Training providers must assess literacy and numeracy capabilities using as a minimum, the ACER Snapshot Reading and Numeracy Indicator (SRNI).
Skills SA literacy and numeracy capabilities for subsidised courses
The Skills SA Literacy and numeracy capabilities for subsidised courses identifies the reading, numeracy and writing capabilities for each course.
This information helps training providers understand what the literacy and numeracy capabilities for each course are and consider whether the learner will need to demonstrate these capabilities on entry to the course, during course delivery, on assessment of competency or as a graduate of the course.
Complete ACER training
Before training providers receive access to ACER’s SRNI and CSPA assessment tools, they will need to receive training.
Simply contact a UAN mentor who will kick-start this process.
Get access to ACER’s SRNI or CSPA assessment tools
Training providers will be issued a unique login to access the assessment tools under Skill SA’s license on completion of training on the ACER platform with a UAN mentor.
Training providers use their unique login to issue SRNI and/or CSPA literacy and numeracy assessments to learners. Skills SA only accepts literacy and numeracy assessment results completed under their license.
See UAN Guidelines for more information.
Conduct a literacy and numeracy assessment
Training providers use their unique login to the ACER platform to conduct the relevant numeracy and literacy assessment. The minimum literacy and numeracy assessment is the SRNI.
All literacy and numeracy assessments conducted must be supervised and must not be emailed to an individual to complete on their own.
Training providers can issue a practice assessment to learners, who benefit from completing this prior to their literacy and numeracy assessment.
See UAN Guidelines for more information, including information on supervision.
Review the literacy and numeracy assessment outcome
Learners whose SRNI literacy and numeracy assessment results demonstrate they have met the Skills SA minimum ACSF exit level 2 for reading and numeracy, may proceed in the UAN process.
Training providers must use the CSPA literacy and numeracy assessment tool with all learners whose SRNI result identify they did not meet Skills SA minimum ACSF exit level 2 in reading or numeracy.
See UAN Guidelines for more information.
CSPA interpretation services
Training providers must ensure the CSPA results for learners who are not exit level 2 for reading or numeracy are interpreted by a literacy and numeracy specialist. Refer to refer to the UAN Guidelines for more information.
If you do not have access to a literacy and numeracy specialist, Skills SA provide a service at no cost.
To access CSPA interpretation services at no cost, contact any of the following providers:
- Interskills: Paul Malloy
paul.malloy@wiseemployment.com.au
0425 533 174 - MADEC:
Bev Prestwich
bprestwich@madec.edu.au
0427 810 194Trish Doecke
tdoecke@madec.edu.au
0419 936 971 - Sirius: Deby Wilkes
sirius55@aussiebroadband.com.au
0409 363 859 - SYC: Jeremy Yu
learning@syc.net.au
8405 8500 - Collab: Emma Skinner and Natalia Slight
interpretations@collab.net.au
Emma: 0423 451 398
Natalia: 0466 677 012
Step 6 - How to gain approval to be a CSPA interpreter
Training providers who employ a qualified and experienced literacy and numeracy trainer and assessor can request Skills SA approval to enable them to conduct and complete CSPA interpretations.
To get started, read the Approval process for a CSPA Interpreter fact sheet which describes the process and the types of qualifications and experience needed.
Funded foundation skills support for learners
Flexible delivery of accredited foundation skills bridging units
There are many flexible ways in which learners can access accredited foundation skills bridging units they have been assessed to need through a CSPA Interpretation Report. See the flexible delivery options and providers matrix for more information and contact details.
Foundation Skills Tutor Pilot
The Skills SA funded foundation skills tutor pilot is now available as a new option for supporting subsidised students who have been identified as needing foundation skills support through a CSPA Interpretation Report. Access will depend on whether the gaps the learner has in their reading, numeracy or writing capabilities are suited to this type of support.
Foundation skills tutor support is free, non-accredited and delivered one to one, or in very small groups, by tutors who have completed the nationally accredited Language, Literacy and Numeracy Tutor Skill Set. All tutors operate under the supervision of a specialist literacy and numeracy trainer and assessor.
Tutors can deliver non-accredited foundation skills support face to face, or virtually, at a time and place that suits the learner and the tutor. Tutors can help the learner to develop forgotten or missing skills they need and help them to apply these in the context of their course. There are no minimum or maximum limits on hours of support provided and will varying depending on the learners needs.
The pilot is operating until the end of June 2025. Training providers wanting their learners to have access to the foundation skills tutor pilot as an option must contact any or all pilot providers in the first instance, to get more information and to establish a service agreement.
Where a learner’s gaps are not suited to foundation skills tutor support, see more information above about flexible delivery of accredited foundation skills bridging units.
Foundation skills tutor pilot provider details:
Interskills: Sian Sauerwald
sian.sauerwald@interskills.edu.au
0437 414 812
MADEC: Bev Prestwich
bprestwich@madec.edu.au
0427 810 194
SYC: Jo Skanes
jskanes@syc.net.au
0439 032 309
Tauondi Aboriginal College: Kelly Harrington or Tadashi Nakamura
fstutor@tauondi.sa.edu.au
08 8240 0300
Practice assessment
In addition to the practice assessment that training providers can issue, learners can access an online practice assessment themselves.
This allows adults or school students to experience and complete a mini assessment of their reading and numeracy skills.
The link will enable them to register their own unique email address and be sent a link to access it. If they do not receive the link within 15 minutes they should check their ‘junk’ folders in their email inbox.
At the end of the 6 reading and 6 numeracy questions they will be able to see online what they answered correctly or incorrectly and can go back and re-read the question.
There is also an option to restart the practice assessment if they wish to try again before they exit.
Once they exit the practice assessment they will not be able to use the link they received again and will need to re-register with a different unique email address.