National Adult Literacy Database

For post-secondary graduates receiving degrees and diplomas in the weeks ahead, excitement about completing their programs may be tempered by the grim job landscape for young people. Here are five ways job-seeking graduates can distinguish themselves in a competitive market.

The Saskatchewan Employment Act (Bill 85) has passed third and final reading in the Legislative Assembly. The Act consolidates 12 pieces of labour legislation into one updated and comprehensive Act that protects workers, promotes growth and increases accountability.

Through a new Lighthouses Program Partnership program in Nova Scotia, about 20 girls will participate in job training and other activities, which will help create friendships and build positive support networks. Some of the girls are helping to develop activities to meet the needs of the group.

The legislation introduced in Manitoba would regulate all education providers that intend to recruit and enrol international students, enhancing the province's reputation as a destination of choice for study by students from around the world, Advanced Education and Literacy Minister Erin Selby has announced.

"The dictionary definition says Literacy means to be able to read, write and comprehend. But to me it means much more. It means the confidence to express my thoughts, feelings and ideas and to socialize with people." - Story from Frontier College

Please take a few minutes to fill out this short feedback survey regarding ABC Life Literacy Canada's and Natrel Baboo's joint project: Family Literacy Resources for New Parents. The survey must be completed before 5:00 p.m. ET on Friday, May 24, 2013, for your chance to win a Family Literacy Day prize pack.

"Employees are ... expected to perform their jobs during working notice periods. After all, that is what they are being paid for. While employers must provide them with time off to attend any job interviews, the standards expected of these workers are usually the same as before notification of dismissal." - Daniel A. Lublin

Following a decline the previous month, employment was little changed in April and the unemployment rate remained at 7.2%. Compared with 12 months earlier, employment increased 0.9% or 163,000, all in full-time work. The total number of hours worked rose by 1.5% over the same period.

Technology is one of the most effective ways to bring people together at work, but it may also be causing a digital divide, a new Robert Half Technology survey of chief information officers (CIOs) suggests. Fifty-two per cent of CIOs said higher use of mobile gadgets such as cellphones and tablets have led to more breaches in workplace etiquette over the last three years. That's up from 42 per cent who said the same thing in a similar survey three years ago.

A new Conference Board of Canada report finds that a gap in opportunities between women and men emerges early in their respective careers - at the first level of management. Compared to men, women are less likely to feel they can obtain line management responsibilities, creating an experience gap at the earliest stages of their management careers.

Each year Newfoundland and Labrador Laubach Literacy Council acknowledges the achievements of its students through the Student of the Year award. Aggie Snook of Stephenville has been selected to receive the NLLLC Student of the Year Achievement Award for 2012. As well, the Susie Day Volunteer of the Year Award was created to recognize those who demonstrate outstanding service through participation in and leadership of Laubach programs. This year’s recipient is Maureen Kennedy.

Declining industry and a departing population have some Bathurst, N.B., residents fearing their city has a dim future. Spanish mining giant Xstrata Zinc officially closed the Brunswick Mine just south of Bathurst last week. The mine was northern New Brunswick's largest private sector employer. The unemployment rate for the region is over 20 per cent.

Canadian project management and industrial recruitment agencies have been sourcing trade workers from the United States and around the world for many years. An Alberta based recruitment agency has come up with a long term solution that will put Canadian workers first and have future Alberta construction projects less dependent on temporary foreign workers to complete the mega oil sands projects.

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.