Government aims to improve manufacturing literacy rates

The Federal government recently launched a program designed to improve the literacy and essential skills of manufacturing workers in Canada.

The Office of Literacy and Essential Skills, a government body designed to help increase the literacy and essential skills of adult Canadian, will allot a portion of its $38 million 2010-11 budget to improving literacy in the manufacturing sector.

Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) will receive over $4 million for its project entitled Leveraging and Embedding Literacy and Essential Skills in Health and Safety Opportunities, through the National Essential Skills Workplace Service – Employment Insurance Part II program. Through this project, CME will conduct research and develop a business case to demonstrate the benefits of embedding literacy and essential skills into health and safety training programs, which will encourage innovation, productivity and safety in the workplace.

"Our government believes that working with partners to improve literacy and essential skills is a great way to help Canadians build better futures," said Minister Raitt. "By identifying best practices and creating tools to help businesses incorporate these critical skills in their training programs, this project will ultimately help workers get the skills upgrading they need to stay safe and productive on the job."