Posted: April 12, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
The overlap between work and private time in Canada is substantial, according to a new report. A total of 46 per cent handle private matters during working hours, 51 per cent handle work-related matters in private time, and 44 per cent receive work-related calls or e-mails when on holiday.
Based on the theme 'I'm still learning,' IALW was celebrated across the country from March 24 to April 1, 2012. Activities marking the event included la Grande Lecture, tribute evenings, writing contests and various performances. The Council of Ministers of Education, Canada also lent its support to the event.
Posted: April 11, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
The new Employment Program of BC will provide unemployed British Columbians with the supports and services they need to do just that - get back to work and be self-sufficient.
Posted: April 11, 2012 |

Category: Learning
The Saskatchewan Aboriginal Literacy Network hosts its annual Literacy Gathering and Awards Gala in Regina on May 24 and 25. This year's Gala features entertainment by Tom Jackson.
Posted: April 11, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
The current federal skilled worker program's emphasis on academic qualifications traditionally has favoured professionals, meaning tradespeople have made up only a small percentage of those entering Canada. A new, separate stream for tradespeople will place greater emphasis on practical training and work experience rather than formal education.
Posted: April 11, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
The Further Education Society of Alberta (FESA) is excited to announce that its newest curricula Aboriginal Workplace Learning Circles (AWLC) and Workplace Learning Circles (WLC) are now available.
Posted: April 10, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
Structural shifts in the labour market mean “workers in declining industries may not have the skills or experience to match immediately the needs of employers in expanding industries,” Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney said in a speech recently.
Posted: April 5, 2012 |

Category: Learning
The Yukon Literacy Coalition is receiving $200,000 so it can continue operating the Family Literacy Centre for another year, Education Minister Scott Kent has announced. The funding will allow the coalition to continue running the centre while a business plan to secure long-term funding from multiple partners is developed.
Posted: April 5, 2012 |

Category: Learning
Nova Scotians interested in improving their understanding and use of the Gaelic language will be able to further their study thanks to a new bursary program funded by the government of Scotland and administered by Gaelic Affairs.
Posted: April 5, 2012 |

Category: Learning
This dictionary is a full-colour, 369-page resource documenting thousands of Chipewyan words, phrases and sentences, arranged both alphabetically and topically. It also includes a searchable CD with MP3 files linked to each word and phrase. Users can see the language and hear it as spoken by a fluent speaker.
Posted: April 5, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
Following four months of little change, employment increased by 82,000 in March, mostly in full-time work. This brought the unemployment rate down 0.2 percentage points to 7.2 per cent.
Posted: April 5, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
With an original target of helping 148 people gain employment, the ASEP grant applied to mine training association activities in the Thompson Okanagan and Nechako regions of British Columbia. The development of additional partnerships with industry associations, educational institutions, individual companies and First Nations has widened the scope of the programs.
Posted: April 5, 2012 |

Categories: Essential skills, Learning
The award recognizes outstanding achievement in developing and implementing a technology initiative that contributes to the advancement of adult literacy and essential skills. Specifically, the product, project or service should promote, support and/or facilitate knowledge exchange within the adult literacy community.
Posted: April 5, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
Stephen Shapiro in his book 'Best Practices Are Stupid: 40 Ways to Out-Innovate the Competition' says asking for ideas tends to create more time-consuming clutter than strategies to move the business forward.
Posted: April 5, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
One reality of new economies and changing job markets is the move for many toward a flexible work environment. Many workers are getting used to a two-city existence and regular commuting.
Posted: April 4, 2012 |

Categories: Essential skills, Learning
The report examines the number of NALD Library documents, in both English and French, which are viewed and downloaded by visitors to the websites NALD and BDAA.
Posted: April 4, 2012 |

Category: Learning
The world premiere of "The Hockey Sweater" musical will be hosted by famed Montreal Canadiens goaltender Ken Dryden and narrated by the original author himself, Roch Carrier. Mr. Carrier is the honorary chairperson of NALD.
Posted: April 4, 2012 |

Category: Learning
Canadian magazine readers remain loyal to the print versions of their favorite titles, with fewer than one in 10 newsstand customers - and one in 20 women readers - having purchased an e-edition in the past year, according to a national survey. The online survey carried out in January identified women readers and residents of Quebec as having the strongest preference for print format magazines.
Posted: April 3, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
The Essential Skills in the Gaming Industry website contains a wealth of information about the industry itself and responsible gaming. It also features a new series of documents to assist individuals with their skill levels beyond the core competencies required for employment positions. The series is also available in the NALD library.
Categories: Essential skills, Learning
New Brunswick supports the ongoing efforts of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO to promote International Adult Learners' Week and also Canada's commitment to promoting education and adult literacy for sustainable development.
Posted: April 3, 2012 |

Category: Learning
This literacy and essential skills training project will place Frontier College's labourer-teachers in businesses across Canada, focusing on high-needs sectors, with particular attention to Aboriginal and new immigrant workers. The labourer-teachers will provide one-to-one tutoring, mentoring and other educational support in the workplace.
Four Inuvik residents were honoured at a Community Feast during the PGI (Peter Gzowski Invitational) for Literacy in Inuvik recently.
Posted: April 2, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
The Office of Literacy and Essential Skills (OLES) at HRSDC is a centre of expertise with a workplace focus, building awareness and capacity in what works in order to improve the literacy and essential skills of adult Canadians.
Posted: March 30, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
Even for those who are not out of work, learning new skills or brushing up old ones is always beneficial. Several experts said classes that offer certifications are particularly helpful.
Posted: March 30, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
“Small and medium-sized product manufacturers risk leaving value behind by not including services, especially to their large corporate clients, in their commercial offerings,” said Michael Bloom, vice-president, Organizational Effectiveness and Learning, at The Conference Board of Canada.
Category: Essential skills
Seven short videos from the former Adult Learning Knowledge Centre website illustrate the power of adult learning. Each provides a story on how adult learning has positively affected communities, individual learners and professional/community-based organizations.
The first step is often the hardest, but once someone takes that step, they never look back. Just ask Tammy, an adult learner in Edmonton. “It just takes one little step - a phone call to a library or literacy centre. And then they’ll help you through it. It’s all worth it.”
Posted: March 30, 2012 |

Category: Learning
The new executive director of AlphaPlus is enthusiastic about the integration of technology in the information management process, and is looking forward to applying his extensive experience and skills to AlphaPlus and the adult literacy sector.
“Ministers of education recognize that Canada works best when all citizens have the knowledge and skills they need to succeed,” said Ramona Jennex, Minister of Education for Nova Scotia and current Chair of CMEC. “This means there can be no one left behind: young people, adult workers, Aboriginal Canadians, new immigrants, and those with differing abilities. All must have access to quality educational opportunities to ensure their success.”
“We cannot hope to have a skilled workforce and a strong economy when 43 per cent of the population does not have basic literacy and essential skills,” said Lindsay Kennedy, president and CEO of CLLN. “Skills development is a vital part of Canada’s economic strength and a national literacy and essential skills strategy must be the foundation for a productive workforce.”