Having adequate levels of literacy and numeracy cannot guarantee someone continuous employment or job security, but good basic skills do get you onto the starting blocks well prepared. 17% of the adult population of Birmingham have low levels of literacy and around 23% of adults have low levels of numeracy. Whatever has gone wrong in education that led to these difficulties in the first place, it maintains its impact throughout adult life. Those with low levels of basic skills: are more likely not to have any qualifications by the age of 37		are over-represented in the long-term unemployed are 8 times more likely to be unemployed are more likely to be employed in low-paid, unskilled jobs are much less likely to be accessing further training at work are less likely to take part in the political process are proportionally over-represented in the homeless, offenders and those leaving care. There isn't a necessary inevitability about all of this. Our partners are actively working on interventions that can break these patterns.