National Adult Literacy Database

“Ministers of education recognize that Canada works best when all citizens have the knowledge and skills they need to succeed,” said Ramona Jennex, Minister of Education for Nova Scotia and current Chair of CMEC. “This means there can be no one left behind: young people, adult workers, Aboriginal Canadians, new immigrants, and those with differing abilities. All must have access to quality educational opportunities to ensure their success.”

Adult learning in Canada and around the world since the Second World War owes a great deal to a handful of Canadians who continue to provide leadership today. Although adult education has been practised in Canada since the early 19th century, it wasn’t until after the war that it developed its own formal field of study.

The Government of Saskatchewan and the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) has announced the panelists who will lead the Joint Task Force on Improving Education and Employment Outcomes for First Nations and Métis people in Saskatchewan.

Lindsay Kennedy, president and CEO of CLLN, says, “We would like to ask you to join Canadian Literacy and Learning Network in celebrating adult learners during the week of March 24 to April 1, seek out and listen to adult learners across the country, and be part of the force of change that life-long learning can bring to Canada.”

In 2012-2013 CLLN, funded by OLES, will conduct a large-scale survey of L/ES practitioners to get a comprehensive picture of who works in the L/ES field. The study will allow CLLN to provide a picture of the demographics of L/ES practitioners as well as what kinds of work they do, where they do it and how they do it.

In observance of International Adult Learners’ Week in Canada, NALD offers several handy tips for engaging learners in the education process.

Bilingual immigrants are healthier than those who speak one language, according to a new study from Rice University in Houston. Sociologists at the school rated the English and native-language skills of nearly 5,000 immigrants from China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Mexico, Cuba and Puerto Rico, then asked them to rate their own health.

The national chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students says: "Instead of cutting important programs such as the Service Canada Centre for Youth, the federal government should be increasing funding to help youth and students get a head start in life." For post-secondary education, students are recommending four concrete budget steps to ensure students and their families are not being left out.

ABC Life Literacy Canada is pleased to announce that nominations for the 2012 Peter Gzowski Life Literacy Fellowship are now being accepted online. The fellowship is open to accredited media and freelance journalists working and residing in Canada, along with current journalism students attending an accredited post-secondary institution in Canada.

There's no question that some job-search approaches are more productive than others. Richard Bolles devotes several pages of his book What Colour Is Your Parachute? to exploring the most and least effective angles.

The Saskatchewan Literacy Awards of Merit provide a unique opportunity for you to honour those who have been a beacon for literacy in your community. If you know of a worthy recipient, please take a moment to nominate them under one of several categories.

The Saskatchewan Aboriginal Literacy Awards celebrate the achievements of individuals in the field of literacy. Honorees are in the following categories: Elder, Learner, Youth, Practitioner and Business/Organization. Nominations are being accepted until March 16, 2012.

Lori MacMullin, president of the Centre for Distance Education (CD-ED), an accredited national online distance learning college with headquarters in Nova Scotia, says "Electronic Health Information Systems are where the world is heading, and there's a real need in Canada for professionals in this area."

The Big Rothesay Read in New Brunswick is about to embark on its fourth year of involving the entire student body of Rothesay High School and increasing numbers of teachers, parents and citizens in a community-wide reading initiative.

In rural and remote areas of Canada, women make up approximately 45 per cent of the labour force, but significant gaps still exist between women and men in labour force participation rates, employment rates and income. This year's theme for International Women's Day and International Women's Week celebrates women's roles in the economic prosperity of rural, remote and Northern regions.