Literacy and numeracy skills

These skills are linked to improved health and wellbeing, increased employment opportunities, higher earnings and greater participation in society. As skills that underpin success across many areas, they are a priority across the education system.

Adults with low literacy and numeracy skills are more likely to experience poorer economic, social and wellbeing outcomes. It can be more difficult to gain qualifications, participate in further learning, and progress in employment. Lower literacy and numeracy can also contribute to reduced productivity and increased safety risks in the workplace.

Literacy and numeracy challenges are experienced across the adult population, but outcomes are not distributed equally. Māori and Pacific learners, alongside learners who leave school early or have low or no qualifications, are more likely to face barriers to developing the literacy and numeracy skills needed to achieve their educational, employment and personal goals. The Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) therefore invests in initiatives that support equitable opportunities for learners to strengthen these skills.

What we want to achieve

We are working to achieve a high-performing, responsive tertiary education system that delivers equitable outcomes for all learners. This means ensuring literacy and numeracy are not barriers to learning, but skills that can be strengthened to help learners progress through education, succeed in employment and fully participate in their communities.

Foundation education defined

Foundation education refers to introductory learning programmes that help people build the essential skills they need for further study, employment and everyday life. It includes literacy in English and te reo Māori, numeracy, supported learning, digital literacy, interpersonal skills and pre-trades learning.

A range of resources are available to providers to support high-quality literacy and numeracy provision within foundation education. 

These include:

• the Literacy and Numeracy for Adults Assessment Tool (LNAAT)
• the Adult Learning Progressions
• teaching and learning resources for educators, and
• independent learning resources for learners.

TEC funds programmes that support adults to develop the literacy and numeracy skills they need to succeed in work, study and life.

Skills Highway – supporting adults in the workplace

Companies and employees benefit greatly from literacy and numeracy provision delivered in the workplace. These programmes are designed to develop workplace-specific literacy and numeracy skills and raise outcomes for both the employee and the company. 

If you are a company thinking about a work-based literacy and numeracy programme, TEC’s Skills Highway provides funding and resources to support your employees’ literacy, numeracy and communication skills. 

To find out more about literacy and numeracy in the workplace please contact us at 0800 601 301 or customerservice@tec.govt.nz. Ask to speak to a Skills Highway Relationship Manager.

Find out more at Skills Highway – information for employers.

Information for learners seeking to develop foundation skills

If you are a learner, or supporting a learner who wants to develop foundation skills, a range of providers and courses are available. Many of these courses are free. See:

• Intensive Literacy and Numeracy providers
• Workplace Literacy and Numeracy providers (TEO-led)

Adult Community Education (ACE) programmes are another option. These offer informal learning. To find a local ACE programme, see Find ACE courses – ACE Aotearoa.  

The Youth Guarantee programme for young people

If you are under 25 and left school without the skills you need, you may be able to enrol in a Youth Guarantee programme. These courses are specially designed to help young people move into employment or higher study. You can earn NCEA credits or credits towards other vocational training. 

Youth Guarantee programmes support your wellbeing and provide assistance with travel costs and pathway planning. 

The 2026 Budget funded an additional 1,000 Youth Guarantee places, reinforcing the Government's investment in foundation education and supporting more young people to develop the skills needed for future success.

Youth Guarantee providers

English-language learning

If you are seeking to develop your English-language skills, there are government-funded English language programmes for migrants and former refugees. 

These programmes focus on the basic English skills needed to function in society – not academic English or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

Intensive Literacy and Numeracy providers

Literacy and numeracy support for providers

There are a range of literacy and language supports that tertiary education organisations (TEOs) can use to support learners. These fit within the literacy and numeracy infrastructure, which is made up of the Adult Learning Progressions framework, the LNAAT and other assessment tools, teaching and learning resources, and resources for learners to independently develop their skills.

Below, we outline how the infrastructure and resources work to support high-quality literacy and numeracy provision. 

The literacy and numeracy infrastructure

Good literacy and numeracy provision is supported by the literacy and numeracy infrastructure. This comprises tools for:

• knowing the learner – using the LNAAT (among other assessment options) to understand your learners’ strengths and needs 
• knowing the demands – understanding the literacy and numeracy skills learners need to succeed on your course and your learners’ target vocation  
• knowing what to do – using assessment results and knowledge of what literacy and numeracy skills are needed, to support learners with high-quality provision. 

TEC provides a comprehensive range of resources to help across all these areas, including:

• a knowledge base of articles able to support and upskill TEOs administering the LNAAT
• the Adult Learning Progressions and associated resources
• a wide range of literacy and numeracy resources to support learners with literacy and numeracy needs
• links to resources such as Pathways Awarua for learners to independently strengthen their literacy and numeracy  
• links to resources that educators can use to upskill themselves across a range of provision including literacy and numeracy, Universal Design for Learning, learner agency, and digital literacy. 

Find out more:

The Literacy and Numeracy for Adults Assessment Tool (LNAAT)

Literacy and numeracy resources – including the Adult Learning Progressions, practical teaching and learning resources, and professional development resources to support effective adult literacy and numeracy practice.

Funding criteria

Use of the LNAAT is a requirement of several funds and recommended for others. All funding requirements for the LNAAT can be found in Guidelines for using the Literacy and Numeracy Tool.

More information

For more information on any of the above, please contact the TEC Customer Contact Team at 0800 601 301 or customerservice@tec.govt.nz.