National Adult Literacy Database

Now that summer is finally here, parents and children are excited about starting their summer vacation. But just because school’s out doesn’t mean we should take a vacation from learning. Research shows that children who don’t read over the summer lose some of the literacy skills they gained during the year and have a difficult time adjusting to school in the fall.

Co-op programs have been around for decades however they are not mandatory and are not offered at all universities. These programs, in which students alternate between full-time coursework and real-world employment, enable students to evaluate the market demand for their degree and skills while they still have time to course-correct.

The Ontario Library Association is thrilled to announce that Joy Fielding is the winner of the 2013 Forest of Reading® Golden Oak™ Award for her book Home Invasion (Grass Roots Press).

Job seekers in Western and Atlantic Canada are likely to benefit from a steady hiring climate from July through September, while they can still expect some opportunities in Ontario and Quebec. Although some regional Outlooks are experiencing slight decreases compared to the previous quarter, job seekers will likely continue to find prospects in the labour market as employers throughout Canada expect the hiring pace will be moderate through the summer.

Measures of Success (MoS) was a national research project of The Centre for Literacy that was designed to assess the outcomes of workplace literacy and essential skills initiatives beyond immediate end-of-program results. This is the executive summary of the final report for the project.

Interested in making your workplace more efficient? In this three-part series, workplace literacy and essential skills expert Sandi Howell talks about the benefits of skills training.

The College has long supported an expanded program, including more time for practical teaching experience and compulsory program components to address needs such as special education.

NALD is pleased to launch Modus, its new searchable and interactive directory of essential skills assessment tools. The innovative website includes free diagnostic tools as well as links to fee-for-service agencies. It allows users to browse tools by essential skill, location, audience and cost, when applicable.

The federal government is seeking applications for projects that will help seniors use their leadership abilities, energy and skills to continue to make a difference in their communities through the New Horizons for Seniors Program. The deadline for applications is July 5, 2013, in all provinces and territories except Quebec, where the process will close on September 6, 2013, to coincide with a provincial call for proposals.

Everyone needs to know where they’re going. David Scholz, chief marketing officer of Leger Marketing, a Canadian-owned research and strategic marketing firm, emphasizes why being clear is an important skill for leaders. “If no one is telling you, you’ll set your own direction; the result is 100 staff members going in 100 different directions.”

Premier Kathleen Wynne visited the University of Ottawa recently where she announced new support that will help more francophone students study in French in the field of their choice. Starting in 2013-14, Ontario's francophone students who travel a minimum of 80 kilometres to attend full-time studies in French will qualify for the Ontario Distance Grant, no matter where they live in the province.

Preliminary 2012 data and revised 2007 to 2011 data on provincial and territorial labour productivity and its related variables for the business sector by industry are now available.

Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker Program has been thrust into the spotlight in recent weeks. A report publishe by The School of Public Policy examines the effect of the program on the supply and demand of domestic labour. Author Kevin McQuillan finds there is no general labour shortage here in Canada that would warrant a reliance on foreign workers. Instead, he argues that Canada needs to scale back the program and build a skilled workforce from within.

Aboriginal peoples are gaining ground in Canada's population, but they are losing their languages. And their family structure is dramatically different than other Canadian families, with less than half of children living with both their parents. The rest are in single-parent homes, living with relatives or step-parents, or in foster homes. Indeed, half the foster children in Canada under the age of 14 are aboriginal, according to the National Household Survey.

A highly qualified and mobile skilled trades workforce is critical to Canada's productivity and competitiveness. By helping Canadians connect with available jobs and putting a priority on skills and training, we are ensuring continued economic growth, job creation and long-term prosperity.