Foundation Skills Frameworks Review Project

Reviewing the frameworks that describe core skills.

About the frameworks: ACSF and DLSF

The Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF) and Digital Literacy Skills Framework (DLSF) are descriptive frameworks that give us a common language and a set of reference points for discussing, learning, reading, writing, oral communication, numeracy and digital literacy skills. They are used in diverse programs and in a range of product and policy development and workforce capability contexts.

Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF)

Digital Literacy Skills Framework (DLSF)

About the framework review project

The Department has commissioned the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to review the ACSF and DLSF.

The purpose of the research project is to:

Catalogue and report on the frameworks and tools used by the VET and ACE sectors to assess the language, literacy, numeracy, and digital literacy skills of learners.
Review the frameworks to ensure they are meeting the needs of stakeholders and reflecting the real life performance of core skills across the three domains of personal and community, workplace and employment, and education and training.

Phase 1: Discovery

December 2021 – February 2022

Purpose: To source information from key informants and desk research to inform the project questions and establish the approach to stakeholder consultation. This phase will explore how the frameworks are used.

Phase 2: Consultation

February – April 2022

Purpose: To gather stakeholder input on:

Who uses the frameworks and examples of how they’re used
How the frameworks are used in Commonwealth programs and other contexts
Why some stakeholders are currently not using the frameworks
What support is needed when using the frameworks and barriers to framework implementation
Opportunities for strengthening the frameworks

Collecting stakeholder insights:

Online survey

The survey will remain open until 1 April 2022 and help the project team understand your views on a range of matters relating to the two frameworks, as well as assessment tools based on the ACSF. It will focus on how the frameworks are used and any changes that may be needed to the frameworks – or the tools that are used to support them – to ensure that they are fit for purpose.
Stay informed and share your views about the frameworks review by attending one or both of the online discussion forums being held later in March. The forums are open to all practitioners and program managers who use the frameworks and/or tools in their various job roles.
- Forum 1: 17 March, 4 to 5pm AEDT: An information session on the project and its findings. An opportunity to ask questions about the project (live or via chat).
- Forum 2: 31 March, 4 to 5pm AEDT: This forum provides an opportunity to expand on responses to the online survey and provide more specific feedback relating to the frameworks.

Send an email to register for the forums at FSFrameworks@acer.org and you will be sent a link to the Zoom meetings.

Phase 3: Consolidation and Reporting

May – June 2022

Based on the discovery and consultation, ACER will present findings to the Department for consideration in relation to the frameworks and/or the development of additional tools.