The National Adult Literacy Database (NALD) is a digital library whose services support the building of more literate families, increased workforce learning participation and a strengthened Canadian culture. Its offspring, NALD@Work, places its emphasis on the development of workplace literacy and essential skills that are crucial to functioning in a growing democratic society.

NALD@Work provides access for all stakeholders and interested parties to current resources, materials, research, programming and information. It provides a means for stakeholders to communicate with each other, to share experiences, successes and failures and thus enhance each other’s ability to meet their needs in workplace literacy and essential skills upgrading.

NALD@Work collects all the knowledge on workplace literacy and essential skills in one easily accessible place by means of the World Wide Web. With the cooperation of workplace literacy and essential skills partners, NALD@Work makes available the many successful interventions and excellent resources that have been created in this field.

Stakeholders in the remotest parts of Canada have access to the same resources and knowledge as those in Canada’s largest cities. Thanks to NALD@Work, all stakeholders with access to the Internet are able to use up-to-date research and materials to raise the skill levels of current and future workers in Canada.

The services provided by NALD@Work are comprehensive. The website is navigable and meets international standards of accessibility for persons with special needs. The components of the website are designed to:

• build community among stakeholders,
• provide information,
• provide access to resources,
• provide links to international resources, and
• assist stakeholders in optimizing their use of technology and the Internet.

Extensive consultation with key stakeholders will ensure that the design, content and services of NALD@Work will meet the needs of the workplace literacy and essential skills community.

NALD welcomes this opportunity to work with its partners to improve the lives of Canadians.

Individuals who served in an advisory role while NALD@Work was being developed included: Deborah Burns, Denis Bédard, Denis Bélanger, Michel Boulanger, Marjorie Davison, Margan Dawson, Tracy Defoe, Sue Folinsbee, Sandi Howell, Nancy Jackson, Karen Kennedy, Tamara Levine and Tina Pomroy.

For more information, please contact communication@naldatwork.ca.