Evidence Review: What Research Says About Transferable Skills

Research question

What can evidence about general information-processing skills contribute to a discussion of transferable capability?

Review method

This is an RDE targeted narrative desk review of published evidence, not an original study or a systematic review. Sources were searched and checked on 8 October 2026. Search terms: OECD Survey of Adult Skills 2023 transferable literacy numeracy adaptive problem solving outcomes. Sources were selected for direct relevance, identifiable authorship, accessible methods or an official technical basis. Commercial marketing, unsourced statistics and advice presented as research were excluded. The small, purposive selection may miss relevant or conflicting studies. No pooled effect estimate was calculated and no participants or original data were collected.

Evidence and interpretation

The OECD Survey of Adult Skills 2023 directly assesses literacy, numeracy and adaptive problem solving. Its 2024 report describes these as general capabilities relevant across settings. This is a narrower definition than a complete inventory of leadership, creativity or interpersonal skills. The report examines relationships between measured skills and labour-market outcomes; those relationships are not an experiment assigning people to training. [1] OECD report and methods.

What this evidence cannot establish

The survey does not certify an individual portfolio, predict a particular job offer or establish the effect of an RDE course. Relationships may reflect education, personal circumstances and labour-market conditions. Results for assessed adults and participating countries should not be treated as universal evidence about every occupation. The practical value here is distinguishing a broad capability from evidence of its use, not turning a survey score into a recruitment guarantee.

RDE practical interpretation

The following activity is an RDE learning exercise, not a tested intervention or a finding reported by the cited authors. Use it to make a decision explicit and identify the evidence you would still need. Record uncertainty rather than filling gaps with an attractive explanation.

• Choose one genuine task from work, study or volunteering. Describe its purpose and your own contribution.
• Attach a suitable example, such as an anonymised calculation, instruction sheet or decision record. Obtain permission before using someone else's information.
• Explain where the example shows reading, numerical reasoning or adaptation to a changed constraint. Do not label every task as evidence of every skill.
• State what the example does not demonstrate. Identify a second task that could fill that gap.

Check your learning

Which statement above is a published finding, which is guidance, and which is an RDE interpretation? What additional evidence would change your decision? Write a short answer before applying the exercise to a real situation.

References

• [1] OECD (2024). Do Adults Have the Skills They Need to Thrive in a Changing World? Survey of Adult Skills 2023. OECD Skills Studies. DOI: 10.1787/b263dc5d-en. See chapters 1 and 4.

Review version 1.0. Sources checked 8 October 2026. Follow the links for full methods and context. The cover is illustrative and does not depict study participants or results.

Cover image: AI-generated illustrative scene created specifically for this resource.