AFTER THE FINAL 2016-17 SCENE HAD BEEN PUBLISHED …
Contributed by the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development
The provincial government is providing more free skills training for adults to help equip people with essential literacy, math, and digital skills, and prepare them for the changing economy.
Deb Matthews, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development, announced the new initiative in June.
Ontario is providing free reading, writing, math and digital skills training to an additional 80,000 adult learners across Ontario over four years.
In 2015-16, the province helped more than 42,000 learners develop these essential skills through its investments in adult education.
As the economy and labour market become more technology- and knowledge-based, new skills are required. Fifteen percent of working-age adults in Ontario have difficulty understanding calculations, reading instructions, or working with a computer. This new investment will help more people get the training and skills they need to pursue employment and educational goals in a changing economy.
"The economy is changing and our government is determined to see that no one is left behind,” Matthews said. “To do this, we need to ensure that people in Ontario of all ages and at all stages of their lives are able to easily access high-quality training that will prepare them for the jobs of today and tomorrow. That’s why our government has made this investment in literacy and essential skills that will help more than 80,000 additional adult learners across the province."
This $185 million investment means that Ontario will double its support for essential skills training by 2020-21, helping an additional 80,000 learners improve and upgrade literacy and skills.
This initiative is part of the government’s Lifelong Learning and Skills Plan, which will ensure that Ontario’s adult learners and workers have the support they need to adapt and thrive at every stage of their career.
Studies have found that a one percent increase in literacy can lead to a 2.5 percent increase in labour productivity.
