Amenity Gardener
Literacy and Numeracy Summary
Gardener
Literacy and Numeracy Profile Summary
Many adults in New Zealand would benefit from gaining better reading, writing and maths skills to function productively at work and at home. Every industry is striving to help in achieving this goal and as part of this effort the NZHITO, in association with our main funding body the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC), have been working on a Literacy and Numeracy (LN) project. Our ultimate aim is to increase individuals’ literacy and numeracy skills in order to make workplaces safer and more productive, as well as to ensure learners have the skills to succeed in their everyday lives. As part of this project we have completed a Literacy and Numeracy profile for the Amenity gardener industry trainees. The profile:
· Gives those working with trainees an understanding of the skill levels required by their goal occupations, which can be compared with TEC Assessment Tool reports of trainees’ levels of ability.
· Gives trainers some guidelines for embedding the teaching of literacy and numeracy skills along with gardening vocational skills and knowledge.
Read with understanding – Step 3
· Texts read in the course of everyday employment averaged step 2 on the Literacy and Numeracy Learning Progressions.
· However, gardeners need to read a range of texts and some complex texts, such as contract specifications, are used from time to time. For this reason, the skill level needed to be a successful gardener is mapped at step 3.
Documents at step 3 would include: some equipment manuals, some policy documents, or a request for equipment service form.
Write to communicate – Step 2
· An amenity garderner only needs basic writing skills.
· Some tasks require step 3 vocabulary, and therefore spelling.
· All tasks mapped for this profile were for ‘in-house’ uses, not for the general public, and therefore writing is for clarity only, not presentation.
Tasks at step 2 would include: common workplace forms.
Listen with understanding and speak to communicate – Step 4
· Gardeners need adequate communication skills in order to work safely and efficiently.
Listening and speaking tasks at step 4 would include: Communicating with other staff members, general public, or supervisors.
Numeracy – Step 6
· Gardeners need very good number knowledge and number strategies.
· Proficient measurement skills are important.
Tasks using numeracy at step 6 on the Literacy and Numeracy Learning Progressions include: spraying, rigging, marking sportsfields, or laying gardens from plans etc.
For full details of the learning progressions please refer to: www.literacyandnumeracyforadults.com
