Adult literacy programs in Prince George and surrounding communities are giving people the reading, writing, math and computer skills needed to understand household budgets, join in community activities and help their children with their homework.

“Improved literacy and numeracy skills can open the doors for people in so many areas,” said Melanie Mark, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training. “Too many adults in B.C. have difficulty with daily living tasks as a result of limited literacy or numeracy skills. Our investment in community adult literacy skills is giving people the skills to improve their life at home, in the workplace and in the community.”

The Province is providing $342,390 to flow through the College of New Caledonia (CNC) to support 16 community adult literacy program partners in the region.

CNC works with community literacy providers to connect adult learners with the skills they need to build a strong future for themselves, their families and their community. Literacy providers and post-secondary institutions collaborate to support improved outcomes and encourage transition from programs delivered in the community to post-secondary studies.

“Delivering literacy and numeracy programs in the community ensures that adult learners feel supported,” said Henry Reiser, president of CNC. “People with stronger literacy skills are more likely to participate in adult education and job-related training.”

Available literacy programs include one-on-one tutoring and small group training for adult learners, often delivered by volunteers. Smaller, community-based literacy programs are well situated to meet the educational needs of adult learners.

A total of $2.4 million for 101 community adult literacy programs will help adult learners in 75 communities in 2018-19.

The government’s support of community-based literacy programs is part of its commitment to connect people with the education and training they need to succeed. On Aug. 8, 2017, the Province also made adult upgrading and English language learning programs in B.C. tuition-free.

Quick Facts:

• More than 700,000 adults in B.C. have significant challenges with literacy.
• 45% of adults in B.C. have some difficulty with daily living tasks due to limited literacy skills. Literacy challenges can include difficulty understanding newspapers, reading health information and following instruction manuals.
• 52% of adults in B.C. have difficulty in accomplishing some daily living tasks due to limited numeracy skills. Numeracy challenges can include difficulty calculating interest on a car loan, using information on a graph or calculating medicine dosage.

A backgrounder follows.