Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC)

This study is part of an international program. It will see what activities adults do in their daily lives, such as reading, finding information, and using computers and technology, and to learn about their education, work experience and use of key work skills on the job.

Detailed information for 2012 (International Study of Adults)

Data release – planned for 2013

• Questionnaire(s) and reporting guide(s)
• Description
• Data sources and methodology
• Data accuracy

Description

This study aims to provide a clear picture of the challenges we face as a country in developing a more skilled work force in the 21st century.

Data users will be government, researchers, educators, learning institutions and organizations.

Data can be used to help us understand the importance of skills development and maintenance, how education and training programs can nurture those skills, and how those skills are used every day.

Subjects

• Adult education and training
• Education, training and learning
• Job training and educational attainment
• Labour
• Literacy

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Data sources and methodology

• Target population
• Instrument design
• Sampling
• Data sources
• Estimation
• Disclosure control

Target population

The core target population consists of all non-institutionalised adults between the ages of 16 and 65 (inclusive) who reside in the country (whose usual place of residency is in the country) at the time of data collection.

This survey excludes: those living on Indian reserves or crown lands; official representatives of foreign governments; members of religious and other communal colonies; Canadian Forces members living on a military base; senior citizens living in a senior citizens' residence; and, full-time institutional residents (i.e. penal institutions, nursing homes).

Instrument design

The questionnaire and data collection application were created by the Organization for Economic and Cooperative Development (OECD). Questionnaire and application testing was conducted by Statistics Canada.

Sampling

This is a sample survey with a cross-sectional design.

The frame was the 2011 Census and the National Household Survey (NHS). The 2011 Census was used for the general sample of adults aged 16 to 65, while the NHS was used for the Aboriginal and Immigrant supplementary samples. When the Census was used as a frame, only households that were not also selected for the NHS were eligible to be selected. However, some exceptions to this occurred in the territories where all households in a Census collection unit may have been selected for the NHS. In total, approximately 49,000 individuals were selected.

Sample selection occurred in up to three stages. In the first stage, geographical clusters were selected. These clusters were previously stratified into urban and rural strata. Subsequently, households were selected from the Census or NHS within each selected cluster. Then within each selected household, one individual was chosen to participate in this survey.

The selection of clusters and households was done by systematic probability proportional to size sampling. Within a household, one individual was selected at random.

Data sources

Data collection for this reference period: 2011-11-01 – 2012-06-27

Responding to this survey is voluntary.

Data are collected directly from survey respondents.

For the purposes of field work, the survey was called the International Study of Adults. Data are collected via Computer Assisted Personal Interview. Contact is made by a Statistics Canada interviewer at the respondent's household and all interviews are conducted in person. Proxy reporting are not be permitted.

View the Questionnaire(s) and reporting guide(s)

Estimation

Estimation will be done by applying various adjustments to the design weights. Calibration will then be done via raking ratio.

Variance estimation will be implemented by using the paired Jackknife.

Disclosure control

Statistics Canada is prohibited by law from releasing any information it collects which could identify any person, business, or organization, unless consent has been given by the respondent or as permitted by the Statistics Act. Various confidentiality rules are applied to all data that are released or published to prevent the publication or disclosure of any information deemed confidential. If necessary, data are suppressed to prevent direct or residual disclosure of identifiable data.

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Data accuracy

Data accuracy measures may include the sample size, sample composition by selected variables (geography, type of sample member, demographic variables, etc.), response and attrition rates, CVs for selected variables, slippage rates, and imputation rates. The exact format of how these measures will be reported will be available at a later date.