Image: Supplied by BC Govt / Flickr

By Megan Dykeman, Parliamentary Secretary for Community Development and Non-Profits and MLA for Langley-East

OPINION

YOUR PERSPECTIVE: Supporting adult learners

Aug 31, 2023 | 8:00 AM

Many individuals overlook the importance of literacy in our daily lives, regardless of age. For those who struggle with literacy, for any reason, it can create huge barriers in accessing services, education, job opportunities and can make completing everyday tasks challenging.

This government is committed to ensuring that people in British Columbia who face challenges with literacy have access to programs, resources, and services to help them thrive.

That’s why we make it a priority to fund the Community Adult Literacy Program (CALP) every year. CALP funding provides support to local organizations, including non-profits, to offer community-based programs for adult, family, and Indigenous literacy. This initiative aims to enhance essential skills for all residents of British Columbia, leading to better quality of life and increased job and career opportunities in an expanding economy.

This week we announced that we’re boosting access to adult literacy programs in more communities with a $3.4 million investment in 2023/2024. By partnering with community organizations and post-secondary institutions across the province, we’re supporting 102 adult literacy programs to be delivered by 71 providers in 132 communities around B.C., including right here in Langley through the Langley School District Foundation.

Since 2017, the Community Adult Literacy Program has served more than 21,800 core learners and since 2020 the program has served more than 12,000 drop-in learners throughout the province.

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For many adult learners, literacy programs are an important first step in an educational journey to post-secondary education and training.

By helping people gain the skills they need to thrive in reading, writing, math and digital literacy, not only do we help meet the varying needs of adult learners, including Indigenous people, newcomers, and people with disabilities, but we also prepare people for the labour market and the well-paying jobs that B.C. will be filling over the next decade.

As Parliamentary Secretary for Community Development and Non-Profits, I know how important programs like these are and this is a prime example of the great work that smaller, local organizations do in their communities. These free programs are delivered by trained volunteers and include one-on-one tutoring and small-group classes. I want to thank all the volunteers who dedicate their time to serving the community and improving literacy, thereby enhancing the quality of life for British Columbians.

I’m grateful to be a part of a government that recognizes that literacy shouldn’t be a barrier for anyone and is supporting people in British Columbia to overcome challenges and find success through community adult literacy programs.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of Fraser Valley Today or Pattison Media.

by Megan Dykeman, Parliamentary Secretary for Community Development and Non-Profits and MLA for Langley-East

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YOUR PERSPECTIVE: Supporting adult learners

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