As thousands log on to twitter to tell the world about their bowl of cereal, lack of wisdom teeth, or boring job, the value of written communication can seem a bit…trivial.

But whether you mourn the loss of Dickens-era quips  or believe that social networking has a caused a “literacy revolution,” a tweet with jumbled syntax is of little consequence.  Or at least, it’s just the tip of the iceberg. Outside of the twittersphere, where misplaced modifiers and grammars slips are the norm, 800 million adults do not have the ability to read and write.

To put that into perspective, 800 million people in the world cannot compute what they see when they look at job applications, street signs, restaurant menus, bill statements, eviction notices, warning signs, nutrition labels, and instruction manuals. They can’t write love letters, read a poem, or (God forbid) update a facebook status. And they are at a significant disadvantage because of it.

That’s why the Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) and Federal Government are making plans to change the literacy rate in Australia, where almost half of the workforce does not meet basic literacy standards.

Though historically much of the blame for low literacy rates has fallen on immigrants in Australia, immigrant illiteracy has been curbed by skilled immigration programs, actually improving the country’s rates of literacy, says Sharon Burrow, president of Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU). It is working class natives who do not meet par.

The Ai Group will be working with ten businesses in four states. Each business will have more than 80 hours of literacy training. Increased literacy rates will not only benefit individuals, but are also expected to lead to an increase in labor productivity and Gross Domestic Product.   Says Burrow, “…[I]t is… an issue of opportunity, capacity to anticipate and productivity really for the employers themselves, so all round literacy is a key issue.”