National Adult Literacy Database

Youth joblessness tends to garner all the headlines, but the more troubling trend may be the more hidden one: underemployment. A new paper released Tuesday is urging more examination of the extent of youth underemployment in Canada and more research into the causes that are driving it.

On the eve of Financial Literacy Month, a new opinion research survey found that only one-third of Canadian youth, ages 10 to 17-years, say that their parents regularly talk with them about money and finances.

Enterprising Non-Profits will provide workshops, business plan support and grants to non-profits interested in starting new social enterprises. The Citizen’s Bridge pilot project expands BUILD’s (Building Urban Industries for Local Development) successful driver training program to over 20 referral partners and will provide support in obtaining proper identification and financial literacy training to help people who have challenges connecting to employment.

The Activity Calendar for Canadian Families 2013 includes more than 30 learning activities for parents to do with children up to five years of age. The content supports early language development, early numeracy, pre-reading and pre-writing skills. Adult ESL and adult literacy learners would also be able to use the calendar to improve their language skills.

A career management consultant says young job seekers know how to network, write a résumé, and prepare for an interview. But, she says, they don’t understand subtle details or basics such as how to behave in a networking situation, follow up with a potential contact, or present themselves in the best possible light.

The launch of ourlanguages.gc.ca on the go! coincides with the third anniversary of the Language Portal of Canada, the website that showcases Canadian expertise in the area of language.

The skill areas where respondents experience the most challenges in working with distressed employees are communicating effectively and understanding their own emotional reactions. Survey results showed that nearly one-third of managers/supervisors had some challenges in these areas.

Recognition Counts! Micro Loans for Skilled Immigrants offers loans of up to $10,000, to cover everything from the cost of new tools to paying for certification exams or for additional training. The program also gives low-income, high-skilled newcomers valuable career and financial counselling to help address challenges with entering the labour market.

"ADHD is a complex neurobiological disorder that remains highly misunderstood," said Heidi Bernhardt, national director of CADDAC. "By sharing up-to-date medical information and real-life stories, CADDAC and its partners are sending a unified message to help educate and better understand ADHD and what it is like to live with the disorder."

Employment increased for the second consecutive month in September, up 52,000, mainly in full-time work. There was more employment in a number of industries, including retail and wholesale trade; construction; information, culture and recreation as well as agriculture. Employment rose in Ontario and Manitoba and fell in Saskatchewan with little change shown in the other provinces.

As the country continues to experience skills shortages in key sectors of the economy, Randstad Canada describes the country's growing shortage of highly skilled labour as critical, predicting shortages in the manufacturing, automation and energy and utility industries.

ABC Life Literacy Canada has announced the 2012 Life Literacy Award winners in recognition of outstanding achievement in adult literacy and essential skills. Awards were presented in the categories of community literacy, workplace education, journalism and corporate excellence.

Organizations that focus on developing healthy workplaces enjoy tangible benefits. These take the form of increased productivity, higher staff engagement, lower absenteeism, lower benefits claims costs, lower turnover, and greater resilience. Returns on healthy workplace investments reported by large private-sector organizations can range from $1.81 to $6.15 for every $1 invested.