LiteracyExpress Canadian Literacy and Learning Network
Fall 2011
in this issue: AGM November 2011 Daniel Haines leaves CALL FOCUS: Labour Market Agreements Report
Tribute to Daniel Haines at the CALL meeting in November 2011, Ottawa
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LiteracyExpress November 2011
CLLN BOARDN E W S e Canadian Literacy and Learning Network held its first annual AGM in November in Ottawa. It was one of many in a week of meetings with all Provincial and Territorial Coalitions and the CLLN Learners’ Committee. CLLN also hosted a joint meeting of OLES and all of the organizations they core fund. Below is Janet Lane’s message to CLLN’s members (as found in the annual report). Janet Lane greeting CLLN members at the November 2011 AGM in Ottawa
CLLN 2011/1012 Executive At the first Board meeting after the AGM, on November 10, 2011 the CLLN board of directors elected the following members to the Executive: Chair: Janet Lane Vice-Chair: Kim Crockatt Treasurer: Ningwakwe George Secretary: Fiona Murray
CLLN 2011/1012 Board Patricia Ashie Wendy Bullock Ellen Szita Caroline Vaughan
Message from the Chair: As the environment in which we work is evolving, our organization is expanding its leadership, effectively representing a strong, national coalition and advancing literacy and essential skills in Canada. In keeping with that goal, and staying true to our mission, we began to implement the 2010 to 2015 strategic plan. e name change is but one way that reflects a revitalized organizational plan. e Board will revisit the strategy annually to ensure it stays up-to-date. e foundation for all outcomes over the next 5 years is anchored in the commitment that we will enhance literacy and essential skills of adults in Canada by: 4 bringing people and information together to gather knowledge; 4 working with partners to create knowledge; 4 working with partners to transfer and share knowledge; 4 boosting our own internal capacity to function as a results-based, administratively sound and accountable organization. In addition to accomplishing significant and some unexpected internal transitions, we continued to maintain and build our partnerships with literacy organizations, learners, governments and employers. We continued in our role as a hub to bring our provincial and territorial members and other national organizations together with the Office of Literacy and Essential Skills. We took leadership in research and dissemination of knowledge and represented our membership in key government consultations. For the inevitable changes in the future, we will draw on these past accomplishments to move forward. CLLN’s future will be guided by the long-term goals as stated in the strategic plan:
Click here to download 2010/2011 annual report
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4 more literate Canadians have the skills required for work, learning and life. 4 a coordinated, responsive system of high quality literacy programs and services exists across Canada. 4 there is a knowledgeable and skilled community of literacy educators across Canada. 4 LES is an issue recognized across all social, economic, cultural and political sectors and in government policies at all levels. Building on the strength of our members, and our dedicated staff team, CLLN is a network that reaches far beyond the literacy community. us we are well positioned to face the challenges and embrace new opportunities that will come our way.
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CALL
LiteracyExpress November 2011
NEWS
Daniel Haines - “my name is Danny” - has been a member of CLLN’s Committee of Adult Literacy Learners for the past 8 years and he is now retiring from his position. A strong champion of literacy issues, he has been at the forefront of work for the CALL and a great mentor to new CALL members, encouraging them to be actively involved with literacy issues. Danny has been remarkably candid about his personal issues with learning: his story resonates with the public, and teachers have used it to encourage at-risk youth to stay in school. It is an inspirational story for all and because of it, he has become a strong advocate for adult learning. He left school, when he was 14 and faced literacy challenges
for the next 30 years: he worked in the sign business and developed strategies to hide his inability to read in his workplace and from many friends. With encouragement from his wife and friends, Danny began adult learning courses. From there Danny has taken on the task of creating awareness about adult learning issues across Canada. A personal highlight of his efforts was getting to speak to the Canadian Senate in 2007 about the need to reinstate literacy funding. He received the Council of the Federation Literacy Award in 2008. With CALL, he contributed to the development of Ellen’s Story Study Guide. CLLN thanks Danny for his hard work and dedication to the CALL and his passion for literacy issues.
e Implications of Labour Market Agreements on LES - a new CLLN report In the late 1990s the federal government shifted the responsibility of education and training for EI eligible candidates to the provinces and territories through Labour Market Development Agreements. Labour Market Partnership Agreements (LMPA) were developed by the Liberal government to deal with the issue of how to provide training support to those who were not EI eligible. ese have now evolved into the current format of Labour Market Agreements (LMAs). Making sense of the LMAs and how they apply differently in each Province and Territory is the subject of “Labour Market Transfers and the Implications for Literacy and Essential Skills”, a new report prepared for CLLN by Brigid Hayes Consulting.
e current round of Labour Market Agreements (LMAs) provides funding for training of adults that are not EI-eligible, focusing on both the employed and unemployed who have low literacy levels and essential skills. Specifically targeted are employed workers who do not have a high school diploma or recognized certification, or who have low levels of literacy and Essential Skills; unemployed workers who are not eligible for EI Part II programming including Aboriginal peoples, immigrants, new entrants and re-entrants to the labour market, older workers, people with disabilities, social assistance recipients, unemployed individuals previously self-employed, women, and youth.
FOCUS
Hayes’ report discusses the problems in determining actual LMA spending, as many provincial annual reports do not provide specific spending amounts. Hayes indicates that accountability and evaluation in the LMA process are in need of improvement. A Year 2 review was to be completed for 2010/11 LMA -transfers, but there is no indication of an evaluation as of yet.
Opportunities for the Provincial and Territorial coalitions and other literacy groups include involvement in the LMA consultation process, monitoring of LMA activities and the development of principles for accountability of learning and LMA objectives. e challenge for LES organizations at the provincial and local level lies in the need to establish relationships with government departments that they haven’t traditionally worked with before.. e Labour Market Transfers are promised until 2014/2015. If the LMAs are re-negotiated at that point, the place of literacy and essential skills within the new agreements will need to be considered.
Download the full report and find links to related resources directly at literacy.ca .
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LiteracyExpress November 2011
TOOL
REVIEW
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada has created a new tool that literacy professionals can use to encourage employers to invest in essential skills. Essential Skills in the Workplace: What’s in it for you? is simply designed and
showcases not only the importance of essential skills but also the positive outcomes in the workplace.
Literacy professionals can take advantage of this by drawing on the direct links between essential skills training and workplace outcomes. Some examples of this are increased productivity, a more vibrant and engaged workforce as well as better team performance.
ways employers can integrate essential skills in the workplace such as performance management, day-today meetings and succession planning. ese tangible ways for employers to incorporate essential skills is a great tool for literacy professionals to take advantage of.
Essential Skills in the Workplace: What’s in it for you? also lists specific
If you would like to make use of this tool, you can download it here.
CLLN Membership If you aren’t already a member, or haven’t renewed your membership, please click on here for the membership form on the CLLN website. We have two types of membership available – general and organizational. If you have any questions about becoming a member, or renewing your membership, please call the office at 613-563-2464 or email us at clln@literacy.ca.
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Share your work with the network! Let us know about resources, new research or the work you are doing. Contact Annette Hegel at ahegel@literacy.ca to get your info out nation-wide in Literacy Express or on www.literacy ca.
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LiteracyExpress November 2011
CLLN
IN PARTNERSHIP
Financial Consumer Agency of Canada
Roundtable on Poverty Elections and Literacy Canada
In 2010 FCAF, in partnership with the Investor Education Fund and the Autorité des marchés financiers, made it one of its priorities to develop a Financial Education Program for Adults. CLLN was invited to participate in the review committee to ensure quality and relevance of the content, format and presentation; generate ideas, comments and advice. e resulting Financial Toolkit, a multi media, web-based learning tool is now in production and is scheduled for launch in the spring of 2012.
CLLN brought together representatives from labour, government, adult learners and literacy and essential skills organization from around the country to assess and form a clearer understanding of linkages between poverty and literacy and essential skills. One of the roundtable’s outcomes is a report produced by Scott Murray and Richard Shillington for CLLN, From Poverty to Prosperity: Literacy's Impact on Canada's Economic Success - a fact sheet summarizing the findings of this report will be available on literacy.ca in January of 2012.
CLLN partnered again with Elections Canada in ensuring clarity and accessibility for all voters. Here’s a review from the Alpha Plus blog: One of the great Election traditions in Canada is the release of the CLLN Election Tool before every federal election – right up there with lawn signs and televised debates ! is is a terrific literacy-friendly resource – fully interactive and packed with information. As I looked through it and explored the links I did note that a couple of the literacy friendly resources from Elections Canada have changed but there is still some fairly clear language information on the Elections Canada site. But a big ank You to CLLN for the Election Tool – an essential resource for all of us.
this newsletter is published by Canadian Literacy and Learning Network 342A Elgin Street, Ottawa, ON K2P 1M6 CLLN is core funded by the Office for Literacy and Essential Skills
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