National Adult Literacy Database

Whether your own employment situation reeks of entry-level desperation or you’re simply looking to move up the ladder with a bigger pay cheque, the offer of a promotion can be enticing. There may, however, be just as many reasons to pass on a promotion as there are to accept.

The Office of Literacy and Essential Skills (OLES) will host a webinar on Thursday, November 3, from 12 to 1:30 p.m. Eastern time. The objectives of the presentation are to share good practices and lessons learned, as well as HRSDC tools and resources that may benefit Aboriginal agreement holders and other organizations, and advance literacy and essential skills.

Menial No More suggests that Ontario’s adult education system could be enhanced by integrating adult literacy and essential skills education with digital skills, basic science and job-specific training. Other countries are finding success by fusing essential skills, such as reading, writing, and numeracy, with digital skills and science, engineering, technology and math. The results to date have been positive, with workers moving to employment more quickly and earning higher wages.

"The most important thing we have to do to strengthen our workplace and strengthen our economy is improve our literacy," said Marilyn Trenholme Counsell, president of the Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick and former lieutenant-governor of New Brunswick.

Coaching differs from more traditional management models in that it's designed to improve how people interact with each other and promote a so-called "culture of inquiry," rather than certainty. It's not just about asking questions but the questions that inspire action or problem-solving.

The Association of Canadian Community Colleges commends the report of the Expert Panel reviewing Federal Support to Research and Development for its recognition of the importance of college-business collaboration in applied research and innovation.

The OECD Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) will support countries in their efforts to design and implement policies which foster both the development of skills and the optimal use of existing skills.

All workplace meetings are good in theory but often these and countless other conference room characters can derail a gathering. This article points out seven of the biggest meeting offenders, along with advice you can use to avoid becoming one yourself.

By fusing classroom rigor with workplace know-how, these colleges fix a failing of high schools and universities in Japan — and in the United States. It’s called the “skills gap,” and it’s the bitter fruit of educational systems in both countries that aspire to make college accessible for all — but that often produce students who, if they do get a degree, focus too narrowly on abstractions, while neglecting the hands-on competence necessary for landing jobs that pay middle-class wages.

The National Adult Literacy Database (NALD) is co-hosting this event in Moncton on October 26, 2011. By attending this session, you will benefit from new insight into practical and effective workplace learning practices tailored to the needs of small to medium-sized employers. The Centre for Workplace Skills will profile its recent project titled Investing in Skills: Effective Work-related Learning in SMEs.

The Skills and Partnership Fund is part of the federal government’s approach to help First Nations, Métis and Inuit people get training and work experience to secure sustainable, meaningful employment.

Just in time for National Boss Day October 17, new research from OfficeTeam indicates few workers today are angling for the top spot.

Following two months of little change, employment rose by 61,000 in September, all in full-time work. This increase pushed the unemployment rate down 0.2 percentage points to 7.1 per cent, the lowest rate since December 2008.

This two-week class in Regina involves not only learning how to make cold calls on potential employers, but also charting them on a wall chart that everybody can see, along with the number of letters and resumés sent out.

Mike Holmes, Canada's most trusted contractor and official spokesperson for Skills/Compétences Canada, will be participating in several activities at the WorldSkills London 2011 Competition. A long-time supporter of the skilled trade movement, he will focus attention on the important role that youth in the skilled trades and technologies have on the economic future of Canada.