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Photo:Literacy and Basic Skills instructor Tina DeLuca teaching Literacy at St. Thomas Centre in St. Catharines.

Literacy and Basic Skills
Programs >> Languages and Literacy >> Literacy and Basic Skills

The Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS) Program is designed to provide individualized assistance to adult learners who are seeking to improve their reading, writing, math, employability or computer skills.

Each learner will develop a personal training plan and set personal goals. Learners will develop sufficient skills to pursue further education in a high school credit course, gain everyday skills for independence or acquire the essential skills necessary for employment.

The Government of Canada recognizes nine "Essential Skills" that are used in daily life and almost every occupation. It defines these as 'the skills needed for work, learning and life'.

These nine skills are:
  1. Reading Text
  2. Working with Others
  3. Document Use
  4. Continuous Learning
  5. Numeracy
  6. Thinking Skills
  7. Writing
  8. Computer Use
  9. Oral Communication


  • Become a better reader
  • Learn to write sentences, paragraphs, and essays
  • Understand those hard math problems
  • Use a computer
  • Gain basic job skills
  • Prepare to enter into a secondary school credit course
  • Transportation assistance is available to learners who qualify
  • Daytime at all ALC Sites
  • Evening at Welland and Niagara Falls ALC Campuses
This is continuous intake program offered at no COST and it is available at the following learning centres:

Fort Erie
St. John South, Tel: 905-991-8951

Niagara Falls
St. Ann, Tel: 905-354-3531

St. Catharines
St. Thomas, Tel: 905-685-3276

St John North, Tel: 905-646-5063

Welland
Fr. Patrick H. Fogarty, Tel: 905-734-4495
Hope Centre, Tel: 905-788-3605

Please call the centre near you for more information.

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