National Adult Literacy Database

The Ottawa Community Coalition for Literacy (OCCL) supports, promotes and strengthens adult literacy services in Ottawa through communication, research and public education. It has also challenged you to plan an activity to celebrate Family Literacy Day within your organization.

Shantael Sleight, literacy outreach co-ordinator for the West Shore Literacy Project, said Family Literacy Day is all part of an effort to demonstrate the chances for literacy and learning all around us. Sleight said we all engage our minds and exercise our literacy skills when we do things such as learn the words to a song, measure various amounts for a recipe, or even read roadside signs.

During the month of December 2012, the Newfoundland and Labrador Laubach Literacy Council Inc. launched a provincial fundraising campaign called the Change Your Luck with Literacy 2013 Ticket Lottery for a grand prize draw of $10,000. The draw will take place on Friday, September 13, 2013, on CFCB radio.

Tell us how learning has made a difference in your life. Please email your titled entry (written or video) to Literacy Nova Scotia at cindy.stevens@nscc.ca. A written entry should be up to 500 words in the form of an essay, poem or short story. A video is one to two minutes, posted to You Tube (email the link). One entry per person is allowed and no group submissions will be accepted.

Help inform and shape thinking around policy, practice and research as we prepare for PIAAC. The Institute will examine and compare the learning from IALS and ALL across Canada and other countries, and explore how we can make the most effective use of the soon-to-be released PIAAC results. We will look at the new segments – problem-solving in technology-rich environments and the reading components – and at the implications of changes in levels and cut-off.

Think of the information interview as an exploratory conversation, not a formal interview. During the interview be calm, curious and attentive. Ask the officials about their position and what they are proudest of with respect to their division and the company. Find out what the company needs help with.

The Conference Board of Canada in partnership with the Government of Ontario's EnAbling Change program has released a new free resource to help employers make their workplaces more inclusive. 'Employers' Toolkit: Making Ontario Workplaces Accessible to People With Disabilities' is intended to help employers understand and implement the Employment Standard related to the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.

Michael Geist holds the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law at the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law. He recently wrote an article on what Canadians can expect from the new copyright law.

Global unemployment grew by another 4 million people over the course of last year amid weaker economic activity and lingering uncertainty about hiring, the International Labour Organization said in its annual study of global employment trends.

The Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick, a provincial, non-profit literacy and essential skills organization, is looking for a full-time Director of Communications and Events. Candidates should have a passion for literacy and the non-profit sector.

The New Readers Bookstore is a social enterprise of Frontier College. It has a wide variety of resources for tutors, trainers, teachers and learners. Its book list contains affordable literacy, ESL, GED and other titles of interest to the field. Check out the new catalogue for 2013.

The Quebec English Literacy Alliance (QELA) and two key partners, the Literacy Volunteers of Quebec and the Quebec Literacy Working Group, invite all Quebecers to celebrate Family Literacy Day on Sunday, January 27, by reading and engaging in literacy-related activities.

Nova Scotia wants to hear more from employers and industry on what they can do to ensure apprentices are ready for good jobs in the province. An advisory panel will gather information about increasing the number of employers and graduates in the apprenticeship program.

“Our Government is committed to working with our partners to remove barriers and help Canadians with disabilities find jobs,” said HR Minister Diane Finley. “Canada is facing skills and labour shortages in many sectors, and finding ways to get all Canadians working is key to meeting this challenge.”

Spenders and savers of all ages can point to specific social and economic factors that shape their generation's views on financial planning and saving for retirement. Each generation, from baby boomers to Gen X to millennials, has specific attitudes towards money and saving influenced by when they grew up and the realities of their life stage.