Deputy Minister Trimbee opened by acknowledging the diversity of partners present who shared the value of life long learning. She provided the context for adult literacy in Alberta. Ms. Trimbee highlighted the range and number of adult literacy programs in the province that served over 200 communities and 30,000 learners in 2006. She noted that the two key Government of Alberta strategies that form the basis for continuing work in adult literacy are Building and Educating Tomorrow's Workforce and A Learning Alberta. Both strategies acknowledge that Alberta's future “depends increasingly on our ability to ensure that all Albertans have the opportunity to reach their full potential to contribute to the economy and their communities.” She emphasized that literacy is complex, life long and that everyday demands of literacy are always changing. She provided the examples of text messaging and online banking. Citing the recent International Adult Literacy Skills Survey, which found 40% of adults in Alberta do not have sufficient skills to meet everyday demands in our society, Ms. Trimbee challenged Forum participants to build on our good work in early learning, K-12, post-secondary, community education and workforce programs. “We clearly need to be doing better to improve opportunities for the 1 million adult Albertans to improve their literacy competencies up to level 3 (roughly high school equivalency), and to encourage all adults to use their skills daily to increase and sustain our skills at the higher levels.” She closed by inviting Forum participants to shape the vision, values and goals for a “literacy for all ages” Alberta framework.
Presentations from the two Deputy Ministers were followed by six speakers who shared their vision for how literacy could be improved in Alberta. The six speakers spoke from First Nations, Francophone, school board, community literacy, post-secondary and employer perspectives. Following these presentations, Forum participants worked at their tables to respond to questions in a Forum Workbook.
539 participants were assigned to 78 tables. Two of the tables were Francophone, and the remaining tables grouped individuals by geographic region and a cross-section of the sectors represented at the Forum: Kindergarten to Grade 12 (K-12), community learning, post-secondary and employers. The numbers of Forum participants by sector and role is included as Appendix A.
Each participant had a Forum Workbook that provided background information (included as Appendix B) and a proposed definition, vision, values and outcomes to guide literacy in Alberta. The proposed components of the framework appear in boxes below. Each table selected a recorder who summarized each table's participants' responses to questions in the workbook. Facilitators were available to assist and respond to questions. The summary of responses is taken from the written responses submitted from each table.