Conclusions :

• Literacy and numeracy matter economically and socially
• The Canadian labour and educational markets recognize and reward skill
• The initial education system is doing well overall but still produces significant numbers that do not meet expectations
• Employer supported adult learning systems are extraordinarily skill biased
• Overall level of adult education and training seems low in international terms
• Data from the 2003 International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey (IALSS) will tell us how skill profiles are evolving
• We have an urgent need to understand the learning needs of individuals in Level 1 and how skill interacts with firm characteristics
• A national "standards" exercise might help