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A decade ago, when Statistics Canada surveyed adults on literacy levels, the findings were perplexing. Despite our high education rates, nearly half of participants couldn’t “identify, interpret, or evaluate one or more pieces of information.” Nor could they “disregard irrelevant or inappropriate ­content.” Many struggled even to read news articles and fill out job applications.

The situation hasn’t exactly improved. As Michael Burt, an economist with the Conference Board of Canada, pointed out in a CBC interview two years ago, many employers in our resource-based economy simply don’t place much value on their employees’ reading or writing skills. Those who occupy high-risk, low-mobility positions in industries like forestry and mining often face a double threat: job loss due to automation and a difficult career transition due to low literacy. It’s been this way for a long time. In...