PIAAC

The OECD Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) is an initiative of the OECD that assists governments in assessing, monitoring and analysing the level and distribution of skills among their adult populations as well as the extent of skills use in different contexts. In order to achieve this, PIAAC aims at the collection of cross-nationally comparable data in OECD countries on key skills and their main antecedents and outcomes.

The team is part of a larger project consortium which includes ETS, Westat, GESIS, cApStAn and IEA.

Funded by: OECD

Duration: January 2018 – December 2024

In January 2018, PIAAC entered its second cycle; the first data from PIAAC Cycle 1 (in which ROA was also involved) were released in 2013. ROA is responsible for the development of the Background Questionnaire (BQ) for PIAAC Cycle 2. The data from this new cycle (covering over 30 OECD countries) were collected in 2022-2023, and released in 2024.

PIAAC Cycle 2 follows up on Cycle 1, and aims to achieve three broad objectives. First, it aims to paint a picture of the stock of those information processing, social and emotional, and other transversal skills needed for effective functioning in the labour market and in society in general across a wide range of countries. Secondly, PIAAC Cycle 2 intends to contribute to understanding of how these skills relate to important economic and social outcomes, and to individual, institutional and social factors that can influence the development, maintenance, and loss of such skills over the lifecycle. Finally, PIAAC Cycle 2 provides an important tool for policy makers interested in finding optimal ways to enhance the development, maintenance and productive deployment of these skills.

Publications

• Nordheim, O., & Huijts, T. (2025). Social functioning and personal development among individuals with low literacy skills; the role of active labour market policy. Journal of Social Policy, 54(3), 912–938.
• Buisman, M., Bollen, I., Jacobs, B., Huijts, T., Cornelisse, R., van Guilik, N., Elshof, D., & van Griensven, L. (2024). PIAAC 2023 Kernvaardigheden van volwassenen: Resultaten van de Nederlandse survey 2023. Kohnstamm Instituut.  ROA External Reports.
• van der Velden, R., Bijlsma, I., Fregin, M.-C., & Levels, M. (2023). Are general skills important for vocationally educated? Acta Sociologica, 67(3), 387-405.
• Levels, M., & van der Velden, R. (2023). Can work protect against age-related decline of cognitive skills? An empirical test of the use-it-or-lose-it hypothesis. In M. Tahlin (Ed.), (pp. 161-176). Edward Elgar Publishing.
• van Vugt, L., Levels, M., & van der Velden, R. (2022). The low skills trap: the failure of education and social policies in preventing low-literate young people from being long-term NEET. Journal of Youth Studies, 27(2), 217–251.
• Pérez Rodríguez, S., van der Velden, R., Huijts, T., & Jacobs, B. (2022). Identifying literacy and numeracy skill mismatch in OECD countries using the job analysis method. ROA. ROA Research Memoranda No. 011.
• Fregin, M. C., Levels, M., & Van der Velden, R. (2020). Labour market institutions and the challenge of allocating the right people to the right jobs: Evidence on the relation between labour market institutions and optimal skill matching from 28 industrial countries. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 50(2), 257-275.
• Pérez Rodriguez, S., Huijts, T., van der Velden, R., & Jacobs, B. (2020). Required literacy and numeracy skill levels for occupations in OECD countries: Application of the Job Analysis Method to PIAAC. ROA. ROA Technical Reports No. 008.
• Bijlsma, I., Brakel, J. V. D., Velden, R. V. D., & Allen, J. (2020). Estimating literacy levels at a detailed regional level: An application using Dutch data. Journal of Official Statistics, 36(2), 251-274.
• Allen, J., & Belfi, B. (2020). Educational expansion in the Netherlands: better chances for all? Oxford Review of Education, 46(1), 44–62.
• Van der Velden, R., & Bijlsma, I. (2019). Effective skill: A new theoretical perspective on the relation between skills, skill use, mismatches, and wages. Oxford Economic Papers, 71(1), 145-165.
• van der Velden, R. K. W., & Bijlsma, I. (2019). Spreiding van laaggeletterdheid: Inzicht in taal- en rekenvaardigheden per beroep, sector en type werkzoekende. Stichting Lezen & Schrijven. ROA External Reports.
• Ferreira, M., de Grip, A., & Van der Velden, R. (2018). Does informal learning at work differ between temporary and permanent workers? Evidence from 20 OECD countries. Labour Economics, 55, 18-40.
• Levels, M., Dronkers, J., & Jencks, C. (2017). Contextual explanations for numeracy and literacy skill disparities between native and foreign-born adults in western countries. PLOS ONE, 12(3), [e0172087].
• Van Der Velden, R., & Bijlsma, I. (2016). College wage premiums and skills: a cross-country analysis. Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 32(4), 497-513.
• Bijlsma, I., van den Brakel, J., van der Velden, R. K. W., & Allen, J. P. (2016). Regionale spreiding van geletterdheid in Nederland. Stichting Lezen & Schrijven. ROA External Reports.
• Humburg, M., & van der Velden, R. (2015). Self-assessments or tests? Comparing cross-national differences in patterns and outcomes of graduates' skills based on international large-scale surveys. Studies in Higher Education, 40(3), 482-504.
• Levels, M., Van der Velden, R., & Allen, J. (2014). Educational mismatches and skills: new empirical tests of old hypotheses. Oxford Economic Papers, 66(4), 959-982.
• Buisman, M., J. Allen, D. Fouarge, W. Houtkoop & R. van der Velden (2013). PIAAC:  Kernvaardigheden voor werk en leven. Resultaten van de Nederlandse survey 2012. ’s Hertogenbosch: ECBO.