Foreword from the Minister for Schools and Skills
Learning opens the door to opportunity and lays the foundation for growth - for individuals, businesses and communities - and its role has never been more important than it is today. The Scottish Government is clear that lifelong learning, guided by the priorities set out in Skills for Scotland: a lifelong skills strategy, must take its place at the forefront of our efforts to overcome the economic challenges we currently face. Employers must make effective and efficient use of their employees' abilities and skills; individuals must identify the skills they need to develop to maximise their chances in employment and learning providers must ensure that they offer the appropriate learning opportunities and support that employers and individuals need. These actions will help to ensure that we emerge from the current situation, ready to flourish in the upturn.
Skills for Scotland recognises that the ability to read, write and use numbers underpins everything we do in our everyday lives - at home, at work and in our communities. This report, Progress in Adult Literacy and Numeracy in Scotland 2008/2009, provides evidence of the true difference adult literacy and numeracy work makes to Scotland. The personal stories demonstrate how achieving literacy and numeracy in learning boosts confidence and heightens aspirations; how it improves family lives and how it opens doors into employment and community life.
Difficult economic times mean that resources are tighter and that priorities might need to be reassessed. However, the Scottish Government calls on its partners to continue to value the difference that adult literacy and numeracy support for adults can make to economic recovery and social cohesion. By doing this we ensure that the door to opportunity remains open for all of Scotland's adults and we can then all look forward to a smarter Scotland that is healthier, wealthier and fairer, with a stronger and safer society, and a greener environment.
I would like to extend my thanks to everyone who has supported Scotland's adults to improve their literacy and numeracy skills during the past year, and to congratulate those adults who took that important first step back into learning.
I wish you all well for the coming year.
Keith Brown MSP,
Minister for Schools and Skills