News
May 14, 2012
New ABC Life Literacy research found nearly 80 percent of executives face challenges in filling job vacancies. Nearly half surveyed felt low literacy and essential skill levels are contributing to this problem. Training is an obvious solution, but not everyone agreed on the best way forward.
Historically, meeting literacy and essential skills shortages with a team effort – employer, employee and...
April 23, 2012
A new program focused on raising literacy and essential skills levels for oil industry employees will 'lead to a better quality of life', said Janet Lane, Executive Director, Literacy Alberta, during a recent presnetation to the Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce.
Lane says better reading, writing, computer and numeracy skills will help combat the looming labour, essential and specialialized...
April 2, 2012
With a looming work-force shortage on the horizon, are employers doing what they should to ensure their employees have the skills needed to be productive? Janet Lane, LA Executive Director, addressed the issue on a recent Canadian Chamber of Commerce webinar, along with Lindsey McIntosh, OLES and T. Scott Murray, DataAngel Policy Research Inc.
Janet Lane’s presentation, entitled My Employees don’...
March 19, 2012
Finding a new job is always a challenge. The search stress ignores age, sex, ethnicity, location, education and social profiles. With the focus on literacy and essential skills in the workplace, what essential skills can help a job seeker achieve success?
Networking is seen to be the most effective - and that requires strong literacy in aural, written and inter-personal skills. What Colour...
March 5, 2012
Janet Lane, Literacy Alberta Executive Director and Todd Hirsch, Calgary-based economist and author of The Boiling Frog Dilemma, co-authored opinion piece, "Mind the Gap: No 'people skills', no job", is featured in the Globe and Mail today.
Describing the current skilled worker shortage as the 'perfect storm', the authors highlight the huge impact this will have on the Canadian...
February 28, 2012
It is no surprise seniors are the fastest growing segment of the population. However, it might be surprising to learn they are fastest growing user segment on Facebook and are quickly embracing interactive technology in new ways. In this case, thanks to a teens training seniors program.
Toronto Insider tells the story of seniors home resident Eadie, 89 years old, learning how to use the online...
February 21, 2012
The Community Learning Network, in partnership with eCampus Alberta, is hosting the Forever Learning Luncheon 2012 on March 28 to celebrate International Adult Learners' Week.
Literacy, learning, government and community leaders and learners will be attending the luncheon, which starts at 11 am at the Fairmont Hotel MacDonald, in Edmonton.
The reception and served lunch will be followed by an...
February 13, 2012
The Literacy and Learning Symposium 2012, with the theme Sharing Stories, Changing Lives, will be October 17, 18 & 19, 2012 at the Radisson Hotel, Edmonton South.
Visit our Symposium section for news.
Share your ideas for topics and speakers on SHARE, Facebook and Twitter thread #lls2012.
Information coming soon to www.literacylearning.ca soon....
February 6, 2012
A report out today says preventing poverty would save Alberta billions. It also points out that investing in solutions will generate a strong return on investments. Literacy skills development is identified as a key component to poverty eradication.
The Edmonton Journal article states that the current poverty 'alleviation' focus on food banks, shelters and welfare payments would be better spent...
February 6, 2012
Janet Lane took Literacy Alberta's message about the benefits of investing in literacy and essential skills to the Edson and District Community Learning Society and the Grande Yellowhead Public School Division in January.
"It pays to build literacy and essential skills," Lane told the meeting, adding that when literacy skills are improved by just one per cent, productivity is improved...
January 27, 2012
The Calgary Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) released the new Plain Language version of its popular Household Emergency Action Plan Friday, Family Literacy Day. The brochure provides information on what individuals can do to protect themselves and their families in an emergency. CEMA worked with Literacy Alberta to produce the Plain Language brochure.
“We welcomed the opportunity to...
January 24, 2012
The statistics show - and attending a local literacy event will prove it - that the majority of literacy workers are women, and often older women, who have been in the non-profit and literacy field for a long time. This brings a number of positives to the field. However, there is a growing surge of involvement from young people - as participants and leaders - and this too is positive.
46% of...
January 12, 2012
The UK's Guardian newspaper website hosted an online live blog debate about digital literacy and women in today's society. Experts from Aberystwyth University, the Open University, and developers' network Young Rewired State also asked 'how much digital literacy do young people need?'.
The sub-debate on the field's terminology, the meaning of literacy and how to make materials 'learner...
January 5, 2012
Stats Canada has released the second installment of its Literacy For Life: Further Results from the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey. The results highlight what environmental factors affect how adults learn. Numeracy and problem solving skills assessments form a key part of the report. In the conclusion it looks at 'skill mismatch' in the labour markets and how this impacts on adult learning...
January 2, 2012
It is the beginning of a new year and a new opportunity to face our literacy challenges with renewed energy. But, where to start? There are a few websites with ideas on how to get started - and keep a focus on 2012 goals.
2012 is the last year in the United Nations Literacy Decade. The reports generated by this decade will be helpful to everyone in the field - as facts, resources for...
December 20, 2011
The term 'tradtional Christmas' is as fluid as the cultures celebrating this season. In creating a broader sense of community and sharing, being seasonally literate requires knowlege of many cultures and practices. However, no matter where people are gathering at this time of year, literacy plays a role. Here is a look at headlines from around the globe this season about blending cultures,...
December 13, 2011
Social technology can play a pivotal role in raising funds and awareness. Four organizations battling literacy issues have chosen one platform to help them make a difference. The battle is huge, global and needs continuous support. At first glance these groups may not have a lot in common geographically - Canada, India and Bangladesh. But, they share a vision - and now a website.
Teachers...
December 1, 2011
This fall Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney proposed changing the way new citizens' language abilities are assessed. The changes would require adult citizenship applicants to provide 'objective evidence' of their language ability - in English or French. The goal is outlined, and the methods listed. However, some of the information may be confusing to...
November 30, 2011
Calgary-based filmmaker Matt Palmer made 'Pay Dirt' in 2005, which aired on CBC. The oilsands documentary, exploring many issues and options around energy, prompted him to question the public's 'understanding' of energy, terms like 'green', fossil fuels, and other lingo associated with this important field.
How much do we know and understand about this complex, politically charged, important...
November 23, 2011
We might not associate literacy with food, but NAIT and SAIT are trying to increase new chef students' understanding of the process from 'field to plate'.
Julie Van Rosendall's article in the Edmonton Journal looks at how new trends, sustainability issues and closer relationships between producers and food preparers are helping create a new language for chefs.
Students are improving their...
