Skills for Success Day
Skills for Success Day is September 21, 2023.
Skills for Success Day (formerly Essential Skills Day) is an annual initiative taking place each September to raise awareness about the key skills needed to succeed in learning, work and life. These skills, as identified by the Government of Canada (reading, writing, numeracy, digital, problem solving, communication, collaboration, adaptability, creativity and innovation), are the foundation for learning all other skills and enable people to evolve with their jobs and adapt to change.
Skills for Success Day Resources
Download and share these resources to celebrate Skills for Success Day.
Learn about each of the Skills for Success and other key skills from our UP Skills for Work program:
Workplace Literacy in Canada
- Canadian employers spent, on average, $889 per employee on learning and development in 2016–17, an increase of $89 per employee since 2014-15. The average number of hours of learning per employee per year is also on the rise, increasing from 25 hours in 2010 to 32 hours in 2016–17 Learning Cultures Lead the Way: Learning and Development Outlook—14th Edition, Conference Board of Canada, 2018).
- Investment in workplace literacy also leads to cost savings from reduced errors and waste (UPSKILL Health – Technical Report on worker and business outcomes: Social Research and Demonstration Corporation, 2016).
- Workers who participated in essential skills training were nearly 25% more likely to report a reduction in their work-related stress levels than those who had not received this type of training (UPSKILL Health – Technical Report on worker and business outcomes: Social Research and Demonstration Corporation, 2016).
Testimonials
“[I participated in Skills for Success Day because] we have patrons who need these services and I wanted to make other adults aware of the needs.” – Participant
“[We participate in Skills for Success Day] to let people know that essential skills are even a thing.” – Participant
“[We participate in Skills for Success Day] to bring awareness to community members that training exists if they are lacking in an area.” – Participant