The National Adult Literacy Agency has said that low-skilled workers are most likely to be affected by the current economic situation.

According to the agency, those with low skills are more likely to be unemployed in Ireland than in any other EU country.

"Currently 30 per cent of the workforce has only Junior Certificate, ten per cent has only primary level education and a further 25 per cent of adults lack basic literacy skills.

"The amount of low skilled employment is quickly slipping away and these people are most at risk of becoming unemployed, especially with the recent slowdown in the economy," said Inez Bailey, Director, National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA).

The agency is currently launching its new campaign, ‘Take on learning. Take on life', which will form part of National Adult Literacy Awareness Week, beginning Monday 22 September.

"In the last few decades, Ireland has positioned itself as a high skilled, knowledge based economy.

"Its investment in up-skilling has benefited those at a higher level of educational attainment. "However, without policy change, there will be surpluses at lower educational levels, with a large number of low-skilled individuals unemployed or inactive.

"The National Skills Strategy has identified that this could have a seriously detrimental effect on Ireland's plans to remain economically competitive. Now more than ever there needs to be a concerted effort to address those with low or no qualifications. This responsibility rests jointly with the government, employers and the individual," said Ms Bailey.

She urged low skill workers to consider retraining "as a matter of urgency" and encouraged people to improve their reading, writing, spelling and maths skills so they can diversify in work if necessary.

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