Literacy and Essential Skills as a Poverty Reduction Strategy – National Research Report
At the core of the National Research Project is the conviction that literacy instruction can provide low-skilled adults living in poverty with the knowledge, confidence, resilience, and autonomy they need to overcome the challenges they face and live productive lives. The positive effects of literacy skills are not limited to economic well-being, however.
Literacy skills are necessary to complete even the most basic tasks in a person’s life. Taken a step further, literacy can empower individuals to make informed choices about their lives. These skills help individuals make better decisions about how to manage their finances, how to manage their health, how to use technology, and how to understand the institutions that govern their lives, which in turn allows them to engage more fully.
Literacy is a key step on the pathway not only to employment but also to broader social inclusion and full participation in valued-dimensions of society such as social, civic, and political engagement that are critical to the inclusion and well-being of all Canadians. The report’s key recommendation is that governments need to recognize literacy as not only a policy priority but a basic human right. Moreover, funders need to expand their thinking beyond support for single projects to include more comprehensive, integrated programs.
Project Details
Published: March 2019
Capability: Policy Research
Policy Area: Adult Learning - Adult Training - Workplace Training - Literacy and Essential Skills, Income Security - Social Assistance, Employment - Employment Supports and Services
Population: Low-skilled Workers - Social Assistance Recipients
Type: Executive summary, Full report
Other Related Projects
Using Pay-for-Performance to Incentivize Manufacturing SMEs to Promote Active, Continuous Training (Pay-for-Performance IMPACT)
This project examines several key questions related to the effectiveness of a pay-for-performance (PFP) funding model in facilitating and incentivizing small- and medium-sized enterprise…
Read More
Enhancing Displaced Workers’ Literacy and Essential Skills
The Enhancing Displaced Workers Literacy and Essential Skills project is a collaborative project that is managed by Decoda Literacy Solutions and supported by the…
Read More
Evaluation Methodology for the Pathway to Apprenticeship Completion in the Trades (PACT)
The PACT (Pathway to Apprenticeship Completion) is an important initiative that tests and gathers data on scalable solutions for apprenticeship retention, progression, and completion…
Read More
