Summary - 12 Key Recommendations for the Federal Government

1. The federal government should take the lead in developing a pan-Canadian literacy and essential skills strategy built on renewed partnerships between federal, provincial, and territorial governments, national and provincial literacy organizations, and community stakeholders.

2. The federal government should validate and support literacy and essential skills development as an integral component of the "culture of lifelong learning" that our country will need to meet the demands of the future.

3. The federal government should expand the mandate and resources of the National Literacy Secretariat.

4. HRDC should take the lead in developing protocols for examining government programs and policies through a "literacy lens". As a first step, HRDC should examine its own programs and policies to maximize their potential to support adult literacy and essential skills development.

5. The voluntary sector plays an important role in literacy delivery and administration across the country. The federal government should ensure that its literacy initiatives acknowledge and support this important role and contribution.

6. HRDC should develop and support policies that position adult literacy and essential skills development as a community development issue.

7. The federal government should take a leadership role in supporting family literacy development, in collaboration with provincial/territorial governments and the family literacy community.

8. The federal government should build on current expertise and best practices in workforce literacy through the development of tax incentives; infrastructure development; public awareness campaigns and supportive policies.

9. The federal government should support the development and implementation of a multi-government Aboriginal Literacy Action Plan that is owned and maintained by Aboriginal people.

10. The federal government should ensure that strategies and programs for immigrant and refugee integration take literacy and essential skills training needs into consideration.

11. HRDC should work with the literacy community to increase the availability and application of technologies in the field.

12. The federal government should ensure that all vital information is accessible to less literate Canadians by using plain language in its own communications and promoting the uses of plain language in all public communications.