexts in mind.
Many of the most valued skills in the workplace, such as creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving and
collaboration, are not easy to define and are hard to monitor.
Non-cognitive skills, such as perseverance, self-control and social skills, improve employment outcomes. How
much they are valued varies by employment context and position. It is not recommended to try monitoring
these skills at the global level.
Financial literacy and entrepreneurship skills are relevant for the world of work. According to one definition, 33%
of adults worldwide are financially literate. Assessments of entrepreneurship skills are still at the research stage.
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CHAPTER 13 | TARGET 4.4 – SKILLS FOR WORK