Bridging the Skills Gap: Why Adult Reading Matters
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The UK government is asking adults to build skills quickly to fill vital roles in health, social care, construction and beyond. The Government’s new Growth and Skills Levy clarifies the ambition: a more flexible, locally responsive workforce backed by functional training and employer investment.
But there’s a gap at the heart of this plan. Many adults still struggle with basic reading. Read Easy estimates that around 1 in 14 adults in the UK don’t have functional reading skills. Without support, they won’t benefit from new courses or apprenticeships, because they can’t access them in the first place. Many simply can’t read well enough to apply, attend or take part in this training.
That’s where Read Easy can help. For over two years, we’ve been offering free, confidential, one-to-one reading coaching to adults in Morecambe Bay who want to learn, but don’t know where to begin. Our trained volunteer coaches meet readers in local libraries and community spaces, working at the reader’s pace, without judgement or pressure. It’s a simple model and it works.
Our approach isn’t funded by the Government’s skills levy. But it can be a vital foundation to the Government’s plan. We prepare people who are furthest from formal learning to take their first steps, grow in confidence, and eventually move on to training, work or volunteering. Without this bridge, many will be left behind.
“The most important thing for me is to be able to read stories to my son who has just started school. That’s my goal,” one reader, Jeff, said.
“I’d also like to be able to understand more in work, and have other options career-wise for the future. Reading will open those doors for me. If I have a chance of something better I’m going to take it.’
This is what is driving us to deepen our connections with local referral agencies: we can support them to fill this vital reading gap. That includes working closely with Job Centres, community teams, skills leads, and training providers who see the same gap we do, and who are committed to inclusive growth. We also need new members to join our management committee and help steer the next phase of our development. If you care about access to opportunity in our area, we’d love to hear from you. To refer someone, volunteer, or find out more, please visit this link or email [email protected].