National Adult Literacy Database

This video is the first section of a four-part presentation by T. Scott Murray on the results of an analysis, completed in 2010, of adult Aboriginal literacy levels in the Northwest Territories, and the effects of those levels on individuals, communities, and the nation. Murray is the president of DataAngel Policy Research, which collaborated with Bow Valley College in Calgary, Alberta, to produce the videos.

In this video, Murray explains why Canadians need to care more about literacy, which he describes as the single most important determinant of economic progress and social development. Ignoring literacy will bring on serious economic consequences.

Global markets are becoming freer, meaning that while Canadian businesses have greater opportunities, they also face greater competition. Countries in the developing world are investing massively in education, which reduces Canada’s technological edge.

The plight of Canada’s Aboriginal people is particularly worrying because on average, they have lower skill levels and work in lower-skilled jobs, yet they will form an increasing part of the net labour force.

Other parts of the presentation deal with how we think about skills and how skills relate to policy; how skills influence outcomes; and skill supply and demand.