Starting next year, Romania will participate in the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competences (PIAAC), a global initiative coordinated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). We are talking about the so-called PISA for adults which, according to a draft Government decision, will be organized in our country by three institutions.
In 2025, Romania will participate for the first time in PISA for adults. Archive
What is PIAAC?
The Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competences (PIAAC) is aimed at people between the ages of 16 and 65 and analyzes existing skills in the labor market. The program provides important data on adults’ reading, calculation and problem-solving skills. Also, the program shows an overview of the literacy level of the adult population, the differences between people’s skills and the requirements of the labor market, highlights the level of equity in access to education and educational mobility, as well as the transition of graduates to the labor market .
What skills does PIAAC test?
It is considered the adult equivalent of the PISA tests, but focuses on skills needed in everyday and professional life. PIAAC is a global initiative coordinated by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Its aim is to assess and compare the basic skills of adults aged 16 to 65 in different countries to better understand literacy, numeracy and problem-solving skills in digital contexts, according to the site of the OECD.
The program is administered every 10 years and has had two cycles so far. In the first cycle, there were three rounds of data collection, in the period 2011-2018. In 2018, the second cycle of the survey began. Romania did not participate in any of these sessions.
PIAAC 2025, the main objectives
- Measuring essential skills for integration into the labor market and active participation in society.
- Comparing skill levels across countries to support informed public policy.
- Identifying skills gaps and their relationship to factors such as education, training and work experience.
PIAAC 2025, the main areas evaluated
- Literacy: the ability to understand, use and analyze written information.
- Numerical skills: the ability to work with numbers and mathematical concepts in practical situations.
- Problem Solving: Using technology to solve problems and manage information.
PIAAC provides valuable data for governments, education and training institutions, but also for employers. The results are used for the development of educational and training policies, increasing the adaptability of learning systems to the needs of the labor market and reducing skill inequalities and supporting social inclusion.
Who will implement PIAAC in Romania and how much will it cost us?
The consortium for the implementation of PIAAC will be coordinated by the Executive Unit for the Financing of Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation (UEFISCDI), and it will include the National School for Political and Administrative Studies (SNSPA) and the National Institute for Scientific Research in the Field of Labor and of Social Protection (INCSMPS).
The participation fee that Romania must pay to the OECD is 600,000 euros. SNSPA has already won funding from the European Commission in the amount of 240,000 thousand euros which will be fully transferred to the OECD as a partial payment of the tax. There would still be 360,000 euros left from the tax, to be covered from the budget.
According to the project, the financing outside the 240,000 euros would be 13.35 million lei, i.e. 2.32 million euros, if we do not take into account the participation fee.
