This document outlines a project undertaken by the Yukon Literacy Coalition to assess community stakeholder interests related to workplace and workforce literacy and essential skills (LES). The project included a literature review and 96 face-to-face interviews.

The project showed that the Yukon faces the same major demographic shifts as Canada overall, with imminent retirement of a sizeable baby boomer generation; the arrival of many new immigrants; and a growing proportion of First Nations within the general population. It is also facing an acute shortage of skilled labour and has major problems with retention, particularly in the core sectors of tourism and mining.

The authors recommend that the Yukon government develop a communications strategy outlining the main funding opportunities that could be used to support workforce and workplace LES projects, targeting employers, nonprofits and First Nation governments; update policy documents to include specific language about workforce and workplace LES; consider creating a workplace LES coordinator position within the Department of Advanced Education’s labour market programs and services unit; and create more mechanisms for creative workplace LES initiatives to thrive within First Nation governments.

They also recommend that non-profits involved in workforce and workplace LES strike a committee to develop collaborative, multi-organizational strategies; work with Yukon College to determine where non-profit expertise could complement or reinforce offerings to students and clients in communities; develop an employer engagement strategy and find new workplace LES opportunities; and develop relationships with appropriate First Nations government representatives involved in education, literacy, and training.