• Communities with economies that are resource-based (i.e. agriculture, forestry, fishing, oil and gas) are in a state of transition. The traditional supply of low-skilled employment opportunities is shifting as these industries are either in decline or are becoming more technologically advanced and in need of higher-skilled workers.

• In many cases, there is a large supply of unskilled or low-skilled workers displaced from resource-based industries and for whom literacy and basic skills is an issue – particularly in terms of their employability. In some communities, the true rate of unemployment is estimated to be at 50%.

• Displaced workers comprise all age groups. Many mature workers left high school early to take well-paying work in the resource sector – only to be laid off or to find that they haven’t the skills to embrace new industry processes or technologies. In some cases, youth continue to have unrealistic expectations for finding and keeping jobs in the resource sector. In other communities, where the hope for employment is seen to be bleak, it is difficult to keep kids in school; a “what’s the point” mentality exists.

• Largely with Forest Renewal BC funding, a number of forest companies have until recent funding cuts offered workers opportunities to upgrade their skills or to retrain for work in other sectors. However, very few workforce basic skills programs exist among resource industries outside the forest sector.

• Even in regions of the province where the economy is based on agriculture, manufacturing, and the service sector – literacy is an issue. Seasonal workers and workers displaced due to the introductions of technologies and processes don’t have the skills for other employment elsewhere.

Community Make-Up…

• Even within regions of the province where many of the economic circumstances are similar, individual communities address literacy issues differently. ! Some communities rely heavily on the programs – which vary in extent – that are delivered by educational institutions. In others, tensions exist between these institutions; some work closely together and others decidedly do not.

• Some communities are driven more by grassroots partnerships. A few have struck effective partnerships among a variety of providers: school districts, colleges, literacy associations,Friendship Centers, unions, employers, and even other government agencies. These latter, however, are the minority.

• There are also variations in the emphasis literacy interventions take. Some communities have mobilized considerable capacity around early childhood intervention programs and family literacy initiatives. Others have a strong focus on at-risk youth. Others still – albeit fewer – are more concerned with workforce and employment-related literacy programs.

• Some communities are heavily influenced by the transient nature of the workers in their region. The residents are turning over on a regular basis so there is a lack of continuity – which affects progress, partnerships, access to expertise, even funding.

Adjusting Our Vision

The following are our reflections on what all of the foregoing implies in terms of future action around literacy and learning in BC:

16) Acknowledge and Respect the Diversity of Our Communities

Regardless of whether they are geographic, cultural, or otherwise, the diversity of communities throughout BC should be acknowledged and respected. With respect to literacy and learning in particular, we recommend supporting the right of individual communities to learn and draw from what happens provincially and elsewhere – but to self-determine how best it is applied at the local level.

17) Initiate and Support Strategies that Foster “Learning Communities”in BC

Despite the diversity of our communities, literacy and learning are consistently seen as a viable fulcrum for effecting socio-economic revitalization. We recommend that there be full support for any strategies which foster “learning communities” to develop throughout BC. More specifically, we recommend enabling communities to more easily share information with one another about those strategies (eg. community mapping, developing indicators of community vibrancy, etc.) and about their successes.