Literacy studies open doors to discussion

Stats Canada has released the second installment of its Literacy For Life: Further Results from the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey. The results highlight what environmental factors affect how adults learn. Numeracy and problem solving skills assessments form a key part of the report. In the conclusion it looks at 'skill mismatch' in the labour markets and how this impacts on adult learning. But, this isn't the only research going on this year that will affect us in the future.

The International Study of Adults (ISA), which looks at what skills are used on a daily basis, aims to help clarify what challenges we face in creating a skilled workforce for the 21st century. The survey is 'dwelling' based, with families being selected randomly, and asked about skills used in daily life. This massive project, with more than 20 countries participating, is expected to report back at the end of 2013. That should leave enough time to digest the Literacy for Life findings, and then integrate these.

Human Resources and Skill Development Canada's Literacy and Essential Skills program is ongoing. Their work focuses on the digital influences in our workplaces. They use a series of videos to promote the importance this issue will have in future workplaces skill development needs. Literacy Alberta has prepared a resource guide - a database of services - for those interested in learning more about essential skills.

If you were feeling out of the loop after the holidays, or weren't sure which way to go in 2012, these studies are a good appetizer to get you going. They may seem like something on the distant horizon. But, they are certain to come closer, faster than we anticipate, and affect the way we think about literacy and create solutions.