Posted: May 21, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
The Dr. Alan Middleton Workplace Literacy and Learning Award recognizes an individual for their outstanding achievement in increasing workplace literacy and essential skills in their community.
Posted: May 21, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
There will come a day when paper cheques are no longer used in Canada – although it’s some way off. New imaging technology is changing the way we bank and how we monitor our personal finances – whether it’s on your smartphone, at the ATM or in the bank branch.
Posted: May 16, 2012 |

Categories: Essential skills, Learning
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.
Posted: May 15, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
The income eligibility thresholds for part-time student loans and grants have been increased so more Canadians can pursue post-secondary education while working.
Posted: May 15, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
"This modern approach allows our programs to be more responsive to the needs of industry and the labour market," said New Brunswick Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister Martine Coulombe. "We are shifting some authority to industry – where it makes sense to do so – while continuing to maintain government oversight.”
Posted: May 15, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
UCN officials say the school will only succeed and serve the community if it develops teaching staff who come from the North and want to build their lives in the North. "We've had (outside) individuals who, for whatever reason, couldn't align themselves with the mission and the mandate," interim UCN president Konrad Jonasson has said.
Posted: May 15, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
“Compassion is hard if you don’t have humility,” says psychologist Jordan LaBouff of the University of Maine. What’s more, he says, humble people tend to make better employees and bosses. But because the typical American workplace tends to reward self-promotion over humility, such modest types may have a tough time making it to the top.
Posted: May 15, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
For all the emphasis on email, teleconferences, Skype and social media, it turns out that face-to-face communication still tops them all.
Posted: May 11, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
Smartforce NL is a joint project of the Department of Advanced Education and Skills, the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Technology Industries and Bluedrop Performance Learning that provides access to online professional development e-learning for residents of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Posted: May 11, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
Despite some good news about job creation in Canada last month, CAW President Ken Lewenza says he remains concerned that younger workers are not benefiting and he renewed his call for a national jobs strategy.
Posted: May 11, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
"This year's Pulse of Talent reveals that Canadians have a rather high level of employee satisfaction, which is ultimately a reflection on the talent management practices of Canadian companies," says John Cardella of Ceridian Canada. "However, when it comes to motivating individuals to perform, employers need to do a better job of defining career paths and acknowledging good work."
Posted: May 11, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
According to the new Labour Force Survey from Statistics Canada, employment increased by 58,000 in April, mostly in full-time work. This was the second consecutive month of notable gains after four months of little change. With more people searching for work, the unemployment rate increased by 0.1 percentage points to 7.3 per cent.
Posted: May 11, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
April's 58,200-jobs gain shows demand is picking up on the goods side of the economy as the construction, manufacturing, natural resources and agriculture industries add to the headcount.
Posted: May 11, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
Canada accepts roughly 250,000 immigrants each year. But for newcomers, resettling can be daunting. You might be told your previous work experience no longer counts. Or you might lack the personal connections to find the best opportunities.
Posted: May 10, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
Take Your Child to Work Day has come and gone, but some teens are going beyond a daylong glimpse into the working world. Members of the iGeneration, born after 1990, are landing their first jobs, and bringing their obsession with online connectivity and multitasking into the workplace.
Posted: May 10, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
A study released last year by the market research firm uSamp found that 45 per cent of workers make it only 15 minutes before being interrupted, and more than half say they waste at least an hour a day on distractions.
Posted: May 10, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
During Mental Health Week May 7 to 13, the Mental Illness Foundation has invited Quebec organizations to assess both the risk and protective factors that have a significant impact on their employees' mental health.
Posted: May 10, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
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.
Posted: May 9, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
The initial plan three years ago was to recruit 50 employers for a program that has immigrants meet over coffee with professionals so they can ask questions and come away with the names of three other people they can speak with. Twice that number answered the call, and now 360 well-connected volunteers take part.
Posted: May 8, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
Nearly 80 per cent of Canadian business leaders say they have a hard time finding qualified employees, with nearly half attributing the problem to low literacy and essential communication skills levels among workers.
Posted: May 3, 2012 |

Categories: Essential skills, Learning
The report examines the number of NALD Library documents, in both English and French, which are viewed and downloaded by visitors to the websites NALD and BDAA.
Posted: May 3, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
Beyond retention and recruiting, supporting ongoing learning can help businesses develop a more skilled workforce. Not only does continuing education enhance a professional's expertise and skill set in their field, but it allows them to stay on top of current industry trends and present new solutions to business challenges within their organizations.
Posted: May 3, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
A senior psychology lecturer at England’s University of Central Lancashire says that workplace boredom is “the new stress,” a problem that is second only to anger in terms of common hidden workplace emotions.
Posted: May 2, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
In every part of the country there is a story waiting to be told about how Canadians can benefit from employment programs and initiatives. These success stories are about Canadians who are making better choices to lead productive and rewarding lives in their family life, at work and in their communities.
Posted: May 2, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
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.
Posted: May 2, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
In its global survey of HR managers, the group found that nine out of 10 human resource managers said employee engagement is a top staffing challenge. But only four in 10 companies track it. And just 15 per cent measure the return on investment for their employee recognition programs.
Posted: May 2, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
When it comes to employers limiting access to the Internet at work, Randstad Canada says employers should rethink their assumptions. "The use of email and the Internet has become an integral part of today's workplace. They offer a great deal of benefits to corporations, such as improved communication among employees, improved customer support and research capabilities."
Posted: May 1, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
"Why is having pride so important in the skilled trades? Because it pushes people to do better — and these are definitely industries where you want people to do their best. People who are proud of their work will put in the extra hours to learn a new technique. They’ll talk to colleagues about what works and what doesn’t." — Mike Holmes
Posted: May 1, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
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.
Posted: May 1, 2012 |

Category: Essential skills
Union Gas has presented $80,000 to Skills Canada - Ontario to fund a program that encourages thousands of Aboriginal youth to pursue career opportunities in the skilled trades and technology sectors.