Jun. 16 2026
About one in five adults in Canada face challenges with foundational literacy. This is not marginal. It represents millions of people who can hit a wall when they encounter course materials, safety protocols, digital systems, or even the application for training or employment.
This is not about ability or motivation. It is about access to education and opportunity.
And the cost of ignoring it is enormous. Even a one percent increase in adult literacy could generate tens of billions in GDP every year (Deloitte, 2020). Few investments offer that degree of return.
There is a lingering myth that trades are purely hands on. They are not.
Today’s trades require workers to read technical documents, interpret schematics, navigate digital platforms, and apply math in real time. Increasingly, they also require digital fluency and the ability to work alongside AI-driven tools.
AI will not replace skilled tradespeople, but it will create new challenges and opportunities. Workers will need to question outputs, interpret data, and make sound judgments. And that demands strong literacy skills.
At United for Literacy, we see what is possible when there are shared leadership and a clear vision for investment in the trades. For example, since 2017, we have worked in close partnership with the Government of Nunavut and employers across the territory to support pre-apprentices.
This work reflects a broader commitment from the territory to ensure that Nunavummiut have access to and can succeed in training that leads to meaningful employment, particularly in the building trades. It recognizes that workforce development is not only about creating seats in programs, but about making sure people can fully participate until completion.
Together, we integrate literacy, numeracy, and digital skills into pre-apprenticeship programs so that learners are supported to build both technical and foundational skills simultaneously. That alignment helps reduce barriers and open more realistic pathways into the trades for local workers.
This is a strong example of what can happen when governments, employers, and community organizations move in the same direction.
But it also highlights what is missing elsewhere. Too often, literacy remains disconnected from workforce development strategies, rather than being built into them from the start.
Canada is right to invest in the trades. But without a deliberate literacy strategy embedded into workforce development, we risk building a system that only works for those who already have strong skills.
Governments must fund literacy as a core component of workforce development. Employers and unions must treat foundational skills as a driver of productivity, safety, and retention. Community organizations must be recognized and resourced as essential partners that bring people into the system and keep them there. That is how you reach 100,000 new workers. And that is how you build an inclusive, productive economy.
Here is the bottom line: Canada cannot build big if a significant share of its workforce cannot fully access training, adapt to new technologies, or progress in their careers.
Literacy must not be treated as a side issue; it is the engine that makes the system work. If we create a solid foundation, 100,000 workers will enter the trades. More than that, workers will stay, succeed, and help build the country we are dreaming of.
