National Adult Literacy Database

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.

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.

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.

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.

“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.”

Adult learning in Canada and around the world since the Second World War owes a great deal to a handful of Canadians who continue to provide leadership today. Although adult education has been practised in Canada since the early 19th century, it wasn’t until after the war that it developed its own formal field of study.

Four Nova Scotians are being recognized for sharing their stories of how lifelong learning is benefiting them at home and giving them the right skills for good jobs.

Lindsay Kennedy, president and CEO of CLLN, says, “We would like to ask you to join Canadian Literacy and Learning Network in celebrating adult learners during the week of March 24 to April 1, seek out and listen to adult learners across the country, and be part of the force of change that life-long learning can bring to Canada.”

“As the Canadian labour market tightens and the natural resources sectors expand, we have a unique opportunity for an educated, skilled Aboriginal population to become full participants in a robust Canadian economy,” said John Duncan, federal Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, in Calgary recently.

The Learner Supports Conference: Helping the Struggling Learner: What Works and How? will be held April 26-27 in Truro, NS. Registration is open to practitioners including volunteer tutors, instructors, and program coordinators of the community-based learning organizations.

Spring is all about new beginnings and there is no better time of year to refresh your skills and focus on lifelong learning.