National Adult Literacy Database

“The new, enhanced Job Alerts system is being introduced to improve and strengthen the job information made available to Canadians,” said Human Resources and Skills Development Minister Diane Finley. “We are pleased to launch this system in January and begin better helping people find employment opportunities in their area, from a variety of sources.”

B.C.'s Grade 4 students are among the world's top readers at their grade level and had the highest average score in Canada, according to a new international report.

Following little change in October, employment rose by 59,000 in November, the result of an increase in full-time work. The unemployment rate declined 0.2 percentage points to 7.2 per cent.

Over the past few years Canadian Literacy and Learning Network (CLLN) has undergone a number of changes. One of the most recent changes has been the transition from a representational board to a skills-based board. CLLN is currently seeking applicants for one of 10 board positions.

The purpose of the State of the Literacy and Essential Skills Field report is to provide an overview of Literacy and Essential Skills across Canada from the unique perspective of CLLN and its national network partners, the provincial and territorial literacy coalitions. This is the first national environmental scan to be conducted by CLLN and as such it will inform the direction of future scans and will be the basis of further work to show how the Literacy and Essential Skills field is responding to trends.

In his new free workshop for 2013, Tom Sticht reviews extensive data on intergenerational inequalities in education and economics. He also presents data from many studies to suggest that greater investments in the education of undereducated youth and adults, many of whom are parents or will become parents, can help break the multiple life cycles of inequalities in education and economic achievement.

For the second year in a row, Decoda Literacy Solutions staff spent the fall travelling to eight regions around British Columbia for two-day training, networking and idea-sharing events.

CSTD programming focuses primarily on those areas that are specific to training and development. While general management and leadership topics are always included in their programs, priority is given to the five core competency areas for the profession.

The Centre for Excellence in Foundational Learning at Bow Valley College is looking for experienced adult education practitioners to serve on an advisory committee for an innovative adult writing assessment project titled Write Forward. Members will assist in reviews of project design and development through all stages, and assist with networking and promotion of the project across Canada.

An extension of an agreement between the B.C. government and the Central Interior Logging Association (CILA) will allow 30 more students to train as log and chip truck drivers or heavy-equipment operators under the Forest Industry Readiness Skills Training (FIRST) program and place them in permanent positions within the sector.

Over 100 eminent academics have signed a letter to Aboriginal and Northern Affairs Minister John Duncan demanding that core funding for Aboriginal organizations be restored to protect vital research projects underway. The signatories highlight that researchers partner with tribal councils, the National Aboriginal Health Organization, and other Aboriginal representative organizations to address "health, education and infrastructure issues that are preventing Canadian First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities from reaching their full potential."

ABC Life Literacy Canada would like to help employers build a better skilled, more resilient and effective workforce. If you are the company owner, general manager or HR manager, the organization would appreciate your completing this survey.

“Margaret cultivated and maintained strategic partnerships and kept literacy front and centre. She has been an influential advocate and has shown great passion for the literacy cause,” said Jim Warrington, Vice-Chair of the ABC Board, and Executive Director of the National Advertising Benevolent Society (NABS).

Raising the Roof has released the first report to explore the issue of unemployment among homeless youth in Canada. The report focuses on understanding how to motivate and support Canadian business to provide employment and skills training opportunities to disadvantaged youth or, essentially, to "take a chance" on these young people.

The eMentoring program is geared to aboriginal youth in grades 6 through 12. Those who participate get matched with a UBC health-sciences student (who could be studying anything from nursing to physical therapy), and from there they connect via an online platform that allows for safe, secure discussions and semi-structured activities.