National Adult Literacy Database

While group communication is critical in any organization, unproductive meetings can create a spiral of frustration and inefficiency. In extreme cases, poor meeting management can decrease morale and result in finger pointing, backstabbing and an ocean of excuses for past misses instead of explanations and strategies for the future.

The Plain Language Association InterNational (PLAIN) 2013 Conference will celebrate developments in the field and the organization's 20th anniversary. Set for Vancouver, B.C., Oct 10-13, 2013, the event is attracting a dynamic lineup of global presenters exploring the way forward for plain language. It offers an excellent opportunity for you to learn more about plain language and how its advantages can benefit you, your organization and your clients. Professionals will share knowledge, best practices, research and skills.

This Digital Snapshot of the Literacy and Essential Skills Field takes a look at how literacy coalitions and frontline delivery agencies are using digital tools. Conducted from January to March 2013, the research phase of the project included interviews and online questionnaire responses.

The National Adult Literacy Database (NALD) is pleased to announce that it has launched an online directory devoted to case studies of best practices in workplace education. Known as Studio, the interactive and bilingual website is national in scope, crossing various industry sectors and geographic regions.

Community-based projects under the New Horizons for Seniors Program that enable seniors to share their knowledge, skills and experiences with others and help communities increase their capacity to address local issues are eligible to receive up to $25,000 per year, per organization.

Literacy means something very different in today’s digital world than it did in the resource-based economy of British Columbia 50 years ago. Different skills and knowledge beyond print literacy are now required, including oral communication, problem solving, analysis, computer use and numeracy. Continuous learning is necessary to keep up with a rapidly changing world.

Something very important quietly happened recently in an outer neighborhood of Sao Paulo, Brazil. On the top floor of the British cultural centre, a building that hosts both the local consulate and a local pub, the first panel in the 2013 Financial Literacy Forum Series met to discuss finance, education and the idea that we can improve an economy from the bottom up.

The Trucking Human Resource Sector Council Atlantic is receiving over $640,000 to study literacy and essential skills levels among employees. The study will allow the industry to better assess the impact of literacy and essential skills on safety, productivity and employment patterns. From this study, a toolkit will be developed to help employers address essential skills challenges in the workplace.

Through a new Lighthouses Program Partnership program in Nova Scotia, about 20 girls will participate in job training and other activities, which will help create friendships and build positive support networks. Some of the girls are helping to develop activities to meet the needs of the group.

The Government of Canada has announced a series of cross-Canada roundtable discussions with stakeholders on the new Canada Job Grant, an Economic Action Plan 2013 initiative that will create jobs by transforming the way Canadians receive skills training.

In the coming months, the Government of Canada will take several steps to bring players together and stimulate innovative ideas for addressing social and economic challenges. The Government will look to leaders in the social finance sector, such as the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation, the Centre for Impact Investing at MaRS, Vancouver City Savings Credit Union, Social Capital Partners, and others to help identify a way forward.

The following strategic orientations emerged at the summit as key to helping Canada regain its leading edge in a competitive economy: addressing development of literacy and essential skills as a national priority; raising the quality of practice; and integrating ES assessment and upskilling in college technical programs.

Many parents feel the need to give financial support to their grown children well into adulthood, from welcoming them back home after graduation day to helping them pay off their credit card. In fact, one-in-five Boomers (19%) admit they would consider putting their own security and financial future at risk to help support their adult children.

The Summer Aboriginal Literacy Camps are day camps that are run by Frontier College in Aboriginal communities across the country. The impetus for the camps, now in their seventh year, is to provide activities that are fun yet educational for Aboriginal children, ensuring that their reading levels remain the same or improve during the summer months.

Future job seekers will increasingly have to let their digital deeds speak for them, says Jaigris Hodson, an instructor for Ryerson’s digital literacy program. “In fact, some high-tech firms may discount you for a job if you send them a resumé on paper,” she says.