The OLC defines capacity-building as actions that improve effectiveness. The effectiveness of an industry cannot be improved without a commitment to the professional development of workers within that field. For the literacy field to adequately serve the people of Ontario, the professionals within that system require professional development opportunities.

Cultivating a learning culture should start in the professional field of adult learning. The development of a learning culture needs to supported by federal and provincial government policies, to ensure workers in the field of adult literacy have the knowledge, skills and values required to serve approximately 50,000 Ontarians every year.

A Snapshot of Capacity-building in Ontario

1987 – The OLC was founded as the provincial literacy coalition for Ontario.

1988 – The National Literacy Secretariat was established by the federal government to bring national leadership and perspective on literacy issues across Canada.

1990 - Literacy Resource Centre Project created through the Metro Toronto Reference Library (became the AlphaPlus Centre in 1997/1998).

1993 - Introduction of formal Literacy Community Planning (LCP) Process, which later became known as Literacy Service Planning (LSP).

1998 – Literacy Educator Certificate Program offered in three colleges.

2003 – Statistics Canada released the results of the International Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (IALSS).

2005 - Canada and Ontario sign the Labour Market Development Agreement, transferring funding and responsibility for employment training to the province.

2008 – The OLC hosts the professional development conference, Spotlight on Learning: Literacy Takes Centre Stage.

2008 - The OLC and its partners began actively working with the provincial government to raise public sector awareness surrounding the need for increased funding to literacy programs.

2009 – Literacy practitioner website launched by Community Literacy of Ontario.

2009 – Literacy and Basic Skills training was identified as a major priority for the Government of Ontario as it announced $90 million in funding for Literacy and Basic Skills programming, over two years.

We still have far to go

The Ontario Literacy Coalition continues to facilitate a dialogue with the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities and the Office of Literacy and Essential Skills to discuss capacity building in the literacy field. We believe a sustainable policy agenda in relation to capacity-building would play a significant role in addressing the needs of all literacy practitioners and administrators.

We are making headway.

Thanks to the work of the Ontario Literacy Coalition, the OLC Public Relations Committee, the foresight of the Ontario Government and the work of other stakeholders, $90 million in funding over two years has been allocated to Literacy and Basic Skills programming.