At RECLAIM Literacy in Montreal, learning goes far beyond reading and writing. The organization supports adult learners from a wide range of backgrounds, helping them build literacy, digital and numeracy skills while creating a welcoming community where learners can grow at their own pace.
RECLAIM began in 1980 as a community-based literacy organization offering one-on-one tutoring to adults who wanted to improve their literacy skills. With over 40 years of service to the Greater Montreal community, RECLAIM has evolved to become a go-to support for individuals and organizations needing help with their literacy needs.
Amanda Hunsaker is the Volunteer and Learning Centre Manager at RECLAIM. She works closely with learners and volunteer tutors to coordinate both individual and group learning opportunities. Recently, RECLAIM introduced several UP Skills for Work workshops into its programming. The experience demonstrated how workplace skills can benefit learners at every stage of life.
UP Skills for Work helps learners develop key employability and life skills through free workshops, downloadable curriculum materials and online courses. Hunsaker first learned about the program through a conversation with ABC Life Literacy Canada.
“We’ve been using ABC Life Literacy Canada’s family literacy materials for a long time,” Hunsaker explains. “When ABC reached out to us about the UP Skills for Work program, we had a meeting to understand the programming and where it might fit within our centre.”
The workshops aligned well with RECLAIM’s focus on adult literacy, digital literacy and lifelong learning. The organization ultimately offered workshops on Time Management, Communication and Digital skills.
Skills that matter beyond the workplace
While UP Skills for Work is designed to help people build employability and life skills, Hunsaker found that the content resonated with learners regardless of their employment and personal goals.
RECLAIM serves a diverse group of adults. Some are preparing for future employment, while others are retired, living with disabilities or focused on personal growth and community engagement.
“Everyone related to the content,” Hunsaker says. “Some of our learners are retired and very involved in our centre and other activities, and the skills in the workshops were still relevant to them.”
Two of the workshops were delivered online, while one was delivered in person. Everyone had access to physical workbooks, allowing them to follow along and engage more deeply with the material.
“People said the concepts felt intuitive, but it was valuable to talk about them and think them through,” Hunsaker recalls. “Everyone was very engaged. They were contributing to the online chat and participating in discussions.”
Having printed workbooks available was especially helpful. Learners could work through activities at their own pace, while tutors provided support when needed.
“The workbook gave everyone something concrete to follow,” Hunsaker says. “One of our tutors could move around the room and help people as they worked through the exercises.”
Practical skills for everyday life
For Hunsaker, one of the biggest strengths of the workshops was how easily learners could connect the content to their daily lives.
“These are such important soft skills for all of our learners,” she explains. “For older adults who may live alone, communication skills can help build and maintain social connections, reducing feelings of isolation and loneliness. Time management skills can help learners organize their days, attend appointments, and participate consistently in programs and community activities.”
Hunsaker highlighted one learner in particular: a young mother balancing parenting responsibilities while working toward future employment goals.
“For her, time management is incredibly relevant,” she says. “She’s organizing childcare, getting her child to daycare, coming to our centre and connecting with other support programs. Learning how to prioritize and manage a to-do list can make a real difference.”
Supporting learners on their unique journeys
At RECLAIM, every learner follows a personalized path. Some are preparing to complete their high school equivalency, while others are simply embracing lifelong learning in a supportive environment.
Learners begin with an assessment and often receive one-on-one tutoring, though many also participate in classroom-based learning opportunities that provide valuable social engagement.
“Some people come because they love the classroom environment and the chance to learn alongside others,” Hunsaker explains. “We’re always working toward the learner’s individual goals.”
Because many learners speak English as an additional language, workshops delivered in clear, accessible English are particularly valuable. For some, improving English literacy serves as a stepping stone toward learning French and being able to gain employment and access services confidently.
Valuable curriculum resources for tutors and facilitators
The benefits extended beyond learners.
Hunsaker says the UP Skills for Work materials provide tutors with high-quality, ready-to-use resources that make workshop delivery easier and more effective.
“The Digital skills content was especially useful because learners could follow along on their own computers, complete activities in real time and practice online searching and other digital tasks immediately.”
For volunteer tutors, the structured materials also reduce the burden of creating lessons from scratch.
“It’s great for our tutors because they can come in, deliver a session confidently and know they’re sharing quality content,” Hunsaker elaborates. “There’s much less pressure on them to design curriculum themselves.”
Creating opportunities for lifelong learning
Whether learners are preparing for employment, raising families, building independence, staying connected to their communities or pursuing personal goals, UP Skills for Work offers skills training to help Canadians navigate everyday life with greater confidence.
To learn more about the program and how to bring it to your community, visit upskillsforwork.ca. UP Skills for Work is supported in part by the Community Empowerment Literacy Initiative (CELI). CELI is sponsored by TALQ in collaboration with Literacy Quebec and funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Skills for Success Program.
