Handbook on best practice methods for Basic skills trainings Best practice handbook | Page 8

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Oral communication
Effective verbal communication skills include more than just talking. Verbal
communication encompasses both how you deliver messages and how you receive them.
Communication is a soft skill, and it’s one that is important to every employer.
Workers who can convey information clearly and effectively are highly valued by
employers. Employees who can interpret messages and act appropriately on the information
that they receive have a better chance of excelling on the job.
The policy context in the European Union

The situation in Europe
It is estimated that one in five adults in Europe have poor literacy skills – around 55 million
people between the ages of 15 – 65. Not only does this make it hard for them to find or keep a
job, it also increases their risk of poverty and social exclusion, and limits opportunities for
cultural and political participation, lifelong learning and personal growth. And this is not simply
a question of reading skills. Today, a whole range of personal, work and social activities are
mediated through technology, placing digital and literacy skills at the heart of everything from
finding work to keeping in touch with friends. Participation rates in the kinds of learning that
help adults to develop these skills vary considerably between EU countries, but generally low
rates of participation are a challenge. In England, for example, participation in adult literacy
and numeracy provision has fallen by around 25% in the last five years.

Last results project countries
Based on “Survey of Adult Skills” (PIAAC, 2015), the project countries achieve this
relevant score. Unfortunately Romania was not part of that survey.
 ICT score