Adults go to literacy classes to become literate because being literate is a stepping stone to lifelong learning. However, the main aim of adults when they attend literacy classes is to improve their living conditions. Adults face many challenges in their lives. The first challenge they face is at home as parents. They have to raise their children and provide for them. The second challenge is at work. They have to find employment and see to it that they keep their jobs by performing them satisfactorily. In order for adults to perform their jobs satisfactorily they need to acquire core skills. Core skills are skills that enable workers to get jobs and to perform these jobs well. Employers will always retain workers who can carry out their jobs well. In order to prepare prospective workers to do their jobs well, education and training centres should emphasise learning by doing. They should put more emphasis on practical work. Practical work will provide job seekers with core skills for employment. Workers who have core skills will be in a position to keep their jobs and to get a promotion. This will help them to improve their living conditions.

Thekiso Japhta Tlhapi: B.ed (hon.) at WITS. university in South Africa in 2002. Med. (philosophy of education) at UNISA in South Africa in 2006. Phd. (philosophy of education) at UNISA in South Africa in 2013.