Canada’s performance in literacy and numeracy in the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), an initiative of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) released in 2013, points to an Essential Skills (ES) problem across the country, say the authors of this report.
This essay, written by the senior vice president and chief economist with the TD Bank Group, appeared in an abridged form in the Globe and Mail newspaper on September 7, 2012, the day before International Literacy Day, which provides an opportunity to highlight and emphasize the importance of literacy as an essential skill.
This literature review was prepared by the TD Economics division of TD Bank Group.
There is a great deal of compelling evidence on the benefits of early learning, the authors point out. Not only do high-quality early childhood education programs benefit children, they also have positive impacts on parents, and on the economy as a whole.
The author of this presentation argues that businesses must become champions of literacy because it can increase productivity and profitability, noting that higher literacy brings sustainable gains to individuals, businesses, the economy and society.
The aim of this report is to draw attention to challenges at hand and encourage conversation with policymakers and stakeholders. Newcomers are a primary source of additional workers to the labour market, and their importance is steadily rising due to the slowing trend in domestic population growth.
