Workplace Literacy Initiatives Across the Country

CAMA began workplace literacy initiatives in 1994 with five pilot projects in the municipalities of St. John’s (NF), Bathurst (NB), Moncton (NB), Edmonton(AB) and Port Moody (BC). Since then, CAMA has actively promoted and supported workplace education across the country. With the start of the Literate Cities Project in 2001, CAMA intensified its activities and raised the visibility of workplace education. By early 2003, 60 municipal programs were in place, completed, or in the planning stages.(1)

Challenges

The challenges faced by the Literate Cities Project are common to many sectors involved in workplace literacy:

• Overcoming the negative perception of the need for literacy. It is essential for managers to understand the expanded role of literacy in today’s workplace.

• Integrating literacy and personal learning into municipal training and development structures. The City of Winnipeg committed three million dollars to overall training and development which included an essential skills program for workers.

• Emphasizing the importance of critical thinking and problem-solving, rather than just high school equivalency, as key to succeeding in the knowledge economy.

• Working through a strictly joint process once the decision to move forward is made.

Three Areas of Current Activity

To facilitate municipal workplace literacy initiatives, the Literate Cities Project, under the theme of “strengthening and building our networks,” has undertaken actions in three categories:

• Direct intervention at the local, provincial and national levels. Activities include two Literate Cities 2002 Conferences, assisting with the development of new workplace literacy programs, the development of an electronic discussion format called Literate Cities Link, in partnership with CUPE (through NALD), and the establishment of an Award of Excellence for Municipal Workplace Literacy Achievements.