National Adult Literacy Database

We invite you to send us information about events you may be hosting in your community or projects you may be working on to mark the occasion on or around September 8, 2012.

Social finance is an approach to investment or managing money that aims to deliver social and/or environmental benefits. Social finance models are being widely explored as potential new sources of funding to address social/environmental issues. Since these investments must produce both a social and a financial return, proponents assume that social finance approaches are more likely to generate innovative practices and better performance by funding recipients.

An overwhelming majority of Canadians (94 per cent) believe that small businesses play a critical role in the growth of the economy and almost nine-in-10 (88 per cent) view them as vital job creators, according to an RBC/Ipsos Reid survey.

Consulting firm Towers Watson says it has found evidence that employers with a fully engaged workforce tend to have higher profit margins. The firm’s study covered some 32,000 employees, including 1,000 in Canada. It found that about two-thirds of the Canadian employees surveyed weren’t “fully engaged” in their work and felt frustrated by the level of support they receive.

Businesses that successfully hire and retain Aboriginal workers benefit in more ways than just finding qualified employees. Employing Aboriginal workers helps organizations build stronger connections and relationships within their local communities. Businesses become more diverse and inclusive when they tap into the talents of Aboriginal workers, and Aboriginal peoples who are successful in the workplace act as role models for others in their communities.

The Globe and Mail newspaper conducted a survey of student readers, asking whether they thought their summer earnings would cover their expenses for the school year. Of more than 150 respondents, 87 per cent said they had found a summer job, and 13 per cent said they were unemployed.

In June, employment was little changed for the second consecutive month and the unemployment rate edged down 0.1 percentage points to 7.2 per cent, as fewer people searched for work. Compared with 12 months earlier, employment increased 1.0 per cent or 181,000.

The Centre de documentation sur l’éducation des adultes et la condition féminine (CDÉACF), located in Montreal, has won the NALD Innovative Technology Award for its new online repository: Compétencesessentielles.ca - 9 Compétences Essentielles pour apprendre, travailler et vivre.

"CUPE has a proud history of supporting our First Nations, Inuit and Métis members. Our National Aboriginal Council works to increase participation of Aboriginal peoples in our union, and promotes and defends the rights of Aboriginal workers in both our union and in the community." - Paul Moist, national president, and Charles Fleury, national secretary-treasurer

"This boost in the engineering and construction sector renders an undeniable need for experienced and talented professionals to power up the industry," says Mike Winterfield, president of Randstad Professionals. "But as the sector surges, skilled workers will become harder to find."

Following two months of large gains, employment was unchanged in May, and the unemployment rate remained at 7.3 per cent.

This new report, published by AlphaPlus in French, discusses the use of assistive technologies in the workplace and offers an approach to address the needs of francophone adult learners. More specifically, this report on assistive technologies and learner motivation is designed to help improve the instructional design of assistive technologies in order to prepare learners to develop and maintain new skills throughout their lives.

Simply applying for every job you hear about isn't going to get it done. You need to take some time, reflect on what inspires you, talk to people in the field about what they do and then start finding companies that match your desires.

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.

UCN officials say the school will only succeed and serve the community if it develops teaching staff who come from the North and want to build their lives in the North. "We've had (outside) individuals who, for whatever reason, couldn't align themselves with the mission and the mandate," interim UCN president Konrad Jonasson has said.