National Adult Literacy Database

Canada's system of education and skills remains one of the best in the world, but it needs to do much better at matching what Canadians learn to evolving labour market needs. Canada ranks second only to Finland among 16 developed countries in The Conference Board of Canada's Education and Skills report card.

A successful Crown internship program that has helped to find permanent jobs for hundreds of post-secondary graduates in Saskatchewan has been renewed for another five-year term. Operated by the Crown Investments Corporation, Gradworks will receive up to $2.3 million for a five-year extension to run until December of 2019.

Saskatoon Catholic School Board Superintendent Gordon Martell has won a prestigious national award for his tireless efforts to improve First Nations education. Martell said he has fought throughout his career to "revision" how native students are educated, and to develop culturally relevant programs that teach students the history of their people.

Employment rose by 51,000 in February, following a slight decline the previous month. This increase was spread between full- and part-time work. The unemployment rate remained at 7.0% as more people participated in the labour force.

Nearly one quarter of farm operators in Saskatchewan are women. Rural Women’s Month is time to recognize these women and the valuable contributions they make in their communities and on their farms.

Pat Salt, a learning support strategist based in Calgary, has a new approach to learning that constitutes a major shift in thinking when it comes to essential skills. She presented her views at Made in the North, a unique pan-territorial forum for exploring effective approaches to adult literacy and skills development.

Tens of thousands of truck drivers are approaching retirement age, but very few young people and immigrants are entering the industry. A new Conference Board of Canada report concludes that the gap between the supply of drivers and the demand for them - estimated at 25,000 by 2020 - could be costly to the Canadian economy.

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.

This series will feature experts discussing the community impact of family literacy development, the latest research in the field of family literacy, and cultural competency.

Following two months of gains, employment in Canada decreased slightly in January (-22,000). A decline in the number of people looking for work pushed the unemployment rate down 0.1 percentage points to 7.0%.

Education Minister Russ Marchuk joined representatives from the North Central Family Centre to announce funding through the SaskSmart Innovations Fund (SSIF). In total, $482,469 has been allocated to seven different community partnerships to provide literacy services.

Effective February 12, 2013, the Government of Canada's Aboriginal Canada Portal will be closed. The portal was developed in 2001, when it was more difficult to find Aboriginal resources and services on the Internet.

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.

"Hiring in Canada is expected to outpace last year as employers focus on growing their businesses and meeting greater market demand," said Brent Rasmussen, President of CareerBuilder North America. "While employers remain watchful over factors impacting the global economy, we see more job opportunities opening up in everything from health care and information technology to trucking and manufacturing."

This year's Family Literacy Day celebration (January 27) came just weeks after very encouraging news about literacy and families in Canada. Results from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study show that Canadian parents have one of the highest levels of involvement in literacy-related activities with their preschool-age children. "The results ... confirm that Canadian parents are doing an excellent job in fostering a culture of literacy in the home," said Ramona Jennex, Chair of CMEC and Nova Scotia's Minister of Education.