Literacy is a skill for working life and society

Topics

• Competence development
• Job seeking

Why is good literacy almost a prerequisite for coping with everyday life, work, and society in general? How can each of us encourage ourselves and our loved ones to read more? At the end of January, we organized a webinar for our members on the importance of literacy. We discussed the topic with Jenni Haukio, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at WSOY.

Reading has many positive effects that extend beyond everyday life to working life. Among other things, reading increases our ability to concentrate and absorb information.

“Reading also develops negotiation skills. Fiction strengthens our understanding of people, emotional skills, and empathy. These skills are useful in all kinds of interactions, including in working life,” said Jenni Haukio.

She also referred to psychologist Daniel Goleman’s concept of emotional intelligence. Studies show that emotional intelligence predicts later success in working life. Of all the activities that can be done alone or by oneself, reading is the most effective way to develop emotional intelligence.

Declining and diverging literacy skills are a cause for concern

The webinar highlighted concerns about declining and diverging literacy skills, which are accelerating social polarization and segregation.

Jenni Haukio mentioned that PISA studies have shown that declining literacy skills can pose challenges to young people’s basic everyday skills and their ability to cope with everyday life. This is no longer just an individual challenge, but a broader social issue linked to employment, economic capacity, and Finland’s future success.

The effects of declining literacy skills are already visible in the workplace. For example, spelling or understanding work and safety instructions can be challenging for some people today.

Particularly worrying is the polarization of literacy: some of the population reads a lot, while others read very little or only when forced to. For example, 62% of 9th grade boys and 45% of 9th grade girls read only when forced to.

Digital technology challenges our ability to concentrate

Smart devices and constant screen time affect the ability to concentrate in people of all ages.

“It is important that we do not focus solely on children and young people, but that we adults also examine our own screen time and the example we set,” Haukio reminded us.

Good literacy skills affect our ability to participate in social issues, evaluate information, and engage in constructive discussion, for example. When necessary, we are able to critically evaluate different sources and reject false information.

“Lifelong learning and reading are playing an increasingly important role for each and every one of us.”

Fortunately, there are many positive developments

Despite concerns, there have also been many positive developments in the field of reading.

“Finns who read avidly are still at the top of the international rankings. Library borrowing figures have also returned to high levels after the coronavirus years, especially for children’s and young people’s books,” said Jenni Haukio.

At WSOY, which she represents, all book formats are doing well, and sales of printed books grew in 2025.

Everyone can promote reading in everyday life

Several participants discussed slow reading, reading difficulties, and lack of motivation. The discussion emphasized that literary genres and formats should not be ranked: novels, detective stories, poetry, nonfiction, printed books, and audiobooks are all valuable. The most important thing is to find your own way and your own path to reading enjoyment.

Jenni Haukio mentioned that the need for plain language literature has grown in recent years. As a solution to this, Tammi, part of the Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö publishing group, recently published its first series of plain language books.

“Plain language can serve as a gateway to reading for many people. It can benefit immigrants, people with reading difficulties, and even native Finnish speakers.”

The webinar emphasized that promoting reading is not solely the responsibility of schools, for example. The example set by family members, loved ones, work communities, and employers is crucial.

In the chat and preliminary questions, participants shared concrete experiences and tips:

• Reading tips inspire others to pick up books

• Libraries and reading challenges lower the threshold for picking up books

• Reading with children, comics, and beautiful illustrations can spark a love of reading

• Reading circles and book recommendations in the workplace encourage reading

Watch the webinar recording

As a member of YTK, you can watch the webinar recording. The recording is available on OmaYTK throughout February.

 

What book would you recommend?

What kind of reader are you? What book would you recommend to others? Answer our survey and enter our monthly prize draw! Every month, we give away a 35 € gift card for the Kirja.fi online bookstore.

Start reading now!

Reading brings many benefits, like positive side effects. As a member of YTK, we help you read more so that you can succeed better in your career.