The Australian Government is committed to supporting adults in Australia to increase their literacy, numeracy, digital literacy (LLND) and employability skills – known collectively as foundation skills.
As part of the 2023-24 Budget, the Government announced the introduction of a redesigned Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) program from 1 July 2024, to improve access to foundation skills training for all Australians with an LLND need. This delivers on the Government’s commitment from the September 2022 Jobs and Skills Summit to reinvigorate, in partnership with states, territories and stakeholders, foundation skills programs to support workers and vulnerable Australians to gain secure employment choices.
Foundation skills are the competencies that underpin workforce participation, productivity, and social inclusion. They include English language, literacy, numeracy and digital (LLND) and employability skills. These are core “learning to learn” skills, necessary to provide people access to an education system from which follows opportunities to develop careers and engage in lifelong learning.
Increasing a person’s literacy and numeracy levels can have a direct and positive impact on their future economic and social wellbeing.
Skills for Education and Employment Program
The Australian Government is investing $436.4 million over four years for a redesigned Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) Program, with the aim of improving access to training for all adult Australians seeking to build their language, literacy, numeracy and digital literacy skills. The redesigned SEE Program delivers on the Government’s commitment from the September 2022 Jobs and Skills Summit to reinvigorate, in partnership with states, territories and stakeholders, foundation skills programs to support workers and vulnerable Australians to gain secure employment choices.
From 1 July 2024, eligibility for the SEE Program is being expanded. All Australians over the age of 15 who have left school and who need help with their language, literacy, numeracy and digital literacy skills will be eligible. They no longer need to be a registered job seeker to participate.
The redesigned SEE Program will be available across metropolitan, regional and remote areas of Australia. Training will be offered in two distinct but complementary training delivery streams:
- General SEE Delivery: this stream now offers broader, accredited and non-accredited training, more support for learners and workplace-based training options.
- SEE First Nations: a new stream dedicated to whole of community training for First Nations people.
National Skills Agreement
The National Skills Agreement (the Agreement) that commenced 1 January 2024, is a 5-year joint agreement between the Commonwealth, states and territories to strengthen the vocational education and training (VET) sector.
Through the National Skills Agreement, the Australian Government will partner with states and territories to support Australians who are facing foundation skills challenges to access the quality training they need to participate in further education and training, employment, and the broader community. The initiative will also develop a 10-year national foundation skills strategy to strengthen the quality and sustainability of the sector.
Foundation Skills Advisory Group
The Government has established a Foundation Skills Advisory Group to ensure stakeholder views are properly understood and considered during development and redesign of Foundation Skills policy and programs and to support broader work to build the evidence base on levels of these foundation skills among Australian adults.
The Advisory Group brings together individual experts and representatives from a range of organisations, including foundation skills peak bodies, industry, employers, unions, First Nations people, and state and territory governments.
Draft National Foundation Skills Framework
The Draft National Foundation Skills Framework (the Framework) sets out a model for collective action by the Commonwealth, State and Territory governments working with stakeholders to improve the foundation skills of Australian adults. Jurisdictions have worked together to develop the draft Framework. The next steps for the Framework will be considered in the context of the development of the 10-year national foundation skills strategy under the National Skills Agreement.
To find out more about the Framework, you can: download a copy of the Draft National Foundation Skills Framework that provides an overview of the outcomes approach, the process of development and the structure of the framework.
Government response to the House of Representatives inquiry into adult literacy and its importance
On 3 February 2021, the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training adopted an inquiry into adult literacy and its importance. On 22 March 2022, the committee released the final report of its inquiry, ‘Don’t take it as read’.
The Government’s response to the recommendations of the final report of the inquiry is available at:
