National Adult Literacy Database

The Northwest Territories Literacy Council has several resources on its website to help you observe Aboriginal Languages Month. Included are the announcement, a languages map, a quiz, ideas for adult education programs and tips for families.

From the stockroom to the executive suite everyone is impacted by the need to constantly improve his or her digital technology skills. But sadly it’s the workers at the lowest levels, the ones who can least afford it, who suffer most and are the hardest hit by these changes.

The Office of Literacy and Essential Skills (OLES) has launched a Call for Concepts 2012 with a goal of addressing critical research gaps in adult literacy and essential skills. The closing date is April 5, 2012.

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities is receiving $199,905 from the Government of Canada for an 18-month project to provide mentorship to young women in their leadership roles.

As most workers in Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan enjoyed the Family Day holiday, Randstad Canada, the country's leader for staffing, recruitment and HR Services, reinforced the importance of remembering that optimum employee contribution comes from a balance of performance and sufficient rest.

The Active Reader series from Grass Roots Press is a comprehensive reading program that provides balanced, integrated instruction for adults, from emergent to pre-GED readers. The series is based on the premise that fluent readers actively engage with the text, using a variety of strategies.

Receiving negative feedback during a performance review is never a pleasant experience. But it's important to view a bad performance review in a positive way - as a wake-up call, not a career-ender.

To flourish at work, employees need to concentrate on their positive states when they experience them. Doing so, can boost worker immune systems and increase energy levels, says a registered psychologist. If you are consistently miserable, she says it is probably time to move on.

Canadian employers slipped to 20th place in terms of the priority employers place on employee skills training in a recent ranking. Less than 30 per cent of adult workers aged 25-64 received job-related education and training in Canada, compared with 45 per cent in the U.S., show data from Industry Canada and Statistics Canada.

High school students in Alberta will have greater opportunities to access trades and technology programs and post-secondary credits under a new approach to preparing teachers to specialize in skills training.

"Mental health does not carry the stigma that it once did, but our research shows that that there is definite evidence of stigma in the workplace," says Paula Allen, VP Health Solutions & Practice Leader, Consulting, Morneau Shepell. "There are several important drivers for organizations to address this issue strategically, and with practical and meaningful steps. We are urging employers to get involved in the discussion regarding how."

The Government of Canada has officially launched Canada Summer Jobs 2012, creating thousands of job opportunities for students.

Employment was virtually unchanged in January, and the unemployment rate edged up 0.1 percentage points to 7.6% as more people searched for work. Compared with 12 months earlier, employment rose by 129,000 (+0.7%), with most of the growth occurring in the first six months of this period.

Not all francophone minority communities carry the same weight or have the same institutional support. “On the Acadian peninsula of New Brunswick and in certain regions of Ontario, people can easily obtain services in French. They have institutional support whereas in British Columbia it takes people a long time to obtain services in French. It is important to make that distinction,” says Yvon Laberge, a member of the NALD Board of Directors.

According to a recent national survey reporting on nearly 10,000 Canadian classes, one in every six students has an identified learning exceptionality. In addition, more than one in 10 students in these classes have challenges understanding the school's language of instruction. The survey, conducted by the Canadian Teachers' Federation drew responses from nearly 3,800 teachers, the largest number obtained in a CTF online survey to date.