National Adult Literacy Database

With funding from the Office of Literacy and Essential Skills, CLLN is conducting a labour market study of literacy and essential skills (L/ES) workers. CLLN seeks to consolidate what is known about the L/ES workforce and determine the value of, and whether there is a need for, occupational standards and/or credentials.

"This modern approach allows our programs to be more responsive to the needs of industry and the labour market," said New Brunswick Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister Martine Coulombe. "We are shifting some authority to industry – where it makes sense to do so – while continuing to maintain government oversight.”

Aboriginal students continue to make remarkable gains in the Sooke school district of British Columbia, where they have posted one of the highest graduation rates in the province.

For all the emphasis on email, teleconferences, Skype and social media, it turns out that face-to-face communication still tops them all.

Through a new province-wide campaign, Ontario university researchers are going from their campuses into other communities to talk about the ideas, issues and stories emerging from their research that affect everyday life in countless ways.

The Saskatchewan Literacy Awards of Merit acknowledge the outstanding contributions by Saskatchewan citizens, organizations and businesses for the advancement and development of literacy and essential skills in the province.

Do you know a youth, educator or organization in your community that excels in promoting literacy and helping others improve their literacy levels in any of the NWT's official languages? Awards are available in four categories including youth learner, educator, organization and adult learner.

The focus of the 2012 Recognizing Learning conference will be on employer engagement and how the recognition of prior learning (RPL) can be used strategically to establish a stronger match between job requirements and the knowledge, skills and abilities of the job seeker.

Clear Language and Design is a way of writing and laying out documents that puts the reader first. The concept considers all elements of a document from word choice and punctuation to the physical size of the words on the page.

"This year's Pulse of Talent reveals that Canadians have a rather high level of employee satisfaction, which is ultimately a reflection on the talent management practices of Canadian companies," says John Cardella of Ceridian Canada. "However, when it comes to motivating individuals to perform, employers need to do a better job of defining career paths and acknowledging good work."

According to the new Labour Force Survey from Statistics Canada, employment increased by 58,000 in April, mostly in full-time work. This was the second consecutive month of notable gains after four months of little change. With more people searching for work, the unemployment rate increased by 0.1 percentage points to 7.3 per cent.

Canada accepts roughly 250,000 immigrants each year. But for newcomers, resettling can be daunting. You might be told your previous work experience no longer counts. Or you might lack the personal connections to find the best opportunities.

When a workplace issue is annoying you, try to find a path toward making it better. Don't just grab a co-worker and say, "You won't believe this!" And managers, don't write off employee gripes as meaningless. Step out of your offices and figure out what's causing the problems.

During Mental Health Week May 7 to 13, the Mental Illness Foundation has invited Quebec organizations to assess both the risk and protective factors that have a significant impact on their employees' mental health.

The initial plan three years ago was to recruit 50 employers for a program that has immigrants meet over coffee with professionals so they can ask questions and come away with the names of three other people they can speak with. Twice that number answered the call, and now 360 well-connected volunteers take part.