Pan-Canadian Forum to Address Adult Literacy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRINCE GEORGE, BRITISH COLUMBIA, June 18. 2006 – More than 150 policy experts and literacy stakeholders will discuss common solutions to low literacy skills among 40 per cent of adult learners at a special forum on June 19 and June 20 at the University of Northern British Columbia.
"Adult literacy skills are essential not just to the quality of life of individuals and their families, but to the social and economic health of our communities and our society as a whole. People with low literacy skills need and deserve help with the basics of reading, writing, and math skills," said Premier Gordon Campbell.
The forum is part of the Literacy Action Plan of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC). It commits the provinces and territories to work together to increase the literacy levels of all Canadians.
Some of the world's leading authorities on the topic of adult literacy will deliver keynote addresses at the forum, including Michael C. McCracken, Chair and CEO, Informetrica; Barry Brooks, Director for Lifelong Learning, Tribal Education, United Kingdom; and Vanessa Little, Manager, Hume City Learning Community, Australia.
"I am impressed by the high quality and diversity of participants at this event," said the Honourable Joan Burke, Chair of CMEC and Minister of Education for Newfoundland and Labrador. "CMEC believes that bringing together adult literacy stakeholders from across Canada will help us to understand better the needs of adult learners and contribute to the development of more effective adult literacy policies and programs for Canadians."
Participants will attend panels and workshops on a variety of topics including the use of Canadian and international data in the formulation of adult literacy policy and practices, the economic argument for high adult literacy skill levels, and the development of successful and innovative adult literacy programs.
"I would like to thank the speakers and learners who have travelled to B.C. to share their knowledge and experience with us," said British Columbia's Advanced Education Minister Murray Coell. "Over time, a cohesive action plan will have a significant long-term social, educational value, not only to British Columbians and Canadians but also internationally."
Entitled Investing in Our Potential: Towards Quality Adult Literacy Programs in Canada, the forum provides a venue where a broad cross-section of stakeholders can deliberate the challenges of literacy and identify strategies to significantly increase literacy skill levels in Canada.
"B.C. is proud to host this forum and proud to play a lead role in CMEC's work on literacy," said British Columbia's Education Minister Shirley Bond. "We know that literacy is a priority for all the provinces and territories - we are united by a desire to improve the lives of people coast to coast to coast."
CMEC is an intergovernmental body composed of the ministers responsible for elementary, secondary and advanced education from the provinces and territories. Through CMEC, ministers share information and undertake projects in areas of mutual interest and concern.
Backgrounder attached.
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BACKGROUNDER
June 18, 2006
Ministry of Advanced Education
Ministry of Education
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Barry Brooks
Barry is Director for Lifelong Learning at Tribal CTAD in the United Kingdom. His current portfolio focuses on the national and international aspects of employment, social justice, and workforce development.
Before joining Tribal CTAD, Barry Brooks was a senior member of the British civil service, most recently at the Department for Education and Skills (DfES). As head of the "Skills for Life" strategy unit, he successfully developed and implemented his government's national strategy for improving the literacy, language, and numeracy skills of young people and adults.
Barry was the policy lead on the functional skills aspects of two White Papers: "14-19 Learning Skills" and "Skills: getting on at work, getting on in business". His knowledge and expertise in working across different audiences, contexts, and settings ensured coherence and consistency for this key policy area. Barry has extensive international experience, including the European Commission's Expert Group on developing the European Framework for Basic Skills, as a member of the EQUAL Board, and in developing the DfES's contribution to the recent Commission for Africa.
Vanessa Little
Vanessa is the General Manager, Learning Community with Hume City Council in Melbourne, Australia. Hume is a fringe council in Melbourne's north, which has adopted a unique program to address social and economic disadvantage through learning.
Under Vanessa's leadership, Hume City Council has developed the Hume Global Learning Centre (HGLC), a state-of-the-art learning facility that includes the first-ever public library in Broadmeadows. The HGLC is an example of a government, community, and business partnership; and Council and The Age newspaper won the Victorian award in the Prime Minister's Awards for Business Community partnerships in 2003.
Vanessa works with the community, village members, and businesses to raise participation in learning within the community and local businesses. This collaborative model is unique to Australia and provides employment, life, and recreational skills opportunities for the broadest range of the community.
Michael C. McCracken
Mike McCracken is one of the founders of Informetrica Limited (1972), a Canadian-based economic research and information company, providing long-term national, provincial, and industrial forecasts to companies, governments, and other organizations across Canada and abroad.
He has served as president of the Canadian Association for Business Economics (1979-81 and 1988-90) and Chair of the US Conference of Business Economists (1994).
He is Treasurer of the Canadian Employment Research Forum (CERF) and a member of the National Accounts Advisory Committee and the Trade Statistics Advisory Committee at Statistics Canada. Recently, he was a member of the Advisory Group on Rural Issues to the Minister of State for Rural Development.
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Ministry of Advanced Education
Paul Woolley
Communications Director
(250) 952-6508 / Cell: (250) 213-1171
or
CMEC
Colin Bailey
Assistant Director
Administration and Communications
(416) 962-8100, ext. 259
www.cmec.ca