National Adult Literacy Database

Education Matters: Insights on Education, Learning and Training in Canada, June 2008, Vol. 5, No. 2

Series: Education Matters - Statistics Canada

Collection: Learning Materials

In this article, published by Statistics Canada, the authors use data from the 1994 International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) and the 2003 Adult Literacy and Life Skills (ALL) survey to get a picture of employer-sponsored training, and the characteristics of employees who engage in that training. The analysis offers an international perspective, with the situation in Canada being compared to that of Norway, Switzerland, and the United States.

The analysis shows that adult participation in organized forms of learning is reasonably high in Canada, though it falls short of the levels found in the other three countries. The great majority of adults surveyed reported job-related reasons for enrolling in courses and programs in 2002.

About half of those who did take part in training programs reported that their employers had sponsored the training. By extension, this means that half of the adults enrolled in training programs did that training on their own, without financial support from their employers, suggesting that many Canadian adults recognize the need for, and are active participants in, education and learning during their working lives.

The authors also note that employer support for training favours highly skilled workers in jobs with high skill requirements. That raises the question of how best to create education and training opportunities for those in need of skills upgrading.

Added: 2013-04-05

View complete record details...

See also:

• Apprentissage des adultes et monde du travail

Education Matters: Insights on Education, Learning and Training in Canada, April 2008, Vol. 5, No. 1

Series: Education Matters - Statistics Canada

Authors: Kathryn McMullen

Collection: Research Materials

This article, published by Statistics Canada, provides an analysis of some findings from the 2003 International Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (IALLS).

The results indicate that those with the highest levels of literacy participate in adult learning at much higher rates than those at the lowest levels of literacy. The implication is that those most in need of learning to enhance their skills to compete in the labour market are least likely to participate in education and training opportunities.

Family background also plays a key role in participation in adult learning. People who grew up in families where literacy is valued tend to think positively about adult education.

The author notes that financial support from employers plays a central role in supporting opportunities for adult education and training. However, participation in employer-sponsored training is not equal across groups of workers, and workers with the least education are also least likely to participate in training.

Added: 2012-04-18

View complete record details...

See also:

• Apprentissage par les adultes au Canada : caractéristiques des apprenants

Education Matters: Insights on Education, Learning and Training in Canada, April 2008, Vol. 4, No. 5

Series: Education Matters - Statistics Canada

Authors: Evelyne Bougie

Collection: Research Materials

Based on findings from the 2003 International Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (IALLS), this article examines the literacy proficiency of First Nations and Métis adults living in urban parts of Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

The IALLS results show that those adults performed at lower literacy proficiency levels than their non-Aboriginal counterparts. At the same time, analysis of the results confirms that, as is the case among the non-Aboriginal population, higher levels of formal education were consistently associated with higher levels of literacy proficiency.

As well, data show that the percentage of employed Aboriginal individuals was consistently higher among those who had literacy proficiency at or above Level 3 than among those who scored below this benchmark. In contrast, this difference was almost nil among the non-Aboriginal populations.

The author emphasizes that the IALSS does not take into account the different kinds of literacy practices that are valued in Aboriginal cultures, nor does it assess literacy in an Aboriginal language. However, in an urban context, the ability to use and understand the kind of information assessed through the survey is likely to be linked to many positive outcomes in life.

Added: 2012-04-24

View complete record details...

See also:

• Profil de littératie des membres des Premières nations vivant hors réserve et des Métis qui résident dans les régions urbaines du Manitoba et de la Saskatchewan

Education Matters: Insights on Education, Learning and Training in Canada, February 2008, Vol. 4, No. 6

Series: Education Matters - Statistics Canada

Authors: Kathryn McMullen

Collection: Research Materials

This article, published by Statistics Canada, looks at the relationships between schooling, literacy skills, aging, and the labour market.

The author examines a study undertaken by two economists at the University of British Columbia. Based on data from the 2003 International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey (IALSS), the economists determined that younger Canadians have lower levels of literacy than older Canadians had, at the same age and level of education. They concluded that schools may be doing a poorer job of imparting literacy at any given level, but that this has been compensated by the fact that successive generations have attained higher levels of schooling.

However, the author of this article offers another interpretation of these results. Larger percentages of Canadians are graduating from high school and much larger proportions are graduating with college diplomas and university degrees, suggesting that the educational system has become more inclusive over time. Therefore, it could be argued that the educational system has been serving a larger and more diverse student population.

Added: 2012-05-04

View complete record details...

See also:

• Compétences en littératie des Canadiens de tous âges : moins de Canadiens aux deux extrémités de l'échelle de rendement

Education Matters: Insights on Education, Learning and Training in Canada, Vol. 9, No. 1, May 2012

Series: Education Matters - Statistics Canada

Collection: Research Materials

This article summarizes the key findings about problem-solving contained in a report based on the results of the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (ALL), conducted between 2002 and 2008.

Eleven countries, including Canada, participated in that survey, which focused on four foundation skills thought to be essential for social, professional and economic success: prose literacy, document literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving.

Based on their analysis of the data, the authors conclude that in Canada, both employment and earnings tend to be higher for individuals with stronger problem-solving skills.

Countries with higher proportions of high-scoring problem solvers, as well as high average problem-solving skills, are likely to be better equipped in a global context to deal with rapid changes in work environments and to use technology effectively to enhance efficiency and productivity.

Added: 2012-07-04

View complete record details...

See also:

• Compétences en résolution de problèmes et situation sur le marché du travail – Résultats de la dernière Enquête sur la littératie et les compétences des adultes (ELCA)