Workplace Essential Skills

Strategic Context

Vision: British Columbia’s adults will attain and maintain the literacy skills necessary to participate fully in the modern society and global economy.

Why is the government committed to this vision? Literacy benefits individuals, the economy and society as a whole. Research shows that higher levels of literacy lead to higher educational attainment, which in turn correlates with better health and better lives.

Investing in improving literacy skills provides economic returns. A study by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and Statistics Canada found that a one per cent increase in Canadians’ literacy skills would increase the country’s gross domestic product by 1.5 per cent per year.

Workplace learning

• Employer investment in workplace learning is vital in maintaining our economic prosperity and global competitiveness. There is a crucial need to support the 40 per cent of our workforce who do not have the basic literacy skills to perform their tasks and who are also facing the challenges of our growing knowledge-based economy.
• B.C.'s robust economic growth and record high employment rate have increased the shortage of highly skilled people that businesses need to grow and expand. Immigration is now the key source of labour force growth in B.C. Initiatives and programs that focus on ensuring the availability of a skilled workforce are necessary to meet the demands of the province's growing economy.
• B.C. expects to have more than a million new job openings over the next dozen years – mostly in skilled positions. Where will these new workers come from? New workers from within B.C. must be encouraged and hired, especially under-utilized workers such as those with disabilities, those who lack training, skilled immigrants and women.
• Working people in B.C. will need to continually update their skills to keep pace with changing technology.