A key message from Building sustainable adult literacy provision: a review of international trends in adult literacy policy and programs (McKenna & Fitzpatrick 2004) is that Australia has achieved considerable success in the integration of literacy with vocational education and training (VET) which operates within national qualifications and quality assurance frameworks. It also has a strong base for developing national policy settings and putting in place an effective national reporting system on the outcomes of literacy provision (emphasis added).

LLN competencies are a part of vocational Training Package qualifications. This has been coined as 'built in not bolted on' after the title of a 1998 ANTA professional development resource that explained the methodology for integration of LLN content into the then new Training Packages. A full history of the approach is documented in Integrated approaches to teaching adult literacy in Australia: a snapshot of practice in community services, McKenna et al.

We know that LLN content is written into unit standards but we also know that, currently, it is not possible to effectively quantify the extent of the effort to describe this LLN, nor is it possible to measure implementation of the delivery of this LLN.

The National Reporting System (NRS) was developed in 1996 to report the outcomes of English language, literacy and numeracy provision in Australia's vocational education and training and adult and community education sectors, and in labour market programs. The scoping study Reframe, rename, revitalise: future directions for the language, literacy and numeracy national reporting system, by Kate Perkins (2005), has resulted in the review and renaming of the NRS to the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF).

Provision is a complex picture across states and territories and includes stand-alone LLN courses delivered in TAFE or Adult and Community Education (ACE) settings either through Commonwealth government programme funding (e.g. Language, Literacy and Numeracy Program) or through State government student profile hours. These are quantified in NCVER Australian vocational education and training statistics and make up a substantive proportion of delivery - for example, in 2004, there were 188 300 students enrolled in literacy and numeracy courses in 2004, which represents 11.8% of total VET students.

We also know that there is a percentage of non-accredited LLN delivery in small community and education settings. The value and benefits of this delivery are explored in two reports:

• Community adult language, literacy and numeracy provision in Australia: diverse approaches and outcomes, Daryl Dymock, NCVER 2007
• Assessing and acknowledging learning through non-accredited community adult language, literacy and numeracy programs, Daryl Dymock and Stephen Billett, NCVER 2008

So what is missing?

McKenna and Fitzpatrick (2004) state "Australia needs to pay closer attention to literacy teaching workforce issues (emphasis added) and build the capability of the existing workforce in the light of an expanding range of teaching methods, new technologies, emerging new literacies (such as effective use of technology) and the diverse range of contexts for delivery. In fact, it appears that in Australia opportunities for professional development are decreasing. Improving certification to enhance professionalism might also be needed to aid the replacement of practitioners who are leaving or about to leave due to age."

Three key reports from the ALRP concentrate on these key challenges:

• Current and future professional development needs of the language, literacy and numeracy workforce, by Sandra Mackay, Ursula Burgoyne, Diane Warwick and Jackie Cipollone NCVER 2006
• The professional development requirements of Workplace English Language and Literacy Programme practitioners, by Tina Berghella, John Molenaar and Linda Wyse NCVER 2006
• Using information and communication technologies in adult literacy education: new practices, new challenges, by Ilana Snyder, Anne Jones and Joseph Lo Bianco NCVER 2005

Interesting VOCED reports

A comprehensive list of national and State landmark reports is available on the VOCED website.

NCVER statistics: for a fee you can get statistics provided for a particular enquiry.