Skills Shortages: Is Workplace Literacy
Part of the Problem?
“The many small
and medium-sized enterprises that participated (in our forums and survey)
are very interested in the skill shortages issue, and most expect this
to become a larger problem unless proactive measures that stimulate
change are taken ... Lifelong learning, improving the image of non-university
careers, improved literacy programs, and more workplace education were
some of the themes from the Chamber forums.”
-- Closing
the Skills Gap: A Report of the British Columbia Chamber of Commerce
Skill Shortages Initiative, April 2002
“Existing workers who we seek to retrain for other jobs may lack
the requisite basic skills; unless we upgrade those skills, retraining
may not be effective … We assume that whatever basic skills we
once learned are with us forever. They’re not. The skills we don’t
use are the skills we lose.”
-- The
Basics of Skills Shortages, Learning Curves, August
2001
“The labour force is aging and increasing more slowly. In fact,
more than one-half of the people who will be in the labour force in
2015 are already in it. Hence, many of today’s workers will have
to supply tomorrow’s skill requirements … More than 40%
of working-age Canadians lack the necessary basic literacy skills required
for successful participation in our rapidly changing labour market.”
-- Raising
Adult Literacy Skills: The Need for a Pan-Canadian Response,
Human Resources Development Canada, June 2003
“Lack of qualified workers is a continuing concern; half of the
current apprentices do not complete their training to become qualified
in a trade.”
-- A
New Model for Industry Training in British Columbia, BC Ministry of
Advanced Education, December 2002
“Among the key challenges facing BC vis a vis the looming skills
crisis include is the need to increase workplace literacy strategies
… Governments, industries, communities and educators need to develop
and utilize more re-employment strategies to move unemployed workers
into new jobs.”
-- Closing
the Skills Gap: A Report of the British Columbia Chamber of Commerce
Skill Shortages Initiative, April 2002
“Consider how the current skills shortages compel us to look beyond
the existing workforce to the unemployed and to those who have traditionally
been underrepresented in the labour force: women, youth, visible minorities,
people with disabilities, and First Nations. More than ever before,
we need to find effective ways of recruiting and training them for available
jobs. The reality is that many of these people may need to upgrade their
basic or “soft” skills – if for no other reason than
their lack of recent work experience. The reality also is that traditional
paths for upgrading such as college or school district ABE programs
simply may not be ones that lead these people to success – for
all kinds of reasons.”
--
The Basics of Skills Shortages, Learning Curves, August
2001
Some of the key themes from the forums in terms of taking action around
this issue include:
-
Upgrading the
skill sets of all workers to meet future skill needs is critical.
Therefore, the working population should be encouraged to embrace
lifelong learning.
-
Lower skilled
jobs are disappearing, as more jobs become knowledge-based, requiring
stronger basic skills and education; literacy in the workforce needs
to be expanded.
-- Closing
the Skills Gap: A Report of the British Columbia Chamber of Commerce
Skill Shortages Initiative, April 2002
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