Smarter, safer, prouder kiwi workplaces feature on videos launched on International Literacy Day. Improving adult literacy in Aotearoa is an urgent challenge. With the help of dedicated employers, training providers and government, Skills Highway literacy and numeracy training is changing working lives.

Staff from Whangarei’s Carter Holt Harvey mills articulate the change. “It’s done a lot for me to actually believe in myself,” says Lee Foley, “I can do something I’m proud of.” Jamal Uiese says he’s now thinking of becoming a shift supervisor. “I wasn’t really one to learn from a book, but it’s made things a lot more interesting, and I can see a better future.”

Improved confidence and engagement on the job equates to better business performance. “Our most important resource is our people,” says Site Manager Doug Hallberg. “If we invest in training for our people, we’ll get a return every single time.”