Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies

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The Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) is a multi-cycle international program of assessment of adult skills and competencies initiated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It aims to collect the information of residents from several countries, including Canada.

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All (78) (70 to 80 of 78 results)

  • Journals and periodicals: 89F0103X
    Geography: Canada
    Description:

    These highlights provide a brief summary of the report "Literacy utilization in Canadian workplaces", the latest monograph released using data from the International Adult Literacy Survey. This report examines the fit or mismatch between the job requirements of Canadian workers and their literacy skills, thus profiling patterns of literacy usage and under- usage in the Canadian labour market.

    Release date: 1998-08-19

  • Articles and reports: 89-552-M1998003
    Geography: Canada
    Description:

    This study provides an in-depth exploration of the links between literacy and economic security.

    Release date: 1998-05-27

  • Journals and periodicals: 89F0100X
    Geography: Canada
    Description:

    These highlights provide a brief summary of the report " The Value of Words: Literacy and Economic Security in Canada", the latest monograph released using data from the International Adult Literacy Survey. Canada, like many other industrialized countries, is increasingly being forced to face the literacy problem within its own borders. Over the past decade, the issue has become more prominent on the national policy and research agenda. There has been little systematic research in Canada, however, on the relationship between literacy and income security. Using data from the Canadian component of the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS), this study seeks to fill this research gap. An in-depth exploration of the links between literacy and economic security will build on existing knowledge and will also provide useful insights that will help shape public policy.

    Release date: 1998-05-27

  • Journals and periodicals: 89F0096X
    Geography: Canada
    Description:

    These highlights provide a brief summary of the report 'Employee training: an international perspective', the latest monograph released using data from the International Adult Literacy Survey. The report provides new insights into training issues in seven countries: Canada, the United States, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Poland, Germany and Sweden. The study examines full-time paid workers between the ages of 25 and 60, who had been employed for at least 42 weeks in the 12 months preceding the survey (about nine months in the previous year). (Although the self-employed account for a growing share of the work force, they are not included in the analysis.)

    Release date: 1997-12-16

  • Articles and reports: 89-552-M1997002
    Geography: Canada
    Description:

    This paper examines full-time paid workers between the ages of 25 and 60 in Canada, the United States, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Poland, Germany and Sweden.

    Release date: 1997-12-12

  • Articles and reports: 89-552-M1997001
    Geography: Canada
    Description:

    This paper examines the distribution of literacy skills for Canadian youth aged 16 to 25, and the underlying factors that influence literacy, such as family background, level of schooling, employment experiences, age and sex.

    Release date: 1997-09-08

  • Table: 89F0093X
    Geography: Canada
    Description:

    This document provides some principal findings of Reading the future: a portrait of literacy in Canada (catalogue no. 89-551-XPE); for example, literacy skills by province, educational attainment, immigrants, age, occupation and unemployment.

    Release date: 1997-09-08

  • Surveys and statistical programs – Documentation: 89F0094X
    Description:

    The Backgrounder on the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) describes the history of the survey and how literacy is measured.

    Release date: 1996-09-12
Data (22)

Data (22) (0 to 10 of 22 results)

  • Table: 81-582-X
    Description: The Pan-Canadian Education Indicators Program (PCEIP) draws from a wide variety of data sources to provide information on the school-age population, elementary, secondary and postsecondary education, transitions, and labour market outcomes.

    PCEIP products include data tables, fact sheets, an interactive dashboard, a data explorer, and a handbook. They present indicators for all of Canada, the provinces, the territories, and include year over year comparisons.

    The PCEIP is an ongoing initiative of the Canadian Education Statistics Council, a partnership between Statistics Canada and the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada that provides a set of statistical measures on education systems in Canada.
    Release date: 2026-03-25

  • Table: 37-10-0259-01
    Geography: Canada, Province or territory
    Frequency: Occasional
    Description: Average scores and distribution of proficiency levels in literacy, numeracy and adaptive problem solving, by age group and gender, population aged 16 to 65, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Canada and provinces, 2022.
    Release date: 2024-12-10

  • Table: 37-10-0260-01
    Geography: Canada, Province or territory
    Frequency: Occasional
    Description: Average scores in literacy, numeracy and adaptive problem solving, by labour force status, age group and gender, population aged 16 to 65, Canada and provinces, 2022.
    Release date: 2024-12-10

  • Table: 37-10-0261-01
    Geography: Canada, Province or territory
    Frequency: Occasional
    Description: Average scores in literacy, numeracy and adaptive problem solving, by highest level of education, age group and gender, population aged 16 to 65, Canada and provinces, 2022.
    Release date: 2024-12-10

  • Table: 37-10-0262-01
    Geography: Canada, Province or territory
    Frequency: Occasional
    Description: Average scores in literacy, numeracy and adaptive problem solving, by occupation and gender, population aged 16 to 65, Canada and provinces, 2022.
    Release date: 2024-12-10

  • Public use microdata: 89M0016X
    Description: Governments and other stakeholders are increasingly interested in assessing the skills of their adult populations in order to monitor how well prepared they are for the challenges of the modern knowledge-based society. Adults are expected to use information in complex ways and to maintain and enhance their literacy skills to adapt to ever changing technologies. Literacy is important not only for personal development, but also for positive educational, social, and economic outcomes. Adult literacy, numeracy and problem-solving skills encompass a continuum of learning that enables individuals to achieve their goals, develop their knowledge and potential, and participate fully in their communities and society as a whole.

    Canada has been participating in adult skills assessment surveys for several decades. The surveys are repeated every ten years, with the first in the series taking place in 1994. First there was the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS), then the International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey (IALSS) in 2003 and the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) cycles 1 and 2 in 2012 and 2022 respectively. Each of these surveys builds on the concepts of the previous surveys. Over the years, the framework has broadened the definition of literacy to adapt it to the information age, notably by including reading skills in digital environments.
    Release date: 2024-08-23

  • Table: 37-10-0047-01
    Geography: Canada, Province or territory
    Frequency: Occasional
    Description: Literacy, numeracy - Average scores and distribution of proficiency levels, by sex and age group, population aged 16-65, Canada, provinces and territories 2012.
    Release date: 2015-06-22

  • Table: 37-10-0047-02
    Geography: Canada, Province or territory
    Frequency: Occasional
    Description:

    Literacy, numeracy - Average scores, by sex and age group, population 16-65, Canada, provinces and territories, 2012.

    Release date: 2015-06-22

  • Table: 37-10-0048-01
    Geography: Canada, Province or territory
    Frequency: Occasional
    Description: Problem-solving in technology-rich environments (PS-TRE) - Distribution of non-respondents and proficiency levels, by sex and age group, population aged 16-65, Canada, provinces and territories 2012.
    Release date: 2015-06-22

  • Table: 37-10-0049-01
    Geography: Canada, Province or territory
    Frequency: Occasional
    Description: Literacy, numeracy - Average scores and distribution of proficiency levels, by labour force status, highest level of education and age group, population aged 16-65, Canada, provinces and territories 2012.
    Release date: 2015-06-22
Analysis (51)

Analysis (51) (0 to 10 of 51 results)

  • Journals and periodicals: 81-599-X
    Geography: Canada
    Description: The fact sheets in this series provide an "at-a-glance" overview of particular aspects of education in Canada and summarize key data trends in selected tables published as part of the Pan-Canadian Education Indicators Program (PCEIP).

    The PCEIP mission is to publish a set of statistical measures on education systems in Canada for policy makers, practitioners and the general public to monitor the performance of education systems across jurisdictions and over time. PCEIP is a joint venture of Statistics Canada and the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC).

    Release date: 2025-10-24

  • Stats in brief: 11-001-X20243457822
    Description: Release published in The Daily – Statistics Canada’s official release bulletin
    Release date: 2024-12-10

  • Stats in brief: 11-001-X201929020844
    Description: Release published in The Daily – Statistics Canada’s official release bulletin
    Release date: 2019-10-17

  • Articles and reports: 75-006-X201600114655
    Description:

    Based on a self-reported measure of overqualification, this article examines the association between overqualification and skills among workers aged 25 to 64 with a university degree, using data from the 2012 Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). This article also examines the extent to which overqualified workers are dissatisfied with their jobs. Overqualified workers are defined in this study as university-educated workers who reported that they were in a job requiring no more than a high school education.

    Release date: 2016-09-14

  • Articles and reports: 89-503-X201500114640
    Description:

    Women have become increasingly well-educated, and today their share in the Canadian labour market is larger than ever. This chapter of Women in Canada examines women’s educational experiences, with a focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics and computer science) education and skills. Topics include a profile of women’s education in Canada, the skills of young girls and women, field-of-study patterns at the postsecondary level, and labour market outcomes, including earnings.

    Release date: 2016-07-06

  • Stats in brief: 11-001-X201613914401
    Description: Release published in The Daily – Statistics Canada’s official release bulletin
    Release date: 2016-05-18

  • Articles and reports: 75-006-X201600114630
    Description:

    This article examines the literacy and numeracy skills of off reserve First Nations and Métis adults aged 25 to 65, focusing on the factors and labour market outcomes associated with higher skill levels. In this study, individuals in the higher range for literacy and numeracy are defined as those who scored level 3 or higher (out of 5 levels) in tests administered by the 2012 Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC).

    Release date: 2016-05-18

  • Stats in brief: 11-001-X201605513942
    Description: Release published in The Daily – Statistics Canada’s official release bulletin
    Release date: 2016-02-24

  • Stats in brief: 11-001-X201605413681
    Description: Release published in The Daily – Statistics Canada’s official release bulletin
    Release date: 2016-02-23

  • Articles and reports: 89-503-X201500114313
    Description:

    The chapter entitled "Women in Canada: First Nations, Métis and Inuit Women" explores the diverse circumstances and experiences of Aboriginal women in Canada. Overall, the chapter highlights demographic characteristics, families, housing, knowledge of Aboriginal languages, employment, income, education, and health. Where appropriate, comparisons have been made between the Aboriginal female population and the non-Aboriginal female population as well as the Aboriginal female population and Aboriginal male population. Wherever possible, information is provided for First Nations, Métis and Inuit women separately.

    Release date: 2016-02-23
Reference (4)

Reference (4) ((4 results))

  • Surveys and statistical programs – Documentation: 89-648-X2015001
    Description:

    The Longitudinal and International Study of Adults (LISA) has the direct measures of skills from the Program for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) because the two surveys had coordinated collection. The direct measures of skills cover three domains: literacy, numeracy, and problem solving in technology-rich environments. The skills measures are reflected in sets of 10 plausible values (PVs) that were created using a multiple imputation methodology. This paper demonstrates the proper use of the PVs. It also demonstrates that reliable estimates of skills can be produced using LISA and the results are similar to what would be obtained from the PIAAC data.

    Release date: 2015-04-22

  • Surveys and statistical programs – Documentation: 89-552-M2005013
    Geography: Canada
    Description:

    This report documents key aspects of the development of the International Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (ALL) - its theoretical roots, the domains selected for possible assessment, the approaches taken to assessment in each domain and the criteria that were employed to decide which domains were to be carried in the final design. As conceived, the ALL survey was meant to build on the success of the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) assessments by extending the range of skills assessed and by improving the quality of the assessment methods employed. This report documents several successes including: · the development of a new framework and associated robust measures for problem solving · the development of a powerful numeracy framework and associated robust measures · the specification of frameworks for practical cognition, teamwork and information and communication technology literacy The report also provides insight into those domains where development failed to yield approaches to assessment of sufficient quality, insight that reminds us that scientific advance in this domain is hard won.

    Release date: 2005-03-24

  • Surveys and statistical programs – Documentation: 89F0120X
    Description:

    Direct measures of skill attainment such as the International Adult Literacy Survey are used to assess the importance of educational outcome skills such as literacy in determining labour market outcomes such as earnings. Policy makers also use them to direct resources most efficiently. However, these skill measures are the product of complex statistical procedures. This paper examines the mathematical robustness of the International Adult Literacy Survey measures against other possibilities in estimating the impact of literacy on individual earnings.

    Release date: 2000-06-02

  • Surveys and statistical programs – Documentation: 89F0094X
    Description:

    The Backgrounder on the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) describes the history of the survey and how literacy is measured.

    Release date: 1996-09-12