National Adult Literacy Database

In this presentation to the Government of Canada’s Task Force on Financial Literacy, the president and CEO of the Canadian Council on Learning (CCL) outlines the role the CCL could play in enhancing Canadian’s financial skills.

Dr. Paul Cappon points out that CCL identified financial literacy as one of a set of “new” literacies required to function effectively in today’s world. Others include digital, computer and information literacy.

Specifically, he says the CCL could contribute to evaluating national progress on financial literacy by providing a synthesis of available research; monitoring trends and identifying gaps in information and data; identifying who is most vulnerable, and providing new insights into why they are at risk; and providing recommendations for the development of targeted strategies to strengthen the financial literacy skills and capabilities of Canadians.

The task force was established in 2009 and published its final report in February 2011. The report can be found at http://library.nald.ca/item/9167.