Basic skills
Basic skills – more than you think
We use basic skills every single day, often without thinking about it. When we read a work instruction, explain something to a colleague, check numbers or use a digital system, we are using them.
These skills are not tied to one occupation or level of education. They develop throughout life and matter when tasks, technology and requirements change.
You can be highly skilled at your job and still benefit from developing a basic skill.
Have you seen the new message?
Yes – I’m checking what has changed.
The delivery is 45 minutes late.
Then we’ll arrive just before twelve.
Did you log the incident in the app?
Almost – which field does it go in?
The email says the account number has changed.
Let’s call the supplier and check first.
36 workplace situations
Does this sound familiar?
Open a situation to see what it is about, which skills are used and what you as a teacher can do.
All conversations on this page are fictional teaching examples, not quotations from real employees or research findings.
Myths and misunderstandings
Is this really true?
Eight common statements. Click to reflect – this is not a quiz.
Explore the six skill areas
Norway officially defines five basic skills: reading, writing, numeracy, oral and digital skills. Critical thinking, including media literacy, is Prios’s supplementary competence area and can be integrated into work on all five. AI literacy is an emerging theme, not an official basic skill.
Reading helps learners understand and use workplace information. Start with texts they encounter at work.
Explore the skillWriting means communicating a clear message to the right reader. Use short, authentic workplace texts.
Explore the skillNumeracy helps us use numbers, time and measurements in practical workplace situations.
Explore the skillOral communication involves listening, expressing ideas and cooperating in workplace situations.
Explore the skillDigital skills help learners use workplace systems safely and independently.
Explore the skillLearn to evaluate information, ask meaningful questions, consider different perspectives and make informed decisions at work and in everyday life.
Explore the skillSeveral skills in one work situation
Basic skills are not isolated school subjects. See what happens when a worker receives a digital message about an updated assignment.
Work situation
Digital work order: “Assignment updated”
New time, new quantity and a link to the app.
Read and understand what has changed.
Understand dates, times and quantities.
Navigate the app and find the details.
Ask the manager a clarifying question.
Judge which information applies when two sources differ.
Write a short confirmation.
When Norwegian language is part of the challenge
Many employees have strong occupational competence but need more Norwegian to understand instructions, take part in conversations, communicate with customers or use workplace terminology.
Language development should build on what learners already know and have experienced.
Norwegian as a second language is not an additional official basic skill. It has its own learning aims and role within relevant Kompetansepluss arrangements.
An employee may have long experience of production work but still need support to understand a new health and safety instruction in Norwegian.