Mathematics in the Workplace: Issues and Challenges

In political and educational debate, there is contrary opinion about the mathematical needs of employees. Several influential studies report that, apart from recognizing the need for a small layer of ‘symbolic analysts’ (Reich 1992), employers do not prioritize mathematical skills (e.g., Department of Labor 1991). In the contrary direction, there are studies in economics and educational policy, which assert that a mathematically literate population is crucial for the economic future of developed countries (Steen 2001; Wolf 2002; Confederation of British Industry 2008). How can this apparent contradiction be understood? We suggest that the contradiction arises from a confusion about what constitutes mathematics and consequently, how mathematical skills are identified (FitzSimons 2002)