
Did you know?
· According to a recent study, almost half of Canadians do not have the necessary literacy skills to function effectively in today's society
· Literacy affects employment stability and opportunities
· Low literacy skills represent a massive loss of productivity
· Low literacy levels cost businesses in Canada over $4 billion, and in society as a whole, it amounts to a loss of $10 billion
· In order to stay competitive, the workplace is demanding higher levels of literacy from the workforce
· Those with higher literacy skills tend to have higher incomes
· Those with higher literacy skills tend to be more involved citizens
How do you know if people need to assess their workplace literacy skills?
Do they …
· Take reports home to complete?
· Get coworkers to fill out forms for them?
· Have trouble filling out time sheets?
· Have trouble with spelling and grammar?
· Have trouble expressing themselves in writing?
· Have trouble following instructions correctly or reading safety manuals?
· Get hurt even though there are signs indicating danger?
· Hesitate to participate in meetings?
· Fear the implementation of computers?
· Fear being trained on new equipment?
· Seem to stay in the same position within the company for many years but not show an interest in advancement?
(http://www.llsc.on.ca/node/26)
If you answered yes to any of these questions, they may need to improve their workplace literacy skills. CBAL offers assessment, employment workshops and individual/group tutoring throughout the Columbia Basin to help people improve their workplace literacy skills. All of these programs are FREE!
Through my work as an employment workshop facilitator I have found that improved workplace literacy leads to greater skills and confidence. Greater skills and confidence leads to increased job satisfaction. It is very rewarding when workshop participants contact me to share their successes in finding a job or overcoming a barrier. Their beaming smiles and enthusiasm are evidence of the personal growth achieved through participation in employment workshops!
By Lisa Bjarnason
Community Literacy Coordinator
Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy – Nakusp