Literacy Matters – Liz Gosse

Literacy MattersLIZ GOSSE

10.18 #PARISNORTH

WWW.BRANTSKILLSCENTRE.ORG

9 Essential Skills

These nine essential skills provide the foundation for success in work, learning, and life.

1. Reading 2. Document Use 3. Numeracy 4. Writing 5. Oral Communication6. Working with Others 7. Thinking 8. Computer Use 9. Continuous Learning

In 2012, the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competency discovered that 47% of adults in Ontario do not have the literacy and essential skills for learning, work, and life.

What does this mean to our people and our community?

Parents play a vital role in their children’s learning. The higher the level of a parent’s education and skill level, the higher the likelihood that the child will succeed in school.

• People with low literacy skills are more likely to experience unemployment and are twice as likely to be unemployed for six months or more.

• Low literacy skills can represent a risk to workplace health and safety.

Based on the 2011 National Household Survey, 24% of people in Brantford do not have their high school diploma.

• Young people are dropping out before completing their high school education.

• Approximately 29% of Grand Erie students who wrote the grade 10 literacy test in the 2014-2015 school year were unsuccessful.

• Money /Poverty• Job• Health issues• Disability• Lack of childcare• Transportation • Lack of personal motivation• Home situation

• Ontario will experience a skill shortage in the near future. Improving literacy rates will be critical to our province’s future economic health

• It is estimated that by 2031, Ontario will need 77% of its workforce to have post-secondary credential

Only 21% of people with low literacy skills try to access further education or training programs.

Close to 50% of adults with the lowest levels of literacy live in low income households.

Raising the literacy levels of people is one of the most important ways to encourage lifelong learning in our community.

• Provide people with the opportunity to learn while understanding their personal barriers to learning and education

• Provide a positive, open-minded learning environment

• Have an understanding of past learning experiences and how it may affect their learning now and in the future

• Ensure people have their basic needs met by referring people to programs and services

• Understand that people of all walks of life can experience challenges with literacy

• Break down the barriers

We need to…

Provide a positive, open-minded learning environment

Increased literacy skills are strongly linked to economic growth and prosperity. A 1% increase in literacy skills would lead to an increase of $18.5 billion per year in Canada’s GDP.

Literacy and the Economy

• Having the essential skills to obtain and maintain employment

• Having the digital literacy skills needed for the 21st century

• Upgrading your math skills to start an apprenticeship

• Access to education and training• Having the ability to succeed in

completing high school credit courses

Literacy means…

• Writing your GED • Being prepared to enter a post-secondary

school program• Being able to read to your children or

grandchildren• Financial independence

Literacy means…

Literacy Matters

10.18 #PARISNORTH

Brant Skills Centre

WWW.BRANTSKILLSCENTRE.ORG