Thursday 27, Poster session with coffee clock 10:00-10:30

2026-08-24T20:42:49+03:00

Session room: RUU Lobby

Enabling Access to PIAAC Microdata: The OECD's Remote Code Execution Service
Anja Meierkord, OECD, France
Francesco Avvisati, OECD, France
Marco Paccagnella, OECD, France

This presentation highlights the purpose, design, and use cases of the Remote Code Execution (RCE) Service, a secure tool that enables approved researchers to conduct advanced statistical analyses on the PIAAC Restricted Use Files (RUFs). The core objective is to inform the research and policy community about the analytical possibilities that this service opens up, and to illustrate how it compares to existing data access pathways.

PIAAC data are available through different sources and in different formats. Public Use Files are freely available and can be downloaded from the OECD PIAAC Website. They do not contain all the information collected in the survey, as countries had to exclude or coarsen certain variables to comply with national data protection laws. National research or scientific use files offer more granular country-level data but are restricted to single-country analysis and vary in their content. The international Restricted Use File contains the full set of variables collected through PIAAC but is only stored at the OECD and is normally not accessible to external users.

To facilitate analysis of this comprehensive dataset, the OECD has set up the RCE Service. Through the RCE Service, researchers can analyse data from the international RUF remotely by submitting code that is then run on the data. Users do not have direct access to the microdata, thus preserving the confidentiality of survey participants.

From a data governance perspective, the RCE Service represents a structured approach to balancing scientific access with participant confidentiality - a model of increasing relevance as concern for data protection grows. For researchers and policymakers, it substantially expands the analytical frontier: enabling more robust modelling, finer-grained subgroup analyses, and comparative work across all PIAAC-participating countries that would not be possible using publicly available data alone.

Strengthening basic skills through Nordic collaboration

Nordic Network for Lifelong Learning (NLL)

Johanni Larjanko, NLL Finland / Bildningsalliansen
Antra Carlsen, NLL Head-coordinator

NLL strengthens adults’ basic skills in the Nordic region by connecting policy and practice and supporting implementation through cross-sector collaboration. The poster presents NLL examples across workplace learning, outreach to hard-to-reach groups, capacity building, and integration-focused basic literacy.

STATISTICS NORWAY

Decomposing Skill Change among Young Adults in Norway
José Manuel Arencibia Alemán, Statistics Norway, Norway
Maja Kalcic, Statistics Norway, Norway

Within the broader context of declining reading and numeracy skills across most participating countries between PIAAC Cycles 1 and 2, Norway stands out as one of the few countries showing improvements. Young adults in Norway, in particular, experienced relatively large gains in average reading and numeracy skills. This study explores the extent to which these developments are associated with changes in the composition of the young adult population across cycles and with changes in skill levels within population subgroups.

PIAAC 2023: Adults with Low Information-Processing Skills in Estonia
Based on: Räis, M.L. (2025). PIAACi uuringu aruanne: madala infotöötlusoskuste tasemega täiskasvanud
Estonian Ministry of Education and Research

Triin Savisto, Estonian Ministry of Education and Research, Estonia
Riia Eratalay, Estonian Ministry of Education and Research, Estonia

This poster examines adults with low literacy skills in Estonia using PIAAC 2023 data. It identifies the demographic, educational, linguistic and labour market factors associated with low literacy skills, showing that older age, lower education, weaker Estonian language proficiency, first-generation immigrant status and employment in low-skilled occupations are key risk factors. The findings highlight the heterogeneity of low-skilled adults and suggest that adult learning policies should be tailored to different learner profiles rather than relying on one-size-fits-all approach.

EPALE - Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe

EPALE is Europe's largest multilingual platform for adult learning professionals. It enables networking and sharing good practices as well as disseminating project results across Europe. EPALE is co-funded by the European Union.

Skills Among Young Adults in Sweden, Statistics Sweden 2026
Annica Wallerå and Lotta Larsson, Senior Analysts, Statistics Sweden

This poster presents findings from a Statistics Sweden report on literacy and numeracy skills among young adults aged 16 to 34 in Sweden. The report examines variation in skills by gender, age, socio-economic background, educational attainment, migration background, and early skill achievement as measured by grade point averages at the end of lower secondary school.

The poster focuses on adults aged 25 to 34 and explores how skills acquired in lower secondary school are associated with numeracy proficiency 10 to 20 years later, using data from PIAAC. The analysis examines the relationship between early and later skills while taking educational attainment and other demographic factors associated with skill variation into account. The findings provide a description of the long-term association between early skills and skills in adulthood, after completing upper secondary education and entering working life.

Skills among Foreign-Born Adults in Sweden, Statistics Sweden 2026
Marit Jorsäter and Lotta Larsson, Senior Analysts, Statistics Sweden

This poster presents findings from a Statistics Sweden report on literacy and numeracy skills among foreign-born adults aged 16 to 65 in Sweden. Results from PIAAC 2023 show that, on average, native-born adults have higher literacy and numeracy skills in the Swedish language than foreign-born adults. However, the foreign-born population is highly heterogeneous, comprising individuals who migrated at different stages of life, for different reasons, and with diverse educational and labour market backgrounds.

The report examines variation in skills among foreign-born adults by gender, educational attainment, length of residence in Sweden, age at arrival, and the Human Development Index (HDI) of their countries of origin. The poster focuses on literacy skills and explores how these factors are associated with proficiency in the Swedish language. The findings provide insights into the diverse pathways associated with literacy skills among foreign-born adults and contribute to a better understanding of the factors associated with literacy skills in Swedish.

Nordic-Baltic PIAAC Network

This poster presents the Nordic-Baltic PIAAC Network, its objectives, member countries, organization, key achievements, and planned activities. It highlights the network's role in promoting collaboration, knowledge exchange, and comparative research on adult skills across the Nordic and Baltic region.

Nordic Council of Ministers
Malene Vangdrup and Frida Månsson

As one of the conference funders, the Nordic Council of Ministers will present its Vision 2030 and broader work, as well as initiatives within the education and labour market sectors.

Posters

Thursday 27, Poster session with coffee clock 10:00-10:30