LiteracyExpress Winter 2013/14 by Canadian Literacy and Learning Network

LiteracyExpress Canadian Literacy and Learning Network

Winter 2013/14

Workplace LES Training c o n n E c T i n g S u p p Ly and dEmand

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LiteracyExpress Winter 2013/14

in this issue: cLLn nEWS 4 agm in montréal

nEWS cLLn

AGM 2013 in Montréal

4 cLLn presents Lifetime achievement award

Mara Hawkins, Literacy Alberta interim ED, accepting CLLN thank you on Janet Lane’s behalf from Chris Whitaker, Chair of CLLN board. After many years in the literacy field Janet is not only leaving the CLLN Board, but has moved on to do the good work at Canada West Foundation. We wish her all the best!

FocuS: WLES - connecting Supply with demand 4 advancing WorkpLacE LEarning: gETTing SmEs To buy in 4 cLLn Labour markET STudy: digging dEEpEr 4 oLES TooLS: LES vidEoS

nEW projEcTS 4 no nEEd To rEinvEnT ThE WhEEL: cLLn’S nEW daTa baSE 4 noS: proFESSionaLizing ThE

Treasurer H elen Alle on CLLN Fin n reporting ances

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upcoming EvEnTS this newsletter is published by

Canadian Literacy and Learning Network 342A Elgin Street Ottawa, ON K2P 1M6 CLLN is funded by the Government of Canada's Office of Literacy and Essential Skills

there were After business d wine ! an presentations

Click here to download CLLN’s Annual Report 2013 w w w. l i t e r a c y. c a

LiteracyExpress Winter 2013/14

honouring Szita L i F EEllen TimE ac hiEvEmEnT is year CLLN developed a life-time achievement award to recognize individuals who have played key roles in the field of adult literacy education. We are honoured to announce that Ellen Szita, long-time CLLN board member and member of the organization’s learners group, is the first recipient of this award. She was presented with the award in British Columbia this past November. Ellen Szita’s achievements are many, both as a learner and as a passionate advocate for literacy in Canada. In recognition of her accomplishments and her contributions to advancing the cause of literacy, CLLN is proud to present Ellen with the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award.

At the age of 45 Ellen sought treatment for her alcohol addiction and was encouraged to take reading courses as part of her treatment. At the Victoria READ Society, Ellen was finally assessed and diagnosed with dyslexia. From there, she enrolled in basic adult education classes at Camosun College, and was also tutored by a volunteer from Project Literary. It took only 18 months to conquer her lifelong deficit. Realizing what her struggle with literacy had cost her, Ellen became a passionate advocate for literacy. Knowing that there were millions like her in Canada, still in need of help, she joined the literacy movement and began speaking, attending conferences, publishing articles, and even lobbying on Parliament Hill.

Her work in the literacy movement led to Ellen grew up in serving on the boards of England and experienced literacy organizations the chaotic years of and on the Canadian World War II. A victim Public Health of the times and of a Association’s expert society that did not panel on health and understand learning Decoda’s Brenda LeClaire, Ellen Szita and CLLN’s Chris Harwood literacy. Peter Gzowski disabilities, Ellen fell introduced her to filmmaker Robert Duncan, whose further and further behind, leaving school at 14. Facing a dim documentary Ellen’s Story won several awards. Ellen herself future as an ill-educated factory worker, Ellen decided to has received many honours, including the Flight for Freedom immigrate to Canada when she was only 18. award for literacy which was presented to her in 1994 by Dreaming of a happy new life and family, Ellen was unable to Governor General Ray Hnatyshyn. achieve her goals and found herself raising four children on Ellen’s Story, her autobiography, was published in 2007. her own and on welfare. Now Ellen sees that her struggles Ellen’s remarkable journey from being unable to read to being with learning were sabotaging her hopes and leading her a published author is cause for celebration. In her own words: toward depression and alcohol abuse. “I hope my story will open eyes to the real destruction of this

CLLN would very much like to thank Decoda for letting us “crash” their party as the venue to present Ellen with the award, their amazing and suceesful first provincial literacy conference: Connecting Communities through Innovative Practice. Link to presentations and pics from the conference here

hidden epidemic and give courage to those willing to come forward and attend classes. But more importantly, since less that 5% of adults with learning diﬃculties seek help, I hope my story will give courage and hope to others.” And that it does. CLLN congratulates Ellen Szita for her courage and her many achievements in advancing the cause of literacy in Canada.

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LiteracyExpress Winter 2013/14

WorkpLacE LES

gETTing buy-in From SmEs

The “Advancing Workplace Learning” (AWL) project aims to inform employers about effective training and workplace practices that can enhance the essential skills of employees and create a culture of learning. For employers, looking at workplaces through an essential skills lens may help address and improve some of the issues and challenges they are facing. The key activities of the project are to: Research effective training and essential skills development models and workplace practices adopted by Canadian employers, with a special focus on small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs); Share successful training models and learning practices adopted by employers across Canada; Provide opportunities for employers, workplace partners, and learning providers to learn about and engage in effective training and skills development models.

As the “Advancing Workplace Learning” project enters its second year, and the research phase has concluded, CLLN’s communications manager Annette Hegel took a moment to sit down with Claire Hall (AWL project manager) to take stock and look to future plans of taking AWL on the road. Annette Hegel – Summing up the research findings what has emerged as the key drivers for moving forward over the next 12 months of the project? Claire Hall – We confirmed what we anecdotally already knew: there is a low level of interest in Workplace Literacy and Essential Skills (WLES) in and of itself; it doesn’t resonate with employers, it is not perceived as a priority unless it relates to their business outcomes. is is really driving home that it’s going to be important to refocus how we try to raise employers’ awareness and how we look to engage them. We

need to speak clearly from the perspective of the employer if we want to get their attention. Literacy and Essential Skills (L/ES) programming has always been seen as something that happens outside of the business, not embedded within the business. As a result employers don’t see that direct link between how L/ES or upskilling or skills development relates to the immediate issues and challenges they are facing, how it can relate to improving their business outcomes and work within their priorities. Hegel – Do employees see the value in WLES? Hall – In short: no, because we haven’t presented it in a way that makes sense to the workforce. In the past WLES has been presented as a deficit based model, making people feel vulnerable to stigma. We have to make the shift in the workplace to the way traditional community based, quality programs explicitly communicate how they build from assets of the individual. Translating that to a business means looking at it through a broader learning lens. One successful approach for WLES has been the organizational needs assessment that gets input from all players of the workplace and considers current workplace practices and processes as well. Programs or initiatives are then customized because there is an opportunity for employees to discuss the challenges and issues that they see not always relating to their skills but what they are facing in the workplace. at creates a very positive movement forward in accepting and supporting WLES. Hegel – Is there a single key factor that has to be in place for any WLES to take place? Hall – Businesses that have engaged in WLES say they would not, or could not, do so if there were no funding supports available. at funding can come in diﬀerent ways, and some provinces and territories have an infrastructure of incentives in place to support WLES initiatives. However, the cost is generally oﬀset by in-kind contributions from the business, like release time, that leverages impact beyond the initial funding model. We also know from experiences of provinces that do have stable funding, that WLES can be a hard sell if not linked explicitly to employers business priorities. Hegel – Did the research identify the most promising practice models of WLES delivery?

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LiteracyExpress Winter 2013/14

workplace, and it requires the practitioner to learn to navigate that workplace environment. e embedding approach shows extremely promising and sustainable impacts. Hegel – Do you think workplace trainers are equipped at this point to integrate WLES into their training modules?

Claire Hall, AWL project manager, at CLLN’s office in December

Hall – ere are really two emerging concepts that appear to be working well: one addresses the infrastructure challenges to provide access, especially to SMEs – it’s the idea of looking at the development of “hub clusters”. Clustering is really an exercise in community partnership development, making sure you are working with those that can provide the facility [for training] and increasing the awareness of employers. It is an approach that is showing promise and one of the next stages with the AWL project is to develop a scalable template for those interested in bringing WLES to their local business community. Another innovative practice is finding ways of embedding LES into existing workplace practices and workplace training. Hegel – Could you explain this embedding approach a bit more... Hall – e main thing is getting into the workplace environment on a regular day to see how WLES fits in all aspects of the workplace and then to develop a customized program and other initiatives that supports the business and its people as a whole. Hegel – We have profiled Decoda’s “embedding handbook” in LiteracyExpress before – do you think that resource is scalable across the country? Hall – Absolutely. e embedding handbook is a really great start for practitioners wherever they are to get their head around what we mean by “embedding”, and what it can look like. It illustrates how to articulate employer’s needs after really listening to them. It shows the benefits of working in true partnership. ose relationships take more time, because the end result is a customized framework for the individual

Hall – is is one of the things we are doing now, to raise the awareness, to get it on the radar of workplace trainers and learning leaders. Learning leaders or training providers often encounter LES issues when they are delivering their specific training. ey definitely need further knowledge about LES to be able to accurately pin-point LES challenges. We will be developing some modules with Canadian Society for Training Development (CSTD) to increase workplace trainers’ and learning leaders’ knowledge about WLES and where it fits within their training delivery. Hegel – What’s next for the AWL project’? Hall – Along similar lines of making workplace trainers aware, is to address this challenge with union representatives – be it an educational rep or a service rep. ey too are often encountering the same things that the learning leaders and trainers are but they don’t know how to articulate it, how to explain it to employers, how to help support the programs or initiatives that come out of it. AWL will help the union component to train up and deliver workshops on supporting them. Hegel – Your first year of the project is up, almost, and you’ve gotten a lot of work done including the research and research reports. Hall – Yes, we’ve finished the research and have the website set up. It’s an ever evolving website, because we want to be responsive to rapid changes in the business world as well as incorporating the things that we have learned from the research. Going forward we will continue to build and expand on our partnerships with those engaged in the workplace. In the last 12 months we have been working with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, national unions, Canadian Society for Training Development (CSTD), and various sector councils to find out what would be the best way to leverage their networks and expertise. We needed their participation to engage employers, specifically SMEs, as well as the training professionals. Over the coming months we intend to help them to network and partner with organizations that line up with their interests and needs.

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LiteracyExpress Winter 2013/14

We will be approaching partnerships and networking opportunities with a variety of activities, such as workshops and presentations at national events including the Skilled Trades Summit hosted by the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (CAF).

share that information the easier it is for people across the country to increase their learning opportunities. One of the great things about the project is that we are not trying to reinvent what already exists; we are trying to promote and support the good work that has already been done.

Hegel – What can CLLN's network and the readers of LiteracyExpress do to help you develop those networks? What should our particular call to action be? Hall – We want CHAMPIONS. We know that hearing from your peers, whether you are a practitioner or an employer, is really important. We have also heard that communities would like to acknowledge the contribution of individuals that have been instrumental in promoting WLES. We are reaching out to develop champions that can speak to WLES at their provincial or regional levels. CLLN's network can nominate champions by contacting chall@literacy.ca. e other important contribution that we need is BEST PRACTICE SHARING. Let us know about experiences that have worked and lessons learned because the more that we can

Contact AWL to share your experience; let the project know about the gaps in your local WLES infrastructure; what would be helpful moving forward? If you would like to host an event promoting WLES networking or acknowledging a particular accomplishment in WLES in your community email lcarslon@literacy.ca

Keep in touch with Advancing Workplace Learning, sign up for the AWL updates list here. Follow AWL on twitter Find AWL on LinkedIn

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LiteracyExpress Winter 2013/14

d i g g i n STudy g dEEpEr Labour markET CLLN’s 2013 Labour Market Study (LMS) was anchored by the online survey of L/ES workers. In addition to the survey, a number of complementary research activities were carried out. e key informant interviews and focus groups that were held as part of the LMS yielded vital information that confirmed and supplemented the survey findings. In total, 58 practitioners across Canada were consulted through these two research components. For both, a concerted eﬀort was made to engage L/ES practitioners working in a variety of capacities, with the one exception of not including L/ES volunteers. While volunteers make significant contributions to the L/ES sector, this was a labour market study and therefore required that participants be remunerated for their work. For both the interviews and the focus groups, it was considered important to further explore the working conditions of practitioners in Aboriginal and Francophone environments across Canada. While these workers are minorities in the national picture, they are employed in distinct settings often separated by vast distances and jurisdictional boundaries. is complementary research allowed the project to identify their commonalities.

participants, starting some cross-boundary conversations and forging new professional relationships. is resonates with the survey finding that in-person forums are preferred by participants for connecting with others in the field, and that more opportunities to network with others, ideally face-to-face, would be welcomed.

Although diﬀerent cultural groups were there are common findings consulted, 30 KEy INFoRMANT INTERvIEWS that can be observed across all three were conducted with groups, as well as points that were Francophone, Aboriginal and expressed in both the interviews and Anglophone L/ES practitioners focus groups. between January and August One of the most common ideas emerging 2013. Participants came from all these conversations is that from 13 provinces and territories, with practitioners believe attitudes and approximately 1/3 of the traits are the most important job personal interviews conducted in French. qualification for L/ES workers, above academic and formal training. 3 FoCuS gRouPS Understanding the dynamics and were hosted during May and complexities of the adult learner was June 2013, in partnership with consistently mentioned in the focus other literacy organizations. There group sessions. were 28 participants in total, with A related finding from the focus groups is each focus group targeting a the high value placed on life experience particular demographic of the of L/ES practitioners. Because there are L/ES workforce: Aboriginal, diverse pathways into the field, Francophone and Anglophone. practitioners come from various backgrounds, which is seen as adding to the richness of the L/ES workforce.

For all participants—Francophone, Aboriginal and Anglophone L/ES practitioners—and project staﬀ, the interviews and focus groups provided opportunities to dig deeper into the lived experience of Literacy and Essential Skills work in Canada. As an added benefit, the networking experience of the focus group sessions was very positive for

L/ES practitioners are very aware that overtime is pervasive in the field, and is rarely paid. Regardless of employer, years in the field, and job position, the majority of L/ES employees work unpaid overtime hours. is reinforces survey results on hours of work and compensation.

Canadian Literacy and Learning Network recently completed a Labour Market Study of the Literacy and Essential Skills Workforce in Canada. is study was conducted over the course of 2013. e project’s supplemental reports are available on the project website, and the final report is in the last stages of production and will be available in digital or hard copy. All reports will be available in both English and French

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LiteracyExpress Winter 2013/14

on the organization’s available funds. Partnerships with outside organizations are common, and it is often through these partnerships that practitioners are able to access resources, such as workshops, materials, and oﬃce space. In general, participants noted that quality resources are lacking. Aboriginal L/ES instructors struggle to find culturally appropriate resources, and Francophone workers are concerned about the poor or inadequate quality and quantity of resources available in French.

e minimal budgets of Literacy and Essential Skills programs and agencies were linked by participants to a number of employment issues. Across all focus groups it was noted that many agencies cannot offer salaries competitive to those offered in elementary, secondary, or post-secondary organizations or programs. As academic qualifications are inherently tied to compensation, inability to offer competitive salaries results in staffing issues, including turnover and succession planning.

e key informant interviews specifically addressed L/ES credentials and professionalization. While interviewees agreed that knowledge of L/ES is important, the field is divided on the need for formal education requirements and credentials. For example, many don’t think it is necessary that an instructor should be required to have a teaching degree. While there is no consensus on professionalizing the field, some participants noted that, should the field be professionalized (i.e. implement standardized training or expected qualifications), there should be a corresponding increase in funding to adequately reflect the increased qualifications expected from the workforce.

e key informant interviewees added that access to professional development resources can be limited depending

For more information, visit the “Results” section of lesworkforce.ca.

We want to hear from you!

Share your work with the network, let us know about resources, new research or the work you are doing. Announce your upcoming workshops, webinars or parties. Contact Annette Hegel at ahegel@literacy.ca to get your info out nation-wide in LiteracyExpress or on www.literacy ca.

You want to hear more from us?

Get e-news blasts on emerging policy developments impacting the Field, info about upcoming CLLN webinars and podcasts, click here to join the list.

Engage with us on and

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LiteracyExpress Winter 2013/14

oLES TooLS in ThE WorkpLacE

Videos, Podcasts, and Webinars e re-organization of the Deaprtment of Employment and Social Development (formerly HRSDC) website has consolidated multi media tools in one convenient place, addressing needs of employers and employees alike. A series of videos, audio podcasts and webinars have been developed to: 4 help individuals learn how improving their essential skills can lead to success in the workplace; 4 provide employers and employees with the latest developments in literacy and essential skills research; and 4 share knowledge, support networking and building capacity in “what works”. Videos posted are divided into three sections:

Benefits for Employers

4 Essential Skills: worth the investment makes the business case for LES training from the employers point of view.

Applying Skills at Work

4 So far three videos clearly demonstrating real life examples of how essential skills apply to the modern workplace have been posted.

Learning Skills

4 Videos in this section are practical training videos allowing for learner impact within a short timeframe. Currently availabe: Job Interview Success and Addressing Conflict at Work

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LiteracyExpress Winter 2013/14

c L L n d aTa b a S E nEW projEcTS Introducing a new tool from CLLN: IPRD – the Integrated Planning and Reporting Database Literacy initiatives in Canada are often funded as time-limited projects. As a result, many excellent pilot projects have come to an end without the possibility of evolving into sustainable programs. Promising practices and program innovations demonstrated through these projects may not be broadly shared across the diverse Literacy and Essential Skills (L/ES) field. Valuable research information may not have reached interested stakeholders. Even ongoing programs achieving excellent results may not be familiar to L/ES providers in other

parts of the country. Most importantly, when L/ES professionals don’t have knowledge of and access to the best models, opportunities to improve outcomes for learners are being lost. Increasingly, we are hearing that Canadian L/ES researchers and providers need a tool to house and manage information about funded projects, so the knowledge gained through them remains accessible. e Canadian Literacy and Learning Network (CLLN) is responding to this demand by creating the new Integrated Planning and Reporting Database.

KEy FEATuRES:

e first set of records entered in the database comprises over one hundred Canadian projects funded over the last seven years. Each record specifies the project’s target audiences, key features and outputs, and provides links to project resources available online.

Project descriptions more than a hundred of L/ES funded projects from across Canada

Browse projects by region, project type or target population

Sort results by region, date or lead organization

Export and save search results

Full-text search capability

Standardized fields for easy comparison

Future plans for IPRD include the addition of records for projects funded from a variety of other sources, authorization of funded organizations to add up-to-date information on their ongoing projects, and new custom search features. CLLN’s objective is to create a continuously updated tool that will be a valuable resource for the L/ES field.

The database will be fully functional by mid-February. Click here if you would like to be notified when IPRD goes live.

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LiteracyExpress Winter 2013/14

nEW projEcTS

n aT i o n a L o c c u paT i o n a L S Ta n d a r d S

National Occupation Standards (NOS) are used to recognize the work of individuals in a particular field and are common in many professions and yet we do not have them in the L/ES field. CLLN hosted a facilitated panel discussion at its national June meeting and produced a detailed handout for participants. ere was considerable support for moving forward. CLLN is finishing production of a video on the ‘what, why and how’ of NOS development for the L/ES field, to be used as a tool to invite stakeholders to participate in the NOS development process. As a neutral organization, CLLN can bring together stakeholders to ensure a common understanding of NOS and to promote collaboration using a formal but inclusive process that ensures maximum uptake in their development and use. Endorsement and validation by stakeholders is a part of the process. NOS will improve collaboration and provide increased knowledge of the

roles and responsibilities of L/ES staﬀ. It will help employers to choose training providers and help to inform training needs for L/ES staﬀ.

Join CLLN’s Chris Harwood in conversation with Phil Mondor, Senior Vice President at the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Phil Mondor Council online to discuss the process and answer your questions on March 5th from 2pm to 3pm EST.

click here to register for the event

WEbinar WEdnESdayS coming up in FEbruary Digital Technology Snapshot of the L/ES Field 2013 In 2013 CLLN conducted a snapshot to provide information about how digital technology tools are being used in the Literacy and Essential Skills (L/ES) field. e snapshot focused primarily on digital tools and activities that meet the organizational needs of provincial and territorial adult

literacy coalitions but it also reflects the information collected from a variety of Literacy and Essential Skills networks and frontline delivery programs across Canada. In this snapshot CLLN looked at digital technology as used by two groups with quite diﬀerent perspectives: support agencies and frontline delivery. Vicki Trottier, who conducted the research on CLLN’s behalf, will take you through the findings. is webinar is scheduled for

February 12, 2014 – 2pm to 3pm EST click here to register for this webinar

Become a Member! CLLN memberships come in three sizes: adult learner, general and organzitional - surely one fits you. Support our work of excellence for the Literacy and Essential Skills Field CLICk HERE to go to the CLLN membership page. w w w. l i t e r a c y. c a