2nd Roundtable on Workforce Skills Report Released
Senior Canadian business and labour leaders at the April 2011 Roundtable on Workforce Skills called for a significant increase in literacy and essential skills investment and awareness in Canada. The report of that meeting, Literacy & Essential Skills for an Adaptable Economy {hyperlink to PDF}, was released today.
The centerpiece of the report is a set of six core ideas and actions informed by the strategic insight industry leaders brought to the Roundtable to help make workplace literacy and essential skills a higher priority in Canada.
The report's recommendations address the increasingly vital role that a highly skilled workforce will play in meeting Canada's major economic challenges including its slowing labour force growth, increased global competition and technological change and the need to ensure that Canadians can keep good jobs or make transitions to new opportunities.
"The event captured key ideas, discussions and recommendations on how our knowledge of effective skills development practices can guide Canada's public policies and programs," says Jayson Myers, co-chair of the Roundtable on Workforce Skills and President and CEO of the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters.
Ken Georgetti, co-chair of the Roundtable on Workforce Skills and president of the Canadian Labour Congress, agrees, saying, "Though there much work to be done to invest in literacy and essential skills in the workforce, these recommendations could go a long way to ensuring Canada has a highly adaptable economy."
