National Adult Literacy Database

If you're aware of an exemplary or innovative technology product, project or service that benefits the field of adult literacy and essential skills in Canada, the National Adult Literacy Database (NALD) would like to hear about it.

Look at any community college application list, and more often than not, you’ll find a sizable contingent of university graduates. The thought that a university degree is the ticket to instant career success is creating a backlash in Canada.

As part of its ongoing skills initiative, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce has unveiled the findings of its Symposium on Skills and Small Business held in November. From the outset of the project, it has been clear Canada must upgrade the skills of its domestic workforce, including the essential skills that are critical for improved training outcomes and productivity growth.

The Prime Minister's Volunteer Awards were created for two main reasons: to recognize exceptional contributions that individual volunteers, not-for-profit organizations and local businesses make to improve the well-being of families and their communities; and to highlight the best practices in community leadership that these outstanding volunteers have developed.

Insights is an electronic newsletter that highlights important LES research findings for Canada. This issue focuses on employer supports and strategies for workplace LES training. It also includes information about the PIAAC survey for which data will be available in 2013.

The National Adult Literacy Database (NALD) is beginning a new year with an updated Vision, Mission and Values/Guiding Principles. NALD staff, under the direction of CEO Bill Stirling, started the renewal process with the NALD Board of Directors, including the CEO, adding the finishing touches and formalizing the new guidelines and the NALD Value Proposition at a recent board meeting.

The purpose of the State of the Literacy and Essential Skills Field report is to provide an overview of Literacy and Essential Skills across Canada from the unique perspective of CLLN and its national network partners, the provincial and territorial literacy coalitions. This is the first national environmental scan to be conducted by CLLN and as such it will inform the direction of future scans and will be the basis of further work to show how the Literacy and Essential Skills field is responding to trends.

The Saskatchewan Literacy Network has prepared this report to provide the context for literacy and essential skills activities in the province and to gain a more strategic understanding of existing and emerging skill shortages and their impact on literacy and essential skills.

ABC Life Literacy Canada would like to help employers build a better skilled, more resilient and effective workforce. If you are the company owner, general manager or HR manager, the organization would appreciate your completing this survey.

More than 250,000 Grade 9 students from Newfoundland to Nunavut are participating in The Learning Partnership's Take Our Kids to Work™ day. Hosted by a parent, relative or family friend, these young people are spending the day in the workplace getting an inside look at the world of work and exploring future career options.

TD Bank Group and its employees recognize November as Financial Literacy Month in hopes of raising awareness and helping Canadians to improve their knowledge, skills and confidence when it comes to finances.

According to the latest research by Ipsos-Reid on financial literacy released by Junior Achievement November 1, 93 per cent of Canadians believe it's important for volunteers to teach children the importance of budgeting their money.

It's not ghosts or goblins or even public speeches that scare workers the most this Halloween. In an Accountemps survey, nearly three in 10 (29 per cent) respondents said making a mistake on the job is their biggest workplace fear.

The Homelessness Partnering Secretariat and the Office of Literacy and Essential Skills have worked together to develop a guide which highlights easy-to-use literacy and essential skills tools available through HRSDC. Learn about the new guide during a teleforum on October 25 beginning at 11:30 a.m. Eastern time.

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.