National Adult Literacy Database

“Change is everywhere in today’s workplace,” says Bill Stirling, CEO of the National Adult Literacy Database. “New technologies, global competitors, new markets and changing standards or certifications mean that workers today are constantly dealing with change. They have to be continuous learners and problem solvers.”

Lori MacMullin, president of the Centre for Distance Education (CD-ED), an accredited national online distance learning college with headquarters in Nova Scotia, says "Electronic Health Information Systems are where the world is heading, and there's a real need in Canada for professionals in this area."

The Big Rothesay Read in New Brunswick is about to embark on its fourth year of involving the entire student body of Rothesay High School and increasing numbers of teachers, parents and citizens in a community-wide reading initiative.

This national award, which made its debut in 2010, recognizes an individual for his/her outstanding achievement towards increasing workplace literacy and essential skills in the community.

This year, ABC Life Literacy Canada, Frontier College and the Ontario Literacy Coalition have co-written a social media guide to encourage Canadian organizations to celebrate adult learning and raise awareness of lifelong learning in Canada.

The Northwest Territories Literacy Council has several resources on its website to help you observe Aboriginal Languages Month. Included are the announcement, a languages map, a quiz, ideas for adult education programs and tips for families.

From the stockroom to the executive suite everyone is impacted by the need to constantly improve his or her digital technology skills. But sadly it’s the workers at the lowest levels, the ones who can least afford it, who suffer most and are the hardest hit by these changes.

The Canadian Education Statistics Council (CESC), a partnership between the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) and Statistics Canada, has just published a new fact sheet on educational attainment and employment rates at the pan-Canadian and provincial and territorial levels. The fact sheet also includes data for 12 OECD countries that are of key comparative interest for Canada.

Most Canadians expect to work past the age of 66 — and the majority of those workers say it will be because they need to, not because they want to, a new survey suggests.

With every new year, countless individuals search for differentiating methods to demonstrate why they alone deserve a position or raise. Those who are successful have recognized the new reality of today’s career growth and job search.

Receiving negative feedback during a performance review is never a pleasant experience. But it's important to view a bad performance review in a positive way - as a wake-up call, not a career-ender.

To flourish at work, employees need to concentrate on their positive states when they experience them. Doing so, can boost worker immune systems and increase energy levels, says a registered psychologist. If you are consistently miserable, she says it is probably time to move on.

Canadian employers slipped to 20th place in terms of the priority employers place on employee skills training in a recent ranking. Less than 30 per cent of adult workers aged 25-64 received job-related education and training in Canada, compared with 45 per cent in the U.S., show data from Industry Canada and Statistics Canada.

"In its legacy report, the centrepiece of CCL’s recommendations for voluntary, co-operative and integrated intergovernmental action on learning has been the establishment of a federal/provincial/territorial Council of Ministers on Learning. ... Taken together, CCL’s recommendations and the reflections from Canadians heard during the tour suggest that it is indeed time to take action and move forward."

Nova Scotia's sector councils and government are starting a new partnership to more strongly support the province's industry with human resource strategies.