>

>Building the

Future >>engaging

>>collaborating

>>transforming

Message from

CLLN’s Chair of the

Board of Directors,

Chris Whitaker and

President and CEO,

Lindsay Kennedy

As we began this fiscal year, we took

to heart the three words we have

chosen to define ourselves:

Engagement, Collaboration and

Transformation. Over the past year

our work has helped us understand

and appreciate what it truly means to

work together as a board and staff

team focused on our goal: placing

CLLN at the leading edge of adult

literacy and learning in Canada.

All of our activities have been carried

out within the context of the

overarching organizational priorities

identified in our Strategic Plan:

> The expansion of our network

beyond the provincial and territorial

literacy coalitions,

> Bringing other voices to the table

to strengthen our current

stakeholder base, and

> Re-shaping the CLLN board

structure to match skills and

knowledge to strategic vision.

During 2012/13 the board and staff

have worked together closely to

implement these three priorities. The

strategic priorities both guide the

development of our work plan and

are realized through the key activities

identified and carried out by staff. As

a result we have experienced

positive outcomes from our

organizational renewal efforts and

from the new partnerships we have

established. We have also achieved

key milestones in our research work,

making significant contributions to

the field. Now we are excited about

the beginnings of promising new

endeavours.

The transformation of the Board of

Directors to a skills-based board was

completed this year. We have crafted

a board with an enviable depth of

skills, knowledge and expertise, and

an inspiring level of insight, energy

and commitment.

Our core staff complement has

grown, with the new additions

rounding out our robust and well-

balanced team of six highly skilled

and dedicated individuals who

command the respect of their peers.

As both the board and staff have

evolved, all of us have worked hard

and contributed to our efforts to

position CLLN as a respected and

effective national leader in the

Canadian literacy and essential skills

(L/ES) landscape.

In particular, the staff team needs to

be acknowledged for their excellent

performance in clearly articulating

CLLN’s role and position in this

landscape, based on our overall

strategic goals, and their

responsiveness to emerging issues

and needs. In our transformation, we

have consistently communicated a

clear message to all of our

stakeholders, partners and funders

that we are a viable and flexible

national L/ES hub.

CLLN Areas of Activity 2012/13

> conducting new national-level

research [innovate]

> convening meetings with a broadened

stakeholder base [engage]

> strengthening relationships with L/ES

organizations and building new

partnerships outside the L/ES field

[collaborate]

> communicating with L/ES

stakeholders, employment skills

stakeholders and Canadians [connect]

[innovate – engage – collaborate –

connect =} transform]

[innovate + engage +

collaborate + connect =

transform]

Our key activities during 2012/13

have contributed to knowledge about

and awareness of literacy and

essential skills in Canada, and have

strengthened our national L/ES

network and ties to international and

adult literacy initiatives.

This past year we have

demonstrated our ability to scan the

national horizon, analyze labour

market and other data, create

thematic reports and share

information that is relevant to diverse

audiences—within our own field as

well as within government and

business. Our process is built on a

high level of engagement and

collaboration with multiple

stakeholders. The first national

“State of the Literacy and Essential

Skills Field” report, developed using

this process, has been well-received.

We have been successful in

applications for two important

national projects, one of which is in

partnership with another national

L/ES organization. Both of these

projects clearly demonstrate our

ability to produce results that

contribute to the research agenda of

the L/ES field.

Building our relationships with key

national organizations in and outside

of the L/ES field has been a priority

activity. CLLN has been able to

develop positive and productive

relationships with several national

organizations and has completed a

number of projects in partnership

with non-L/ES national organizations.

Bridging research and engagement,

CLLN had the opportunity to

showcase the results of our 2012

“Investing in Upskilling” report

through a series of meetings and

roundtables hosted during the fall

and winter of 2012/13. These events

solidified our respected place in the

national literacy and essential skills

community, and expanded and

reinforced our network.

All this—and more—has established

CLLN as a strong player and

competent, multi-faceted and

responsive collaborator in the

national L/ES landscape.

We look forward to our work in

2013/14 as we further solidify CLLN

as an effective leader of the L/ES

community on a national level. We

will continue to do what we do best:

innovative research; partner and

stakeholder engagement and

support; and collaborating,

convening and communicating to

keep CLLN at the forefront of

advancing L/ES in Canada.

Our goal is to build a durable, yet

versatile architecture that will allow

us to achieve our strategic

directions—to interact, inform,

influence and invest (build

capacity)—as we strengthen learning

as a fundamental component of

Canadian culture.

Chris Whitaker

CLLN Board Chair

Lindsay Kennedy

President and CEO, CLLN

This year CLLN developed a life-time

achievement award to recognize

individuals who have played key

roles in the field of adult literacy

education. We are honoured to

announce that Ellen Szita, long-time

CLLN board member and member of

the organization’s learners group,

will be the first recipient of this

award. She will be presented with

the award in British Columbia this

November.

>

OLES The Office of Literacy

and Essential Skills (OLES) is

focused on improving the Literacy

and Essential Skills of adult

Canadians. In partnership with

OLES, CLLN is part of the Centre of

Excellence, developing and

disseminating knowledge and tools

to prepare Canada’s workforce for

the challenges of the new

economies.

Public PolicyForum The Public Policy

Forum (PPF) is an independent, not-

for-profit organization dedicated to

improving the quality of government

in Canada through enhanced

dialogue among the public, private

and voluntary sectors. With PPF,

CLLN is reaching deeper into the

world of employers, engaging them

in the dialogue about upskilling in the

workplace.

SRDC The Social Research

and Demonstration Corporation

(SRDC) is recognized as a national

leader in social research and

experimentation. For two decades,

SRDC has been building a

knowledge base and learning what

works in social policy, as well as

what does not work.

SRDC executed the national survey

of the Literacy and Essential Skills

workforce.

ABC ABC Life Literacy

Canada connects and mobilizes

business, unions, government,

communities and individuals to

support lifelong learning and achieve

goals through leadership in

programs, communications and

partnerships.

CLLN and ABC are collaborating on

the ‘Advancing Workplace Learning’

project.

Centre forLiteracy The Centre for

Literacy is a centre of expertise that

supports best practices and

informed policy development in

Literacy and Essential Skills by

creating bridges between research,

policy and practice. CLLN partners

with the Centre in learning events,

such as institutes and workshops,

action research projects and

publications.

RESDAC Le Réseau

pour le développement de

l’alphabétisme et des compétences

(RESDAC) works to promote literacy

as a right and also to improve the

Literacy and Essential Skills of adult

Francophone Canadians outside

Quebec. CLLN partners with the

RESDAC on many levels - from

workshops and forums to the

national promotion of Canadian Adult

Learners’ Week. This partnership is

especially important as it links the

French and English literacy networks.

UNESCO A UN body,

UNESCO supports education around

the world as a building block to well-

>> Partners

functioning democracies and

peaceful societies. It is a sound

investment that helps nations and

communities to develop

economically and socially. UNESCO

works to promote education as a

fundamental right. It focuses on

improving the quality of education,

promoting gender equality, and

stimulating experimentation,

innovation and policy dialogue. CLLN

has an ongoing dialogue with

UNESCO, as well as partnering in the

promotion of Canadian Adult

Learners’ Week.

CUPE With 618,000

members across Canada, CUPE is

Canada’s largest union, representing

workers in health care, education,

municipalities, libraries, universities,

social services, public utilities,

transportation, emergency services

and airlines. CLLN and CUPE are

working together to identify ways to

build support for workplace learning

and addressing learners’ needs.

CAF The Canadian

Apprenticeship Forum – Forum

canadien sur l’apprentissage (CAF-

FCA) is a non-profit organization that

connects Canada’s apprenticeship

community. Participants work

collaboratively to support vibrant and

innovative apprenticeship systems

and policies with a view to

developing a highly-skilled, inclusive

and mobile skilled trades workforce.

CLLN and CAF started their

collaboration this year with a survey

of digital skills of apprentices desired

by their employers.

Other collaborators are:

Council of Ministers of Education

(CMEC)

Canadian Chamber of Commerce

The National Literacy Table

Association of Canadian Community

Colleges

Financial Consumer Agency of

Canada (FCAC)

> Building strong

partnerships inspires

further collaboration and

stimulates innovation.

[innovate + engage +

collaborate + connect

= transform]

Investing inUpskillingRoundtablesIn partnership with Canada’s Public

Policy Forum (PPF) and Canadian

Manufacturers and Exporters (CME),

CLLN convened 2 roundtables in

Ottawa and Toronto to explore the

potential for a multi-sector approach to

improving literacy and essential skill

(L/ES) levels in Canada. Subsequently,

based on requests

from provincial/territorial LES coalitions,

roundtable discussions were held in

Moncton (New Brunswick), Vancouver

(British Columbia), and Winnipeg

(Manitoba). Representatives from

across all sectors were invited to share

findings from the report, and to engage

stakeholders in building partnerships

for improving adult L/ES levels.

AdvancingWorkplaceLearningThe “Advancing Workplace Learning”

(AWL) project aims to inform

employers about effective training and

workplace practices that can enhance

the essential skills of employees and

create a culture of learning. The

project will foster a greater

understanding of what brings

employers to the table to engage in

and maintain workplace education

programs, as well as the features and

infrastructures that support workplace

education in a variety of settings and

company sizes. In turn, CLLN will be

able to make recommendations for

national and provincial/territorial

improvements for WL/ES

implementation, and to establish new

and enhanced partnerships between

employers and learning partners. This

project is a collaboration of CLLN with

ABC Life Literacy Canada

[innovate + engage +

collaborate + connect =

transform]

Labour Market Study of the Literacyand Essential Skills WorkforceThe study builds on the Occupational Competencies snapshot, the State of

the Field Report, and two feasibility studies (CCL and Statistics Canada)

from 2010/2011. A major component of the study was a large-scale,

confidential survey of the L/ES workforce. The survey, which was completed

by 700 workers representing every province and territory, allowed CLLN to

gain a comprehensive picture of who works in the Literacy and Essential

Skills field. It drew attention to the human resource issues that may affect

Canada’s capacity to achieve better Literacy and Essential Skills results for

Canadians. In addition to building knowledge about the current state of the

L/ES workforce, the results will be used to inform policy makers at national

and provincial/territorial levels.

Research asked practitioners about what they value in respect to skills,

knowledge, and credentials directed related to their work in Literacy and

Essential Skills. It probed working conditions across the L/ES field and

questioned the value of, and whether there is a need for, occupational

standards and/or credentials. This knowledge will inform the National

Occupational Standards project.

IntegratedPlanning andReporting ToolCLLN is creating a resource that

contains descriptions

of projects funded

over the last seven

years, with an

emphasis on

information such as target

audiences, key features, and outputs

with links. The emphasis will be on

results. The objective is to create a

continuously updated tool that can

be used by L/ES stakeholders

working in a variety of capacities. An

effective method of sharing this

information will enhance the current

state of knowledge and support the

needs of researchers, administrators

and practitioners in L/ES

organizations, and community

organizations working with L/ES

topics.

LearningSuccess: TheVoice ofWorkersCLLN and the Canadian Union of

Public Employees (CUPE) embarked

on the Learning Success project

together to provide a voice to

Literacy and Essential Skills (L/ES)

learners within the workplace. CUPE

is a strong supporter of literacy

training and, in collaboration with the

Canadian Association of Municipal

Administrators (CAMA), has been a

pioneer in workplace education

programs since the late 1990s.

In the first phase of the project, work

was done to consolidate information

on workplace L/ES materials/tools

and existing reports that relate to

needs as described by workplace

learners. A report soon to be

released online through CLLN’s

website includes learners’ voices

expressed through existing reports

and through CUPE’s Members

Literacy Council. Feedback from

CUPE Education Representatives

and Literacy Working Group

Members in also incorporated, along

with feedback from L/ES experts.

The report includes a Literature

Review, covering CAMA and CUPE

tools and resources, and general

L/ES resources. A number of

activities are suggested to promote

learning culture in the

workplace.CLLN would like to thank

Isabelle Boucher and Patricial Nutter

from CUPE for their support and

collaboration.

>> Projects

> Responding to the needs

identified by the L/ES

field by creating

innovative new ideas,

resources and tools.

>Effective partnerships generate new

ideas and can lead to the creation of

innovative projects with the potential to

transform lives.

>CLLN outreach to targeted

audiences is building

awareness of L/ES among

Canadians and expanding our

stakeholder base.

[innovate + engage + collabo

>Bringing different perspectives and

complementary skillsets to the table fosters

the development of innovative new projects

with the power to transform.

>Going forward, CLLN will work to

optimize our network to effectively

support the enhancement of adult

learning in Canada.

orate + connect = transform]

WebinarWednesdaysCLLN’s winter webinar series where

we profile CLLN projects and project

findings, as well as respond to the

Field’s needs to timely information

and capacity building. Last season’s

line-up was:

Measuring Impact: Telling Your Story toSocial Investors

Investing in Upskilling: Gains forIndividuals, Employers and Government

State of the Literacy and Essential SkillsField in Canada

Applying Performance Based Funding toLiteracy and Essential Skills

DigitalTechnologySnapshot The Digital Snapshot of the Literacy

and Essential Skills Field takes a look

at how literacy coalitions and

frontline delivery agencies are using

digital tools. Conducted from

January to March 2013, the research

phase of the project included

interviews and online questionnaire

responses. The information provided

by the 29 participants represents a

cross-sectoral picture of :

> how digital technology is used,

> what challenges are being faced,

> how emerging issues are being

managed, and

> what the field would like to see in

the future.

LiteracyEXPRESSCLLN’s newsletter that responds to

issues relevant to the Literacy and

Essential Skills Field with timely, in-

depth analysis and information. This

year’s issues were focused on the

State of the Field, Practitioners and

Adult Learning.

> Connecting the L/ES

field across Canada – in

schools, the workplace

and in the community.

Flagship websitesCLLN is now managing and hosting three

key websites to support Literacy and

Essential Skills in Canada: literacy.ca, a

landing portal for all things L/ES related,

advancingworkplacelearning.ca - a resource

for employers, employees and workplace

trainers and l/esworkforce.ca, the new

portal for L/ES practitioners.

>> knowledge mobilization

Lindsay Kennedyblog in theHuffington PostAn opprtunity to add to a broader

public debate from the point of view

of the CEO, this new channel has

proven extremly popular.

on PIAAC: Big Data Release on Adult

Literacy and Skills Just Around the Corner

on Learn at Work Week: Does Your

Workplace Have a "Learning Culture"?

on ILD 2013: How Literacy Has Evolved in

Canada

on National Aboriginal Day: Celebrating

Aboriginal Literacy and Learning

on ALW 2013: Adult Learners' Week 2013:

Never Stop Learning

pre-budget release: Supporting Literacy

Would Be the Best Investment Jim

Flaherty Could Make

PIAAC updatesA email newsletter delivering news

and analyses of PIAAC in Canada as

the become available. The large

distribution list extends accross all

sectors, reaches into the farthest

cornaers of Canada, and connects to

the international L/ES community.

CLLN instantresponse briefsCLLN commissions experts in the

Field to provide stakeholders with a

solid interpretation of interpretation

of breaking news, major reports and

policy directions

So far we have published:

Brigid Hayes: a briefing note on what

the budget 2013 states about the

Labour Market Agreements (March 21,

2013)

Brigid Hayes makes sense of PIAAC

reports (October 9, 2013)

[innovate + engage +

collaborate + connect

= transform]

IncreasingFinancialLiteracy Skillsand KnowledgeOne of our primary goals is to

transform and enhance the ways in

which literacy is integrated into all

aspects of an individual’s life - at

home, at work and in the community

- and to ensure that literacy, as an

issue, is better understood by

multiple stakeholders. Over the years

our initiatives have included work on

the linkages between literacy and

poverty, literacy and rural service

delivery, literacy and social justice,

literacy and the rights of individuals

to access service delivery.

The aboriginal population is the

fastest growing segment of Canadian

society. This project will provide

aboriginal youth, young adults and

older adults, and organizations that

work primarily with aboriginal clients

with culturally sensitive tools and

resources that will strengthen an

individual’s ability to make sound

financial decisions.

NationalOccupationalStandardsNational Occupation Standards

(NOS) are used to recognize the work

of individuals in a particular field and

are common in many professions

and yet we do not have them in the

L/ES field. CLLN hosted a facilitated

panel discussion at its national June

meeting and produced a detailed

handout for participants. There was

considerable support for moving

forward. CLLN will produce 3 videos

(The role of NOS, NOS for L/ES and

the Process for Developing NOS) and

invite stakeholders to participate in

the development process. As a

neutral organization, CLLN can bring

together stakeholders to ensure a

common understanding of NOS and

to promote collaboration using a

formal but inclusive process that

ensures maximum uptake in their

development and use. Endorsement

and validation by stakeholders is a

part of the process. NOS will improve

collaboration and provide increased

knowledge of the roles and

responsibilities of L/ES staff. It will

help employers to choose training

providers and help to inform training

needs for L/ES staff.

Literacy andEssential Skills –A CurriculumModel forFriendshipCentresResearch indicates that although

several models for training in L/ES

have been developed for Aboriginal

communities, there are limited L/ES

resources that adequately address

the diverse needs of Urban

Aboriginal populations. Sustainable

funding for L/ES programs within

Friendship Centres is either not

available or quite inadequate as

compared with the high demand and

need for these services. Youth and

adults often rely upon L/ES programs

that are not necessarily sensitive to

the unique socio-cultural needs and

realities of the urban Aboriginal

populations..

[innovate + engage +

collaborate + connect =

transform]

Literacy andEssentialSkills –RoundtableSeriesUndertake a new set of roundtables

to present results from the new

PIAAC Report, and to engage

stakeholders in using evidence from

the survey to develop policy and

implement effective programming

In addition CLLN is working with potential

partners to explore the following areas of

interest for new projects.

> Looking at the role played by literacy

and essential skills in health promotion,

disease prevention, nutrition and

community health.

> Connecting with stakeholders to work

on developing a common understanding

of digital technology (formerly known as

‘computer use’) as an essential skill.

>> Opportunities

> Building a durable, yet

versatile network

architecture that will

strengthen learning as a

fundamental component

of Canadian culture.

ExECutivE

Chair: Chris Whitaker

Vice-Chair: Kim Crockatt

Treasurer: Helen Allen

Secretary: Chester Cheang

BoArd MEMBErS

Johanna Faulk

Ningwakwe George

Janet Lane

Nancy Thompson

>

>> Board and Staff

CLLN gratefully acknowledges the

financial support of the

Government of Canada's Office of

Literacy and Essential Skills

(OLES)/ESD for core and project

funding. We also express our

appreciation for the funds received

from project partnerships,

membership fees and donations.

StAff

Laura Carlson – Executive Assistant

“LMS” and “Advancing Workplace Learning” Projects

Nilambri Ghai – Field Development Liaison

Claire Hall- Project Manager “Advancing Workplace Learning”

Chris Harwood – Manager of Field Development

Annette Hegel – Manager of Communications

Lindsay Kennedy – President and CEO

Teresa LeGrand - Communications Specialist

Anne Ramsay – Project Manager, Labour Market Study

Pat Sample – Administrative Assistant

Genevieve Tilden – Research and Communication Assistant

Darlene Toop – Financial Officer

The financials have been compiled from

CLLN’s audited statements.

Auditing services have been provided by

Rheume Williams Kalbfleisch, LLP.

A detailed auditor’s report is available at:

www.literacy.ca/financials_2013

>>> FINANCIALS

Revenues 2013 2012

Total revenues $944,468 $493,983

Expenses 2013 2012

Salaries and Benefits $380,455 $253,030

Professional Fees $356,436 $81,149

Meetings and Conferences $94,101 $71,559

Overhead $80,916 $86,314

Total Expenses $911,908 $492,052

Assets 2013 2012

Current Assets $213,155 $148,401

Capital Assets $3,056 $4,365

Total Assets $244,596 $152,766

Liabilities and Net Assets 2013 2012

Total Liabilities $148,060 $88,790

Total Net Assets $96,536 $63,976

Total Liabilities and Net Assets $244,596 $152,766

Our Vision

Canadian society

values literacy and

lifelong learning at

home, at work and in

community.

Our Mission

We share knowledge,

engage partners &

stakeholders and

build awareness to

advance literacy and

learning across

Canada.