Literacy and Basic Skills

The Ontario government's Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS) Program provides free literacy, numeracy and essential skills services that help individuals achieve their goals related to further education or training, employment or increased independence.

What services are available?

The LBS services are provided at no cost to learners and focus on people whose reading, writing, numeracy and essential skills are below the Grade 9 level of the Ontario Curriculum. Services are offered through local school boards, community-based agencies and Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology.

Individuals will have support in clarifying their upgrading goals and developing a training plan to achieve them. Training is available in several formats - by tutors on a one-to-one basis, in small groups or in a classroom.

If the individual wants to acquire technological skills, training may also incorporate the use of a computer. Through colleges, the LBS Program also provides academic upgrading services that help individuals develop the necessary skills for entry into college-based post-secondary education and training programs (such as apprenticeship).

Who can participate?

The LBS Program is open to individuals who are out of school and communicate in English or French. There is a special emphasis on serving individuals receiving social assistance through Ontario Works.

To ensure that the literacy needs of learners from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds are addressed, LBS services supports programming for Anglophone, Deaf, Francophone and Aboriginal learners.

How can I access the service?

LBS services are offered by more than 200 agencies at about 300 sites across the province.

Call the toll-free Employment Ontario Hotline at 1-800-387-5656, or (416) 326-5656 in Toronto, for the name of the agency delivering Literacy and Basic Skills services in your area.