Literacy support helps rural Saskatchewan flourish

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

Literacy support programs can help rural communities attract and retain immigrants to build a stronger labour force in their manufacturing and agricultural industries.

With an increase in the immigrant population coming to Saskatchewan, there is a need to offer many services to these families, including literacy support.

Shaun Haskey is a Community Literacy Co-ordinator for the Humboldt Region with the SaskSmart Literacy Project. She says that setting up literacy programs in Saskatchewan communities will specifically address two areas of concern.

First, it will address the needs of the immigrant population moving into rural communities to work in the province’s manufacturing and agricultural industries. “These families usually have English as a Second Language (ESL) challenges because they come from countries such as the Ukraine, China, and the Philippines,” Haskey stated. “We want to provide support services for them, and literacy is certainly one of them.”

Second, it will address the need to develop the potential in Saskatchewan’s existing labour force. “There is always an opportunity to provide support to adults who would like to improve their reading and writing skills so that they are better suited for the workforce,” she added.

The SaskSmart Literacy Project is focused on setting up literacy programs in various communities around the province.

“The biggest need in the Humboldt region specifically is for the immigrant families that are coming into the area. My job was to identify what the literacy needs were, to recognize gaps in the existing literacy services in our communities, and to set up a volunteer tutor network to help address those issues.”

One of the goals of the project was to recruit volunteers in the region who might be interested in working one-on-one with other adults. “In this manner, we look to partner people who need help with their reading or writing skills, whether they are immigrants or adults in the community wanting to improve their literacy skills. We also focus on conversation skills for ESL adults.”

Haskey says the work done through the SaskSmart project to develop the viable workforce and improve the literacy levels of immigrant workers coming to the province is benefitting on Saskatchewan’s rural and farming sectors.

“These literacy programs allow immigrants to experience a smoother transition into our culture. They ensure that we are better able to support them so that they remain in our rural communities while working in our agriculture industry,” she noted.

Immigrants bring several opportunities to small-town Saskatchewan, the biggest being an addition to the labour force in areas that have experienced chronic shortages. They also provide a means to revitalize rural communities that have perhaps experienced population declines.

But Haskey says is it is important for rural communities to set up support systems and services for immigrant families if they hope to not only attract, but retain newcomers.

“We want immigrants to stay in our rural communities. We don’t want them to be lured away by the services that are available in bigger centres. To make this a reality, services need to exist in the rural communities so that the needs of immigrants will be met and they will be comfortable with having a future in our small towns.”

Volunteers who might be interested in helping out with the SaskSmart initiative can get involved by contacting Shaun Haskey at (306) 231-6596. “We provide training to our tutors, as well as ongoing support,” she said. “But we are also looking for those interested in being on the learning side of the equation. Those who would like some help with their reading and writing skills can also contact me.”

Haskey feels the work being done through the project holds a lot of potential for the future of the province. “We have a tremendous opportunity to bring in a new wave of immigration and to revitalize and repopulate our rural communities,” she stated. “I think we have a great opportunity to get it right, to provide support services and to create an environment that immigrants are going to want to stay in and be a part of.”

For more information, contact:
Shaun Haskey, Community Literacy Co-ordinator, Humboldt Region
SaskSmart Literacy Project
Phone: (306) 231-6596