National Adult Literacy Database

Volunteers in the John Howard Society’s literacy program provide one-on-one tutoring to inmates at the Winnipeg Remand Centre. The program aims not only to improve inmates’ reading, writing and grammar skills but also to help educate them on topics of interest including parenting, victim awareness and substance use.

The Government of Canada is taking action to address skills shortages so Canadians can train for jobs in a changing economy. There are significant shortages in many key industries including healthcare, IT and skilled trades, but as more industries take part in this new information-sharing strategy the list of employers seeking skilled workers will continue to grow.

The unemployment rate was unchanged at 7.4 per cent as the number of people participating in the labour market increased. Over the past 12 months, employment has grown by 238,000 (+1.4%).

The Centre for Skills Development & Training, through funding from HRSDC’s Office of Literacy and Essential Skills and in partnership with the Halton Industry Education Council, has developed educational video games targeted at young adults aged 15-30 to help enhance their employability.

The WESCan (Workforce Essential Skills across Canada) project used the CAMERA System as its foundation, combined with knowledge gained through years of research and analysis on effective ways to transition low-skilled adults to work.

Chief financial officers who put most of their energy into number crunching are missing tremendous opportunities to contribute leadership and vision to their companies, according to a new study of Canadian CFOs.

Frontier College is getting ready for a busy summer of helping children in Aboriginal communities across Canada improve their reading skills. Staff in over 60 camps will work to keep youngsters motivated and improve their literacy skills by preventing reading loss that often occurs over the summer months.

Despite the importance of landing a dream job, only 42 per cent of immigrants indicated they sought out information about career options in Canada before deciding to move.

Ontario is investing more than $2.2 million over three years in the Life After High School program. This includes paying for participants' university or college application fee.

Megan Wisser changed her career path and enrolled as a steamfitter/pipefitter, an occupation that few women traditionally take on. "There are not many females in the trades - a few," she says.

Learn@Work Week is an annual celebration of learning in the workplace. Hosted by the Canadian Society for Training and Development (CSTD), the week is an opportunity for businesses, governments and not-for-profit organizations to share their learning initiatives with their employees and the public.

According to a CROP survey conducted in May for the Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines agréés, more than half the workers in Quebec don’t have enough vacation time to recharge their batteries and this trend is on the rise.

TD Bank Group has announced a multi-year, $3.7-million renewed investment to the program to help Library and Archives Canada, Toronto Public Library and CNIB run the TD Summer Reading Club through to 2014.

When it comes to mental health issues in Canadian workplaces, misinformation, fear and prejudice remain far too prevalent, according to a Conference Board of Canada study released at the Workplace Mental Health 2011 conference in Toronto.

Summer slide, the brain-drain that occurs during the holiday months when young people are out of class, can be a problem, especially for those who struggle in school.