Employers were the second most likely source of funding to be mentioned – with workforce literacy practitioners and labour respondents saying so the most frequently.

Other responses were society overall and the education system. Funding from unions, program users, community agencies, and donations/charities were also mentioned.

Supplemental Business/Labour Survey

“How should basic skills upgrading and workforce education be funded? Why do you feel this way?”

NOTE: Due to rounding, percentages may not exactly total 100%

75% of employers and union representatives said basic skills upgrading should be funded by government and/or employers. Interestingly, employers were slightly more likely (15%) than union representatives (9%) to believe individuals should pay. Some union representatives believe unions should provide funding.

The Jurisdictional Blur…

“Education is a government responsibility.” – Union Representative in the Supplemental Business/Labour Telephone Survey

• The “jurisdictional blur” between federal and provincial government responsibility – and between specific provincial ministries – was cited as confusing and time-consuming for service providers. People complained of “too much energy lost on chasing funds instead of delivering programs”.

• Throughout the province, representatives of the former Ministry of Social Development and Economic Security (now the Ministry of Human Resources) confirmed and lamented low levels of literacy among their clients. However, they said their mandate is to return these people to employment as quickly as possible – and not to fund 3-5 year programs to help them acquire the skills they need to do so.

• Likewise, the focus of Forest Renewal BC is on rapid re-entry into employment and, to that end, it provides learning grants to individuals. However, unlike in the past, those individuals must already have basic skills. Still, they said “But literacy is an issue and it comes up over and over.” ! Field officers in several ministries expressed frustration that their “head office” counterparts were too removed from the situation to fully appreciate the size of the problem – or the tragedy of it.

• Numerous people we consulted said the capacity of their community and the political and/ or fiscal will to address the basic skills needs – particularly of “barrier clients” – is not there.

• Some community-based literacy groups can only help adults – and yet they are aware of huge literacy issues for teens.