Literacy Link South Central

What Literacy Link South Central does

Literacy Link South Central (LLSC) is a Canadian non-profit regional literacy network headquartered in London, Ontario. It serves the six counties of Middlesex, Oxford, Elgin, Brant, Haldimand and Norfolk under the Employment Ontario banner, functioning as a referral and resource hub for roughly 185 adult-literacy service providers across the province. Its core activity is coordinating literacy programs and developing free, reusable curriculum and training resources for adult learners, literacy practitioners, and small and medium-sized employers.

LLSC's product portfolio centers on owned curriculum assets delivered through online platforms including Moodle. Major products include the Game Changers 10-module gamified soft skills curriculum (RBC Future Launch-funded), the Get SET Apprenticeship Toolkit (English/French), the Skills For Work manufacturing assessment suite, Tech Connect digital literacy modules with screen-reader adaptations, the Maker Modules technology curriculum, and a six-session Universal Design for Learning community of practice. Recent additions are the SUAS Employer Resource Hub and an AI and EdTech resource hub exploring ChatGPT, Bing AI, and TOME for accessibility purposes. Distribution runs through the Employment Ontario network, community organizations, direct workplace training, and a multilingual website supporting English, French, Arabic, and Spanish.

LLSC operates as a non-profit funded primarily through Ontario's Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development via multi-year Core Activity agreements, supplemented by project grants from the Ontario Skills Development Fund, the Government of Canada's Skills for Success program, RBC Future Launch, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, and the Digital Literacy Exchange Program (ISED). All programs and resources are delivered free of charge; revenue mechanics are grant-and-procurement based rather than transactional. The organization has 16 staff including Project Managers Summer Burton, Carolina Cohoon, Jeremy Marks, and Sherry Lippincott.

Name

Literacy Link South Central

Legal name

Literacy Link South Central

Website

https://llsc.on.ca

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Literacy Link South Central is a London, Ontario-based non-profit regional literacy network that coordinates free adult-literacy programs and develops curriculum resources across six southwestern Ontario counties, funded primarily by the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adult Literacy and Basic Skills Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Foundational Reading & Writing Literacy (EDAAAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Literacy Foundations (Phonics, Reading Fluency, Comprehension) Platforms (EDAFAOAD), Adult Literacy, Numeracy & Second-Chance Education (BPADAKAF)

Keywords

• Adult literacy programs
• Workplace literacy training
• Apprenticeship support resources
• Digital literacy curriculum
• Soft skills training

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Core Funding: Primarily funded by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) of Ontario provincial government through Employment Ontario
2. Project-Based Funding: Additional project funding from Skills Development Fund, Government of Canada, Ontario Skills Development Fund, RBC Future Launch, and other government programs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Literacy Link South Central is a regional literacy support network that coordinates referrals to literacy programs, develops curriculum resources, and provides training and professional development across six counties in southwestern Ontario. Its core offerings include free adult literacy upgrading programs (Get SET), apprenticeship pathway toolkits, workplace literacy training for employers, gamified soft skills curriculum, digital literacy modules with accessibility adaptations, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) frameworks for literacy practitioners. All programs and resources are provided free of charge to learners, employers, and partner organizations.

Product overview

Literacy Link South Central (LLSC) is a regional literacy support network serving Middlesex, Oxford, Elgin, Brant, Haldimand, and Norfolk counties in Ontario. The organization operates as a coordination and resource hub rather than a single software product. Its portfolio consists of educational curriculum programs and training resources developed for adult literacy and basic skills (Get SET) programs. Core offerings include the Gamified Curriculum (Game Changers) - a 10-module soft skills training program using game-based learning; the Get SET Apprenticeship Toolkit with apprenticeship pathway resources; Skills For Work programs featuring the Soft Skills Assessment Tool for Manufacturing; Maker Curriculum Modules for technology education; Digital Literacy (Tech Connect) curriculum with accessibility adaptations; and the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) community of practice. Additional resources include youth literacy programs, employer support services, educational interview services, and the Step Up and Succeed skilled trades newsletter. The organization also explores AI applications in literacy education including generative AI tools for content creation and assessment. LLSC functions as a non-profit educational organization funded by Employment Ontario and the Ontario Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Game Changers: A gamified curriculum providing training on real-world soft skills including teamwork, observation, communication, critical thinking, and problem solving through facilitated lessons, participatory activities, research, and games.
• Maker Modules
• Step Up and Succeed in the Skilled Trades (SUAS)
• Get SET Apprenticeship Toolkit

Quantifiable outcome

• $7.41 return to society for every dollar spent on adult literacy programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MakerBus CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Collaborated with MakerBus to develop Maker Curriculum Modules including Augmented Reality, Bluetooth, Dropbox, Evernote, Leap Motion, Macrophotography, MaKey MaKey, Portable Podcasting, QR Codes, Tiny Scan, Word Lens, and The World of 3D. Beth Compton, James Graham, Kim Martin, and Ryan Hunt from MakerBus contributed expertise in technology and maker education.
• African Community CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Partnered in Job Creation Partnership project to develop multicultural outreach videos and connect London's African community with literacy programs.
• Canadian-Iraqi Turkmen Culture Association of LondonminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Partnered for multicultural outreach video campaign to welcome Middle Eastern communities to literacy programs.
• Latino Canadian Community CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Partnered for Latino community outreach video campaign and bilingual (English/Spanish) marketing materials.
• Collège Boréal London (now United For Literacy)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Partnered in Maker Modules testing and feedback. Collège Boréal provided French-language support for the project, testing modules and providing feedback on translation quality.
• London District Catholic School BoardminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Partnered in 2014 Job Creation Partnership project for technology literacy curriculum.
• CNIBcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Partnered in Maker Modules testing and later in literacy program delivery for Deafblind community services. Provided accessibility expertise.
• Coalition ontarienne de formation des adultes (COFA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported translation of Get SET Apprenticeship Toolkit into French, making resources accessible to French-speaking practitioners and learners.
• Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills DevelopmentcoreOthersPrimary funder through Employment Ontario. LLSC is funded primarily by MLITSD as part of the provincial employment and training network.
• Literacy Link Eastern OntariocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on Skills Development Fund project addressing literacy skills gaps in workplaces and pandemic-proofing employers and employees.
• Learning Networks of Ontario (LNO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvincial network dedicated to supporting, strengthening, and advocating for adult literacy and basic skills programs in Ontario. LNO coordinates 12 regional literacy networks including LLSC.
• Employment OntariocoreOthersProvincial employment and training network that funds and coordinates literacy services across Ontario. LLSC is an Employment Ontario service.
• Child Welfare PAC's (Pathways to Apprenticeships)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner for providing Educational Interviews including Trades Ready Youth (TRY) program referrals.
• Tomorrow's TradesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner for educational interview services connecting job seekers to skilled trades pathways.
• LiUNA 1059 Construction Craftworker Pre-apprenticeship programminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner for providing Educational Interviews and apprenticeship preparation services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Frontier College: Canada's longest-standing national adult-literacy nonprofit, delivering literacy and essential-skills programs through a network of volunteers and community partners. Directly comparable to LLSC as a Canadian adult-literacy provider focused on foundational skills, workplace literacy, and practitioner training.
• ABC Alpha pour la vie Canada: National Canadian nonprofit (formerly ABC Life Literacy Canada) that designs and distributes free adult-literacy resources, tools, and campaigns for families, workplaces, and communities. Comparable to LLSC in mission, free-distribution model, and practitioner-resource focus.
• Literacy Link Eastern Ontario: Sister regional literacy network serving eastern Ontario counties, co-funded through the same Employment Ontario / MLITSD mechanism as LLSC. The two organizations partnered on the Skills Development Fund 'Meet Them Where They Work' workplace-literacy project, making them operational peers.
• AlphaPlus Services: Ontario-based organization that provides digital literacy, technology, and training resources to the adult-literacy and basic-skills sector. Closely comparable to LLSC as an Ontario capacity-builder serving literacy practitioners and programs across the province.
• Learning Networks of Ontario: Provincial coordinating body that brings together Ontario's 12 regional literacy networks including LLSC. Summer Burton of LLSC serves as Chair, and LNO provides shared advocacy, training frameworks, and inter-network coordination — making it a peer-and-parent governance structure to LLSC.
• Nokee Kwe Native Education Centre: London, Ontario Indigenous adult-education provider that tested and provided feedback on LLSC's Maker Modules curriculum. Comparable as a local adult-literacy service provider operating in the same southwestern Ontario catchment as LLSC.
• Coalition ontarienne de formation des adultes (COFA): Ontario's francophone adult-education network, coordinating literacy and basic-skills services for French-speaking learners. Directly comparable to LLSC as a regional Ontario literacy network and confirmed partner (translated the Get SET Apprenticeship Toolkit into French).

Regional players

• NorQuest College: Alberta-based community college operating one of Canada's largest adult-literacy and foundational-learning programs, including the ALIS program. Comparable to LLSC in adult basic-skills delivery and practitioner training, though serving a different provincial jurisdiction.

Broad incumbents

• ProLiteracy: The largest US adult-literacy organization, supporting a nationwide network of literacy programs with curriculum, training, and advocacy. Comparable to LLSC as a broader incumbent operating at national scale in adult basic skills and workforce literacy.
• JVS Toronto: Toronto-based nonprofit providing employment, language, and skills-training services to newcomers and job seekers, including foundational-literacy-adjacent programs. Comparable to LLSC in employer-facing workforce-literacy delivery and immigrant-learner focus, though at larger urban scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LiteracyLinkSC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/literacy-link-south-central
• Instagraminstagram.com/literacylinksc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Literacy Link South Central