Submission to the Digital Economy Strategy Consultation July 2010

Summary

ABC Life Literacy Canada applauds the Government for undertaking the digital economy consultation in the context of the rapidly changing economic environment and workplace for Canadians. Our submission focuses on the low literacy and numeracy skills of many Canadians — our core areas of knowledge and focus — and our concerns about how this is correlated to low levels of skill and comfort with the digital economy, a reality acknowledged in the consultation paper. We believe without addressing one, it will be difficult to improve the other.

In the view of ABC Life Literacy Canada, integrating the needs of those Canadians who require assistance in improving their basic literacy and essential skills into the skills component of a digital economy strategy needs to be an important priority. In so doing, the government will make great strides in addressing the challenge of upskilling Canadians to embrace the opportunity of the digital economy. This will help to ensure that these individuals have the skills and knowledge to contribute to the productivity of our economy.

Recommendations and response

We believe one of the most significant challenges facing the Government of Canada in developing a digital economy strategy will be the need to address the needs of the 42% of Canadians who have low levels of literacy and essential skills: without improving this basic foundation, these Canadians will not be in a position to upskill and adapt to the changing demands of the workplace, our economy and country.

There is no 'one size fits all' solution to improving digital skills for Canadians. We urge the Government of Canada to ensure its strategy builds on strategic partnerships and collaborations that are responsive to the circumstances of Canada's various jurisdictions, businesses, existing community infrastructure, the workplace and individuals. Many mechanisms are already in place to build on:

• The federal–provincial Labour Market Agreements and Labour Market Development Agreements (LMAs and LMDAs) need to be renewed and strengthened to reflect the priorities of the digital economy skills transformation.
• Embedding literacy, numeracy and essential skills into a suite of programs to address digital skills has the potential for far–reaching effective results. Federal investment will be required to execute such a strategy effectively.
• A digital skills strategy can, and should, build on the strength and capacity of existing community–based literacy agencies. Such programs will need to be adequately resources and invested in.

We also urge the federal government to ensure that clear language be a central element of the communications strategy around the digital economy strategy.

About ABC Life Literacy Canada

ABC Life Literacy Canada is a non–profit organization that inspires Canadians to increase their literacy skills. We mobilize business, government and communities to support lifelong learning and achieve our goals through leadership in programs, communications and partnerships. ABC Life Literacy Canada envisions a Canada where everyone has the skills they need to live a fully engaged life.

Submission

July 2010

ABC Life Literacy Canada is pleased to respond and contribute to the Government of Canada's public consultation on a digital economy strategy for Canada. We applaud the Government for undertaking this initiative in the context of the rapidly changing economic environment and workplace for Canadians. Notable to us is the leadership and coordination of three government departments in advancing it: Industry Canada, Canadian Heritage and Human Resources and Skills Development Canada. We applaud this cross–departmental policy development. We also welcome the acknowledgement that digital skills are important for the entire workforce, not just the most highly–trained among us, and all other Canadians.

At ABC Life Literacy Canada, we work towards ensuring that every Canadian has the literacy and essential skills they need to live a fully engaged life. An adequate level of competence in digital skills is an increasingly important element of the essential skills individuals require to thrive in, and contribute to, our society.

ABC Life Literacy Canada's submission focuses on the low literacy and numeracy skills of many Canadians — our core areas of knowledge and focus — and our concerns about how this is correlated to low levels of skill and comfort with the digital economy, a reality acknowledged in the consultation paper. We believe without addressing one, it will be difficult to improve the other. If one has challenges understanding and grappling with basic literacy and essential skills, as do 9 million adult Canadians, their ability to learn, adapt and use new digital tools to their full potential is limited.

In both the Government's consultation paper and meetings with national literacy organizations, the federal government is signaling the need to address skills development for the digital economy. In the view of ABC Life Literacy Canada, integrating the needs of those Canadians who require assistance in improving their basic literacy and essential skills needs to be an important priority. In so doing, the government will make great strides in addressing the challenge of upskilling Canadians to embrace the opportunity of the digital economy.

Putting digital skills in context

The consultation paper acknowledges the correlation between essential skills and digital abilities. When one considers that 42 percent of Canadians have low literacy, that is, they do not have the ability to read at a grade 12 level — the level considered sufficient to function effectively in today's world — the challenge ahead for Canada is immense. A great percentage of the Canadians who scored below a grade 12 level of reading actually fall below a grade 6 level, making the challenge even more daunting.

While not universal, there is a strong correlation between one's level of literacy and essential skills and their income. Without the benefit of literacy and essential skills, it is very difficult to break the cycle of poverty. People with low literacy have 2/3 the income of other adults.

These individuals who are employed tend to be in jobs that are among the least attractive, lowest paying and most insecure.

• 3.1 million working age Canadians with IALS Level 1 literacy skills, the lowest level of literacy, are employed;
• 5.8 million working age Canadians with IALS Level 2 literacy skills, (a somewhat higher skill level but still inadequate for today's complex society) are employed (International Adult Literacy Survey, 2003).

Now, more than ever, the jobs these people hold are rapidly disappearing and are not expected to return¹. As noted in the consultation paper, the transformation in such sectors as the automotive industry and forestry pose real challenges for skills upgrading for the workers who have been displaced.

Thus, in considering a national digital economy strategy, we urge the Government of Canada to ensure that it consider how to best address the needs of the workforce, indeed all Canadians, who do not have adequate literacy and essential skills in the context of the advanced economy. The benefits are clear: beyond providing individuals with the tools and skills to contribute more effectively to the economy, they will be supported in becoming economically self–sufficient. Our economy and our country will become stronger and more productive. Not least, individuals with higher levels of literacy will be able to contribute to our Canadian quality of life, and society generally, in more meaningful and engaged ways.

Our recommendations

The most critical challenge
In the view of ABC Life Literacy Canada, among the most significant challenges facing the Government of Canada in developing a digital economy strategy will be the need to address the needs of the 42% of Canadians who have low levels of literacy and essential skills: without improving this basic foundation, these Canadians will not be in a position to upskill and adapt to the changing demands of the workplace, our economy and country. In recognizing that attention needs to be paid to improving the literacy and essential skills of Canadians by governments and the private sector, we will help to ensure that these individuals have the skills and knowledge to be more effective and productive in the advanced digital workplace and economy.

This recommendation is fundamental and goes to the core of addressing the upskilling of digital skills in a comprehensive way.

Failure to acknowledge the significant gap in literacy and essential skills that currently exists among adult Canadians means that a significant proportion of the population, in the order of almost 9 million, will continue to have challenges contributing to the digital economy. It also means that Canada will continue to lag in productivity, a reality gaining increasing attention in the corporate sector. The importance of this is not lost on high–performing corporations: "We don't compete on labour rates, we complete on skill, innovation and time to market" said IBM's Ray Leduc, Manufacturing Director of the Bromont plant and recently quoted in The Globe and Mail².

Addressing the challenge: a multi–faceted approach to digital upskilling of Canadians
There is no 'one size fits all' solution to improving digital skills for Canadians. Rather, we urge the Government of Canada to ensure its strategy builds on strategic partnerships and collaborations that are responsive to the circumstances of Canada's various jurisdictions, businesses, existing community infrastructure, the workplace and individuals. Many mechanisms are already in place to build on:

• The federal–provincial Labour Market Agreements and Labour Market Development Agreements (LMAs and LMDAs) have gone some way to putting in place a skills training infrastructure that reflects the needs of Canada's provincial and territorial jurisdictions. The upcoming renewal and strengthening of these agreements is important to sustaining the skills and innovation agendas underway in provinces. Going forward, these agreements can be updated to reflect the priorities of the digital economy skills transformation.
• Beyond the LMAs and LMDAs, the federal government is investing in effective government–business initiatives that embed literacy and essential skills in a variety of skills training programs. In June, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada announced a new initiative with the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (Ontario) to embed literacy skills in workplace health and safety training. The same principles can be applied to digital upskilling: Embedding literacy, numeracy and essential skills into a suite of programs to address digital skills has the potential for far–reaching effective results. In recent years, the full potential of workplace literacy training has not been realized. Combining digital skills training with literacy and other essential skills in the workplace would be a welcome, forward–looking means to address the needs of Canadian workers with low levels of literacy. Federal investment will be required to execute such a strategy effectively.
• Complimentary to workplace initiatives are community delivery agencies. These agencies play a crucial role in delivering literacy and essential skills programs across Canada. Through an expansion of partnerships, such as the 400 already in place between ABC Life Literacy Canada and community agencies across the country, we can reach out to many more Canadians in need of digital upskilling. We urge the federal government to ensure that any digital skills strategy incorporate, and build on, the strength of these agencies. Such programs will need to be adequately resources and invested in.

Communications and clear language
As the federal government prepares its digital economy strategy, including its dissemination to Canadians, we urge that clear language³ be a central element of the communications strategy. While perhaps a notion that seems self–evident, it is important that all Canadians see themselves in the digital economy strategy being developed. This means that they will need to understand and see relevance in any training programs that will emerge. Criteria and objectives will need to be clear to the average reader.

About ABC Life Literacy Canada

ABC Life Literacy Canada is a non–profit organization that inspires Canadians to increase their literacy skills. We mobilize business, government and communities to support lifelong learning and achieve our goals through leadership in programs, communications and partnerships. ABC Life Literacy Canada envisions a Canada where everyone has the skills they need to live a fully engaged life.

For the latest news and information on adult literacy please visit: ABC Life Literacy Canada follow us on Twitter ABC Life Literacy on Twitter or join our Facebook page ABC Life Literacy on Facebook.

¹ Movement for Canadian Literacy. Fact Sheet #9: Literacy and Poverty.

² The Globe and Mail, 7 July 2010, ROB, page 1.

³ Clear language is a concept already endorsed and developed by literacy practitioners. The federal government is urged to consider the significant work that has happened in this area, including in other jurisdictions like the U.S.