National Adult Literacy Database

From the pulp-and-paper sector to mining and construction, business in British Columbia is relying on a shrinking pool of workers from across Canada and around the world to meet the need for skilled labour. But the crisis hasn’t even started, according to a new report from B.C.’s research universities.

FREDERICTON, N.B. - The National Adult Literacy Database (NALD) has issued a call for nominations for its fourth annual NALD Innovative Technology Award. NALD established the award in 2010 to bring greater visibility to an exemplary or innovative technology product, project or service that benefits the field of adult literacy and essential skills.

"Hiring in Canada is expected to outpace last year as employers focus on growing their businesses and meeting greater market demand," said Brent Rasmussen, President of CareerBuilder North America. "While employers remain watchful over factors impacting the global economy, we see more job opportunities opening up in everything from health care and information technology to trucking and manufacturing."

In order to raise awareness of the importance of the UNESCO Guidelines on the Recognition, Validation and Accreditation (RVA) of the Outcomes of the Non-formal and Informal Learning, coordinators of the Back to Work project invited UIL to participate in the international conference titled The Role of Validation of Competencies in Professional Counselling of Adults, held in Greece in December.

This year's Family Literacy Day celebration (January 27) came just weeks after very encouraging news about literacy and families in Canada. Results from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study show that Canadian parents have one of the highest levels of involvement in literacy-related activities with their preschool-age children. "The results ... confirm that Canadian parents are doing an excellent job in fostering a culture of literacy in the home," said Ramona Jennex, Chair of CMEC and Nova Scotia's Minister of Education.

Canada will launch a brand new program on April 1 to recruit innovative immigrant entrepreneurs who will create new jobs and spur economic growth, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney has announced. "Our new Start-Up Visa will help make Canada the destination of choice for the world’s best and brightest to launch their companies," he said.

This award was established by CNIB in 1988 and is presented annually to an individual or group who has made significant technological advances benefiting people with vision loss.

The Ottawa Community Coalition for Literacy (OCCL) supports, promotes and strengthens adult literacy services in Ottawa through communication, research and public education. It has also challenged you to plan an activity to celebrate Family Literacy Day within your organization.

Shantael Sleight, literacy outreach co-ordinator for the West Shore Literacy Project, said Family Literacy Day is all part of an effort to demonstrate the chances for literacy and learning all around us. Sleight said we all engage our minds and exercise our literacy skills when we do things such as learn the words to a song, measure various amounts for a recipe, or even read roadside signs.

During the month of December 2012, the Newfoundland and Labrador Laubach Literacy Council Inc. launched a provincial fundraising campaign called the Change Your Luck with Literacy 2013 Ticket Lottery for a grand prize draw of $10,000. The draw will take place on Friday, September 13, 2013, on CFCB radio.

Tell us how learning has made a difference in your life. Please email your titled entry (written or video) to Literacy Nova Scotia at cindy.stevens@nscc.ca. A written entry should be up to 500 words in the form of an essay, poem or short story. A video is one to two minutes, posted to You Tube (email the link). One entry per person is allowed and no group submissions will be accepted.

Help inform and shape thinking around policy, practice and research as we prepare for PIAAC. The Institute will examine and compare the learning from IALS and ALL across Canada and other countries, and explore how we can make the most effective use of the soon-to-be released PIAAC results. We will look at the new segments – problem-solving in technology-rich environments and the reading components – and at the implications of changes in levels and cut-off.

Think of the information interview as an exploratory conversation, not a formal interview. During the interview be calm, curious and attentive. Ask the officials about their position and what they are proudest of with respect to their division and the company. Find out what the company needs help with.

The Conference Board of Canada in partnership with the Government of Ontario's EnAbling Change program has released a new free resource to help employers make their workplaces more inclusive. 'Employers' Toolkit: Making Ontario Workplaces Accessible to People With Disabilities' is intended to help employers understand and implement the Employment Standard related to the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.

Community Literacy Classroom on Wheels, popularly known as the COW Bus, visited the Samson Bingo Hall in Hobbema, Alberta, on January 18, 2013. Over 3,000 books were distributed to First Nations families on the occasion of the family literacy celebration.