Employers are placing greater importance on complex literacy skills from students, but recent studies from the United States and Canada suggest that many young people entering the workforce may lose these skills before they can even utilize them. According to a series of studies conducted between 2003 and 2011, the average literacy score for Americans aged 26 to 35 dropped by 14 points, which is equivalent to more than half a year of schooling. This decline was the largest among all age groups, but individuals of all ages in both countries experienced a decrease in literacy skills, despite having some of the highest levels of education in the world.
Leading the recent studies were T. Scott Murray, the international study director of the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) and the Adult Literacy and Lifeskills Survey (ALL), and senior adviser of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development for adult skill assessment. Murray believes that even in jobs where machines have not replaced workers, automation may be "dumbing down" positions in ways that differentiate highly skilled individuals from others.
Murray and other researchers in education and workforce argue that schools should focus on making students’ advanced skills more visible to employers, proving that they are capable of handling complex tasks. Additionally, students should be equipped with the tools to continue reinforcing their skills after graduation. Murray states, "The skills students possess are largely unseen by employers; they still rely on credentials that do not adequately represent a student’s abilities. If employers do not create skill-intensive jobs, workers’ literacy skills will deteriorate due to lack of use."
Murray, along with colleagues at the Canadian research firm DataAngel, compared the literacy skills of matched comparison groups of test-takers in 2003 and 2011. They utilized two aligned international literacy tests, the 2003 ALLS and the 2011 Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), to assess the literacy levels of adults aged 16 to 65. The tests examined various activities, such as analyzing news articles and maps, understanding administrative forms or tables, and comparing mortgage offers. Both tests implemented the same 500-point scale and had common items linking them.
The results showed that individuals with higher levels of education experienced greater initial literacy gains after college. Those with a college degree were more likely to see improvements in literacy compared to those with only a high school diploma. However, the studies revealed that adults with postgraduate degrees were the only group that continued to enhance their literacy skills over the 2003-2011 study period, with an average gain of 3 points.
Interestingly, the studies also found that young professionals who had earned associate or bachelor’s degrees experienced the greatest loss in literacy skills, according to Murray.
Murray’s studies do not track a single cohort over time, but Stephen Reder, a professor of adult and digital literacy, noted that the results align with his own previous longitudinal studies of adults. Reder observes that the lack of comprehensive lifelong learning policies in the United States leaves individuals in the workforce for several decades without systematic support for continued education.
Previous research has shown that technology increases the average skill level of workers in a job by automating repetitive tasks, allowing individuals to focus on tasks that require higher skills. Anthony Carnevale, a research professor and the director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, states that technology has this effect.
To maintain and improve literacy skills after entering the workforce, researchers suggest engaging in various on-the-job tasks, such as learning new skills, sharing work-related information, teaching others, planning activities, influencing people, and solving complex problems.
Murray is collaborating with schools in Toronto, Ontario, Canada to promote the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills in students’ reading abilities. On the other hand, Reder is assisting a coalition of 63 communities in California, Louisiana, Minnesota, New York, and Texas in creating a database of free, self-paced online courses. These courses aim to enhance digital literacy and advanced reading skills for vulnerable adults such as the homeless and immigrants.
Carnevale emphasized that the pace of change in the workforce is much faster now and the learning requirements continue to increase without ceasing. He believes that if individuals fail to adapt to these changes, they will face significant challenges in their careers. The scarcity of highly skilled workers compared to the number of jobs requiring such skills has led to higher wages. However, this also drives employers to automate or simplify tasks, which reduces opportunities for workers to develop skills over time.
Murray and his colleagues discovered that the acquisition or loss of skills among workers was associated with their ability to plan their own activities, influence others, engage in complex problem-solving, and perform mentally demanding tasks. Jobs that demanded high levels of literacy skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving were more likely to require training.
While some companies are implementing training programs due to the fear of competition, many others are unaware of the need for training. In the United States, Carnevale estimates that adult workers and their employers spend approximately $300 billion on informal training. However, the education system, including K-12 and career education, often fails to align with the needs of workers.
Reder, who was not part of Murray’s study, highlighted the limitations of traditional career pathways in K-12 education. These pathways are typically designed for single careers and do not cater to the needs of many modern workers. People who attend college often do not have a clear vision of where they will be employed five or twenty-five years later.
