Empowering Lifelong Learning and Workforce Readiness Through Global Adult Skills Research
Understanding adult skills and how people use them at work, in daily life, and throughout their lifetimes is essential for building strong education systems and a competitive economy. The U.S. participates in international surveys that measure core competencies such as literacy and numeracy using frameworks that are comparable across cultures and languages. Developed collaboratively across countries, these studies produce high-quality evidence that informs education, workforce, and labor-market policies around the world.
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) serves as the federal leader for U.S. participation within international adult surveys. Continued U.S. participation in global studies of adult skills provides critical insight into workforce readiness, lifelong learning, and upskilling needs—helping identify skill gaps, guide effective policy responses, and support a more resilient and adaptable labor force, especially amid an aging population and rapidly changing economic demands.
Our Work
For over 20 years, AIR has supported NCES in U.S. participation in international adult skills assessments. Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) is the most current, world’s largest study of adult skills, carried out by the OECD and conducted in the U.S. and dozens of countries since 2011.
AIR also contributed to the IALS, the first large-scale effort to measure adult literacy across countries using comparable frameworks, and the predecessor to PIAAC. Learn more about the IALS, which began in 1994.
Our work focuses on ensuring that U.S. adult skills data are accurate, relevant to domestic policy and practice, and internationally comparable to inform adult education, upskilling, and labor-market policy.
- We provide leadership and support for assessment operations.
- We conduct rigorous quality assurance reviews.
- We prepare national and international reports to inform policy and practice.
AIR also plays a pivotal role in building both the national and international research base and expanding the use of PIAAC.
- We commission and manage research studies that deepen understanding of adult skills, workforce development, and economic mobility.
- We conduct analyses that inform national workforce and adult education trends and priorities.
- We develop practitioner-focused dissemination products to support evidence-based practices.
For a comprehensive view of AIR’s contributions across the full adult assessment lifecycle, visit International Comparisons in Education.
Driving PIAAC Impact Through Research and Outreach
In partnership with NCES, AIR leads efforts to disseminate and promote PIAAC data across the United States and globally. AIR leverages PIAAC’s internationally comparable data to build a robust research foundation that informs education, workforce development, health, social mobility, and corrections. AIR’s key contributions include:
- Expert Training and Capacity Building. We train researchers to use PIAAC data files and analytic tools, supporting the development of NCES/AIR-commissioned research papers.
- Connecting Research to Policy and Practice. We engage practitioners, policymakers at all levels, and advocacy organizations to translate PIAAC findings into actionable strategies. Authors of commissioned papers share insights at AIR-hosted Research-to-Practice Conferences, where policy recommendations and dialogue drive real-world impact.
- Thought Leadership and Knowledge Sharing. We present at PIAAC webinars, national and international conferences, and policy briefings to advance understanding of adult skills and workforce readiness.
- Expanding Public Access. We created the PIAAC Gateway, a comprehensive resource hub offering tools and user-friendly content to help stakeholders turn complex data into practical solutions.
