Delegates attending an international literacy policy conference in Vancouver last month made site visits to several Lower Mainland literacy and workplace programs.

The site visits were included on the agenda of the OECD Conference held at the Hotel Vancouver November 4-7, 1997.

Approximately 50 delegates were divided into three groups to visit these selected sites:

B.C. Workforce Literacy Program Exchange

Speech Assisted Reading and Writing (SARAW) Program, Capilano College

City of Vancouver Workplace Language Program

Vancouver Community College (VCC), City Centre Campus vocational/technical program

VCC King Edward Campus computer literacy lab and LINC (Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada) Program

The Native Education Centre

MacMillan Bloedel New Westminster Division-- Skill Enhancement Training (SET) Program.

The site visits were followed by a banquet in New Westminster hosted by the United Food and Commercial Workers' (UFCW) Union Local 2000 Training Centre and the graduates of the UFCW Cook Literacy Program. The evening's keynote address was given by Ken Georgetti, President, B.C. Federation of Labour.

Jean Rasmussen has joined Literacy B.C. as Projects Manager effective October 1, 1997.

Jean brings over 20 years experience to her new position. She has worked as an advocate, practitioner, trainer and community-based program developer within the literacy field. Jean recently moved to Vancouver from Toronto, where she was employed as a program coordinator/ABE instructor with the Toronto Board of Education. Jean has a M. Ed in Adult Education -- Focus: Critical Global and Community Issues, Literacy and Special Needs.

Jean's job at Literacy B.C. is to coordinate and implement the Regional Coordination project and the1998 Summer Literacy Institute for literacy practitioners, and to provide consultation, support and training to the field.

Jean is particularly interested in promoting and developing family and workplace literacy, with a focus on access to programs, and designing training workshops for instructors and volunteers.

We welcome Jean on board at Literacy B.C.! You can reach her at: