End-of-term (July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2016)
On Schedule
Support the development of tools, training resources, and other initiatives to help Canadians acquire the essential skills needed to access, understand, and use digital information and new technologies.
Deliverables | Status / Final Results | Lessons Learned | Completion Level |
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Sponsor projects to increase understanding of the relationship between digital skills and relevant labour market and social outcomes. |
Results from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) adult skills survey, 2012, provided the basis for governments’ understanding of digital skills levels in Canada and internationally, and are the basis for the item below. Thematic reports are being developed based on PIAAC results. Topics are: post-secondary education, adult learning and literacy, immigrants, labour market outcomes, official languages, health and social outcomes, and Aboriginal populations. Substantial work has been completed on the reports. They are expected to be released in late 2016. |
More results and lessons to come once the thematic reports are released. |
Substantial |
Develop online tools, training materials, and other resources to enable individual Canadians to assess and improve their digital skills. |
Provided funding and support for the development and validation of the Canadian English and French versions of the OECD’s new online skills assessment tool (Education and Skills Online) that includes digital skills. The tool is based on PIAAC. The tool was finalized by the OECD, Educational Testing Services and Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) and released in summer 2016. |
From the portion of the activity that was funded by ESDC, there were significant challenges in recruiting participants for the field test in both French and English. Test takers and administrators can contact the Council of Ministers of Education (CMEC) directly to purchase licenses to access the Canadian English and French versions of the tool. |
Complete |
Fund private sector and civil society initiatives aimed at improving the digital skills of Canadians. |
Funding provided through contribution agreements to support digital skills assessment and improvement projects: Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM):
Community Business Development Corporation (CBDC), Restigouche:
|
UQAM:
CBDC:
|
Complete |
Relevance
Supports the principles of civic participation, and is targeted at helping address the OGP Grand Challenge of improving public services by helping Canadians to assess and improve their digital skills so that they can better take advantage of data and information made available by the government.
Ambition
Facilitates the assessment of Canadians’ existing digital skills and develop resources and initiatives to help improve these skills, so that Canadians are better able to access and take advantage of Canada’s open government initiatives.