Research shows clear economic benefits to workplace literacy, but this message has not yet reached many Canadian workplaces ^{Footnote 1}. There are positive returns from investment in training, although the nature of the returns may vary among employers and workers. Research shows that general training has greater effect on worker productivity than specific training ^{Footnote 2}.

Employer returns on workplace/essential skills programs include ^{Footnote 3}:

• Better communication, cooperation and labour-management relations;
• Workers with more ability to learn and work as a team;
• More productivity;
• Workers more aware of safety and able to act on that knowledge;
• Less absenteeism, increased retention, workers more committed to the employer;
• Workers more likely to accept and act on suggestions for personal improvement, more willing to take the initiative; and
• Workers with more ability to solve problems and eager to take on new roles as mentors and peer learning coaches.

Improved literacy is connected with increased GDP. A 1% increase in average literacy skills could lead to 1.5% increase in GDP per capita – three times the return from physical capital investments. There are good reasons for governments and employers to take action.

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