National Adult Literacy Database

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.

“The discussions around education at the APEC meeting will help Alberta and Canada to learn from others and reflect on how we can better support the success of our students, the quality of our teachers and the delivery of education from a global perspective.” - Alberta Education Minister Jeff Johnson

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.

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

Quebec's Literacy Unlimited has been providing literacy services for over 30 years in a territory extending from Verdun, Quebec, to the Ontario border, with an emphasis on Montreal’s West Island.

First day in a new job? Randstad Canada, a leader in staffing, recruitment and HR services, says this is the prime opportunity to brand yourself; to showcase your talents and social skills in order to increase the potential of standing out in a crowded workforce.

This quandary is frequently experienced by extremely conscientious people. Work tends to flow towards those who are most reliable, so by consistently demonstrating competence, you have turned into a task magnet. This trend can be hard to reverse.

On the occasion of International Workers' Day, also known as May Day, the Montreal Economic Institute's Yanick Labrie shines a light on five reasons why income inequality is less worrisome than it appears to be.

CUPE has been active in literacy work for over a decade. A right for all, literacy helps workers succeed on the job and in life, and it can be a critical foundation for further training and education.

Survey respondents do not seem to feel the impact of the labour shortage as severely as in the preceding quarter or during the same period in 2011. They plan to step up recruitment efforts by +43.0%, which amounts to a decline of 16.6% compared to the first quarter of 2012 and 13.1% to last year. With the summer just ahead, these figures can be explained by a greater availability of labour.

Having two careers at once is an ambitious proposition and yet not that unusual these days. For some people, a second career may be about creating an additional income stream. For others, it’s about a passion.

While humour can be used to great effect in the workplace, be cautious about flexing your funny bone during the application process. It's okay to show some personality in your resume and cover letter, but don't go overboard. Attempts at humour don't always translate on paper.

This issue features occupational task profiles, a course review, OLES tools and information about the CLLN online forum for adult educators.

Want to keep employees satisfied in their jobs without one foot out the door? Give them a little credit, a new OfficeTeam survey suggests. More than half of workers interviewed said they would be somewhat or very likely to leave their current position if they didn't feel appreciated by their manager.

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.