National Adult Literacy Database

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.

Last month, 14,717 job vacancies were posted to SaskJobs.ca, an increase of 44 per cent over January 2011 and an increase of 24 per cent over the month previous (December 2011).

"Mental health does not carry the stigma that it once did, but our research shows that that there is definite evidence of stigma in the workplace," says Paula Allen, VP Health Solutions & Practice Leader, Consulting, Morneau Shepell. "There are several important drivers for organizations to address this issue strategically, and with practical and meaningful steps. We are urging employers to get involved in the discussion regarding how."

The Government of Canada has officially launched Canada Summer Jobs 2012, creating thousands of job opportunities for students.

Employment was virtually unchanged in January, and the unemployment rate edged up 0.1 percentage points to 7.6% as more people searched for work. Compared with 12 months earlier, employment rose by 129,000 (+0.7%), with most of the growth occurring in the first six months of this period.

Not all francophone minority communities carry the same weight or have the same institutional support. “On the Acadian peninsula of New Brunswick and in certain regions of Ontario, people can easily obtain services in French. They have institutional support whereas in British Columbia it takes people a long time to obtain services in French. It is important to make that distinction,” says Yvon Laberge, a member of the NALD Board of Directors.

According to a recent national survey reporting on nearly 10,000 Canadian classes, one in every six students has an identified learning exceptionality. In addition, more than one in 10 students in these classes have challenges understanding the school's language of instruction. The survey, conducted by the Canadian Teachers' Federation drew responses from nearly 3,800 teachers, the largest number obtained in a CTF online survey to date.

Establishing a culture of learning in the home encourages an exchange of ideas, enriches family relationships, and bolsters confidence and independent thinking. On January 27 across Canada thousands of families, literacy groups, schools, libraries and community organizations gathered in their communities to celebrate the importance of literacy and learning in honour of Family Literacy Day – Canada’s largest family literacy initiative.

Freedom to Read Week is an annual event that encourages Canadians to think about and reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom, which is guaranteed them under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The Saskatchewan Literacy Network is pleased to announce that the Ministry of Advanced Education, Employment and Immigration has made funding available for workforce learner groups in the province. Workplace, workforce readiness and pre-employment programs are eligible to apply for up to $1,000 to support group activities.