The Program for the International Assessment of Adult
Competencies (PIAAC) released global data in 2013 on how the U.S. population
compared to those of other nations in terms of literacy and reading, numeracy, and
problem-solving. The results weren’t pretty, especially for millennials.
The data revealed that the American millennial generation
had the highest levels of education attainment of any previous generation, but
that they demonstrated relatively weak skills in all the categories under
consideration when compared to their international peers, according to a report
in eCampus News. The research also found that too many millennials graduated
without learning the right skills to enter a technology-based global workforce.
“These findings hold true when looking at millennials
overall, our best performing and most educated, those who are native born, and
those from the highest socioeconomic background,” wrote Irwin Kirsh, director
of the Center for Global Assessments at Educational Testing Service. “Equally
troubling is that these findings represent a decrease in literacy and numeracy
skills for U.S. adults when compared with the result of previous adult
surveys.”
PIAAC surveyed 5,000 people aged 16-65 in 22 countries
for the study. U.S. millennials scored lower than 15 of the countries in
literacy and ranked last in numeracy and problem-solving skills.
“If
we expect to have a better-educated population and a more competitive
workforce, policy-makers and other stakeholders will need to shift the
conversation from one of educational attainment to one that acknowledges the
growing importance of skills and examines these more critically,” Kirsch added.
“How are skills distributed in the population and how do they relate to
important social and economic outcomes? How can we ensure that students earning
a high school diploma and a postsecondary degree acquire the necessary skills
to fully participate in our society?”
