National Adult Literacy Database

Newfoundland and Labrador is in the midst of an unprecedented energy and resources boom that is straining the province’s ability to keep up. Finding enough workers to complete some $43-billion worth of major projects under way and planned is proving to be a monumental challenge.

Based on the success of its Labourer Teacher (LT) program, which has been operating for over 110 years, Frontier College is partnering with the Federal Government on the "LT Second Century Project." The project addresses employability issues by upgrading the essential skills of low-literate individuals and enables them to become more job-ready and capable of adapting to the unique skills required at a job site.

The Canadian Human Rights Commission welcomes the Government of Canada's move to repeal sections of the Canadian Human Rights Act and Canada Labour Code that permit employers to force employees to retire once they reach a certain age, regardless of their ability to do the job.

How you handle the results of a performance review is far more important than what you received. Absorb, understand and act. Take time to let the results sink in. Pay attention to good feedback, too. Reflect on the information with curiosity and compassion rather than self-judgment.

A curious pattern has emerged through Canada’s recession and rocky recovery: Employment levels have surged among older women. A look behind Canada’s net employment gains shows how unevenly they have been distributed in the labour force. Virtually all the increases through and since the recession have been among workers aged 55 or older, particularly women.

Formalized diversity programs have become a mainstay in many business environments. "The way business looks at diversity is it's not just an employee program. It's about looking at the community as well," says Amy Hanen, associate vice-president of diversity and employee experience analytics at TD Bank Group in Toronto.

"On December 6 we mark the day that 14 women were murdered on their campus 22 years ago simply because they were women," said Roxanne Dubois, national chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students, Canada's largest student organization.

There is an increased prospect of work stoppages in the public sector in 2012, because labour – which has quietly accepted restraint in recent years – is becoming frustrated with ongoing demands for concessions from government employers, according to The Conference Board of Canada’s Industrial Relations Outlook 2012: Going Sideways, With a Twist.

Employment declined in Quebec and Saskatchewan in November, while it increased in Nova Scotia. There was little change in the other provinces.

Unemployment remains stubbornly high, and yet employers complain that they can’t find the people with the skills they need. It’s time for a transformation of the way leaders develop and employ talent, advised Ravin Jesuthasan, managing director of Towers Watson’s talent management practice.