Landscaper
Literacy and Numeracy Summary
Landscaper
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 Landscape 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 landscaping vocational skills and knowledge.
Read with understanding – Step 4
· Texts read in the course of everyday employment averaged step 2 on the Literacy and Numeracy Learning Progressions.
· However, landscapers need to read a range of texts and some complex texts (e.g. agrichemical manuals and landscape plans) are used from time to time. For this reason, the use of these specific texts should be incorporated in training.
· To work successfully as landscapers, trainees need to have good decoding and vocabulary skills.
Documents at step 4 would include: a hazard notification form, town maps, everyday workplace communication etc.
Write to communicate – Step 2
· A landscaper only needs basic writing skills.
· Forms requiring detailed descriptions (e.g. injury and incident form) involve greater consideration of purpose and audience (step 4-5).
· This profile is for a landscaper who is not in charge of other staff.
Tasks at step 2 would include: jobsheets, timesheets, spray diaries, or checklists etc.
Listen with understanding and speak to communicate – Step 5
· Landscapers need adequate communication skills in order to work safely and efficiently.
Listening and speaking tasks at step 5 would include: Communicating with clients or subcontractors, participating in group meetings etc.
Numeracy – Step 6
· Landscapers need very good number knowledge and number strategies.
· Proficient plan-reading and measurement skills are very important.
Tasks using numeracy at step 6 on the Literacy and Numeracy Learning Progressions include: spraying, calculating quantities from plans, measuring and laying out landscape features from plans etc.
For full details of the learning progressions please refer to: www.literacyandnumeracyforadults.com
