National Adult Literacy Database

ABC Life Literacy Canada has announced the 2012 Life Literacy Award winners in recognition of outstanding achievement in adult literacy and essential skills. Awards were presented in the categories of community literacy, workplace education, journalism and corporate excellence.

Organizations that focus on developing healthy workplaces enjoy tangible benefits. These take the form of increased productivity, higher staff engagement, lower absenteeism, lower benefits claims costs, lower turnover, and greater resilience. Returns on healthy workplace investments reported by large private-sector organizations can range from $1.81 to $6.15 for every $1 invested.

This research study explores the effects of the Temporary Foreign Workers' Program with respect to skilled trades workers. The case study addresses issues of credential acquisition, education and training, and language difficulties.

ABC Life Literacy Canada is delighted to announce the 2012 Life Literacy Award winners in recognition of outstanding achievement in adult literacy and essential skills through community literacy, workplace education, journalism and corporate excellence.

Business leaders recognize that investment in people has a direct impact on the bottom line. Raising awareness of this relationship is the goal of Learn@Work Week, an initiative of the Canadian Society for Training and Development (CSTD). This year, CSTD recognizes 16 senior business leaders who understand this relationship and are active advocates of learning in the workplace.

"With the UN’s End-Of-Decade Assessment, we expect to have a clearer understanding of the literacy needs around the world, and therefore the ability to target them more effectively. Though the UN will move on to new prerogatives, the emerging post-Decade Literacy Vision and Action Plan suggests that this is not the end, but rather the start of a more capable response from the literacy community."

"Literacy, if we need to be reminded, is the great enabler that allows individuals to unlock their potential. It’s the basic skill set on which most other capabilities are built. As we celebrate International Literacy Day (proclaimed by UNESCO in 1965) this Saturday, we should also remember that literacy is a fundamental human right."

A new publication in the NALD Library could serve as a wakeup call for Canadians interested in or concerned about the future of the workforce. A follow-up to People without Jobs, Jobs without People (2010), Dr. Rick Miner’s latest work is entitled Jobs of the Future: Options and Opportunities (2012).

“The new Sectoral Initiatives Program will gather critical labour market information and make it available through the Working in Canada online portal, helping to ensure Canadians are more aware of the skills that are needed for the jobs that are in demand.” – Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development

Grass Roots Press has an international reputation for publishing high-quality resources for adult basic education and English as a Second Language communities. The company carries over 500 books, DVDs, and software packages and it publishes assessment tools, workbooks, photo stories, biographies, and literature -- publications that enhance adults' literacy skills.

"Over 40 per cent of Albertans do not have the literacy skills to fully participate in life, at work, at home, and in their community. This needs to be addressed, and with the wealth of economic, physical, and human resources in the province, indeed it should. If Alberta cannot take the lead, then who?" -- Literacy Alberta

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.

The Edmonton Literacy Coalition, which was formed a year ago by different organizations that advocate literacy, aims to erase the stigma surrounding adults who struggle with reading. The campaign illustrates how low literacy levels can affect everyday life.

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.

One organization that has been promoting literacy and learning among its members, for over a decade, is the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). CUPE released a new video earlier this year titled ‘Why is CUPE involved with literacy work?’