Based on the numerous complaints received in the Barbados labour force as it pertains to the deterioration of employee competency it is clear that we are faced with an escalating literacy crisis. Failure to address this literacy issue in an effective and efficient manner will pose a serious threat to the security and economic stability of our country; it will also undermine all other development efforts. Thus, affirming the strategic importance of literacy and lifelong learning in reaching national transformation and the government’s commitment to enhancing the human resource capacity of the population via its skills training and education investment. Under the Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation (BERT), national literacy is of critical importance to the acceleration of the Retraining and Empowering, Retooling and Enfranchisement (RE-RE) programme.