October 15, 2020

October 15, 2020, Toronto, ON – ABC Life Literacy Canada is pleased to announce the launch of an online learning portal that offers asynchronous, at-home delivery of its adult literacy programs: the ABC Skills Hub. The first course available from the ABC Skills Hub is from its workplace literacy program, UP Skills for Work.

UP Skills for Work helps adult learners develop key employability skills through free workshops and downloadable workbooks. The launch of the ABC Skills Hub means that learners will now be able to access the program directly online, either on their own or with the help of a literacy practitioner.

Courses covering various soft skills needed to gain meaningful employment will be released over the next several weeks. The first course currently available is Stress Management, to be followed by Adaptability and Teamwork. These courses are presented with the support of UP Skills for Work founding sponsor Canada Life.

In addition to offering the UP Skills for Work program, the ABC Skills Hub will also add courses covering financial literacy, essential skills and digital literacy.

“We’re really excited about this new portal that will bring our literacy programs online for learners during a time when online accessibility is so important,” says Mack Rogers, Executive Director of ABC Life Literacy Canada. “The ABC Skills Hub maintains the key themes and goals of our existing programs while including revised content to better suit an online delivery model. We hope that learners and literacy practitioners alike will take full advantage of the interactive opportunities that online learning offers.”

The ABC Skills Hub was created with a simple design that will appeal to learners who are looking to improve their digital literacy along with their workplace skills. It adheres to CLAD (Clear Language and Design) principles and prioritizes accessible navigation, from setting up an account, to learning.

With the ABC Skills Hub, learners will be able to complete online courses at their own pace, save their work in progress, and download course content and helpful reminders of what they’ve learned. The ABC Skills Hub is fully accessible on both mobile and desktop and all privacy, data and personal information of learners is well protected.

“At Canada Life, we’re proud to support ABC Life Literacy Canada’s UP Skills for Work online program, which helps improve the digital literacy and workplace skills of all Canadians,” said Debbie Down, Director, Community Relations at Canada Life. “Through the new ABC Skills Hub, we’re able to help adult learners work on their skills through free, online delivery of accessible workplace literacy and essential skills training via a customized learning platform.”

Over time, the ABC Skills Hub will evolve to add new features, such as a teacher and organization portal, where teachers can set up “virtual classrooms” for learners, and where organizations can keep track of multiple teachers and groups of learners across a variety of courses.

Currently the site is available in English and a French version will launch soon.

To learn more about the ABC Skills Hub or to set up a free account to start learning, visit www.abcskillshub.caOpens a new website in a new window.

About ABC Life Literacy Canada

ABC Life Literacy Canada® is a non-profit organization that aims to strengthen organizations that promote adult learning by developing and supporting the use of high-quality introductory learning materials and resources written in clear language. We envision a Canada where everyone has the tools and opportunities they need to improve their literacy and essential skills. For more information on digital literacy and ABC Life Literacy Canada’s programs, visit www.abclifeliteracy.caOpens a new website in a new window.

About The Canada Life Assurance Company

Canada Life is a leading insurance, wealth management and benefits provider focused on improving the financial, physical and mental well-being of Canadians. For more than 170 years, individuals, families and business owners across Canada have trusted us to provide sound guidance and deliver on the promises we’ve made.

As of January 1, 2020, Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life became one company – Canada Life, and today, we proudly serve more than 13 million customer relationships from coast to coast to coast.

For more information, contact:

Ashley Tilley
ABC Life Literacy Canada
communications@abclifeliteracy.ca
647-326-9393