The International Survey of Adult Skills

The International Survey of Adult Skills (ISAS) aims to find out about the different activities that adults do in their daily lives and to learn about their experiences of education and work. It is part of the most comprehensive international survey of adult skills ever undertaken and is being carried out in many countries around the world, including the USA, Italy and Japan. The survey will provide the government with information about how its skills policies are working and what changes may need to be made in the future.

The study is a collaboration between the governments of participating countries and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). In the UK, the study has been commissioned by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills. The National Foundation for Educational Research is leading the study in partnership with NatCen, TNS-BMRB and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. The study is taking place in 2011 and 2012, and the results will be published in 2013.

ISAS covers those aged 16 to 65 to focus on the working age population – this is the standard international age range which we use in order to be able to compare results with other countries.  This also allows comparisons to be made with an earlier survey, the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS), undertaken in 1997.

Useful links

Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS)

National Centre for Social Research (NatCen)

Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA)

TNS Social Research Division (TNS-BMRB)