When you think about literacy, what comes to mind? If you are like most people, it’s simply the ability to read and write. However, literacy is more than that. Think about this: while most Canadians can read and write, just over half of Canadians can read and write well enough to reach their full potential. And part of that means being able to adapt to the rapidly shifting skills required for current and future jobs.

For individuals with lower levels of literacy, this means missing out on potential jobs, career growth, or other opportunities. For businesses, this means competitiveness and innovation are at risk. And for the economy, this means overall economic growth and productivity are at risk as well.

To better understand the connection between literacy and the economy—and what business leaders can do to ensure their employees are skilled and ready for disruption—we are speaking with Janet Lane, Director of the Human Capital Centre at the Canada West Foundation.

Janet breaks down the state of literacy in Canada, the connection between literacy and the labour market, and why this issue is not just a social one—it’s economic.

About The Business Council of Alberta

The Business Council of Alberta was founded on a simple idea: to make life better for all Albertans. We believe that business has an important role in improving society, and that when business does well, we all do well. We work with the chief executives and leading entrepreneurs of Alberta’s largest enterprises to understand the big, long-term challenges that Albertans are facing and work with industry, government, and civil society to solve these problems and build shared prosperity for every person who calls Alberta home.

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Episode 15: On the Yembi Yembi (with Brooks and Nina Buser)