The International Survey of Adult Skills
If you have received a letter through the post which mentions this website, then your household has been selected to take part in the International Survey of Adult Skills. This important survey is being carried out for the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills. The survey in your area is being conducted by the research organisation TNS-BMRB, in co-operation with the National Foundation for Educational Research.
We hope that you will take part and find the survey interesting.
What is the International Survey of Adult Skills?
The survey aims to find out about the different activities that adults do in their daily lives and to learn about their experiences of education and work.
We will be giving £30 worth of High Street vouchers to the person who takes part in the study, as a thank you for their time. These can be used just like cash in a wide selection of the leading High Street stores. Click on the link below to see a full list of the retailers that accept High Street vouchers: www.highstreetvouchers.com
What is the purpose of the International Survey of Adult Skills?
It is important for the government to have up to date information about the kinds of skills people use in everyday life.
This survey will provide the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills with the information it needs to assess how its policies are working and what changes may need to be made in the future.
The survey is being carried out in countries around the world (including the United States, Japan and many countries across Europe). This means that the government will be able to compare England with these other places.
Why has this address been chosen?
Your address has been randomly selected from the Post Office’s list of addresses in England.
It is important that the survey represents everyone in the country, so we need to talk to men and women of all ages and backgrounds. In this way the results from the International Survey of Adult Skills will truly reflect the experiences and views of the whole population.
How is the survey done?
The survey will be conducted by an interviewer who will call at your home.
The interviewer will not know anything in advance about you or your household but he or she will need to randomly select from each address one adult aged between 16 and 65 years.
ISAS covers those aged 16 to 65 to focus on the working age population – this is the standard international age range which we use in order to be able to compare results with other countries. This also allows comparisons to be made with an earlier survey, the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS), undertaken in 1997.
If the selected person is unable to do the interview at the time, the interviewer will be happy to arrange to come back at a more convenient time.
What happens to the information you give?
The information that is collected will be used solely for research purposes and is entirely confidential, in line with the Data Protection Act.
No individual will be identifiable from the results. Your answers will be combined with those of others that take part in the survey.
Your name and address details are kept separate from your answers and will not be passed on to the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills or any other organisation without your expressed permission.
Who is TNS-BMRB?
TNS-BMRB is an independent research agency. We collect and analyse data for clients in many sectors, including central and local governments.
We mainly specialise in social research which is carried out in order to inform governments of various patterns and issues in society. This information acts as a basis for changes in government policy.
We also carry out research for a number of charities and voluntary organisations such as the NSPCC, Save the Children, the RSPCA and Age Concern.
Who is the National Foundation for Educational Research?
The National Foundation for Educational Research is Britain’s leading independent educational research institution.
We provide research which covers all sectors of education, from pre-school to lifelong learning, with the goal of improving standards both nationally and internationally.
How can you check that the interviewer is genuine?
The interviewers work for Kantar Operations on behalf of TNS-BMRB and carry the Market Research Society Interviewer Identity card as shown below.
Each interviewer has a unique interviewer number which can be found on their identity card. If you would like to check the identity of an interviewer you can call 020 8433 4214.
How to find out further information
If you would like any further information about the survey you can call the TNS-BMRB International Survey of Adult Skills Information Line on:
0800 015 0655 (freephone from most landlines)
You can also visit the BIS survey website at:
www.bis.gov.uk/isas