The mandate of each working group is to define a Knowledge Agenda for the CCL and the HLKC. Each working group is to focus its agenda on the three central themes of the HLKC. These themes are:

1. health literacy (with a priority on access, equity, and achieving basic health literacy for all)
2. developing and sustaining healthy communities of life-long and life-wide learning
3. strengthening the capacity of communities, practitioners, and public agencies/systems to implement intertwined health and learning strategies in comprehensive, sustainable, effective ways

In addition, each working group must also address the four primary functions of the CCL in the activities it recommends and undertakes. These four functions are: 1) research, 2) data/monitoring/reporting, 3) knowledge transfer, and 4) dissemination/communications.

The Adult Working Group (AWG) will develop a Knowledge Agenda for promoting the health and learning of adults in: 1) the workplace, 2) health care settings, 3) among families and 4) in communities. It will focus on five priority areas as follows:

1. the health and learning of adults with low levels of literacy skills
2. the health and learning of adults affected by HIV/AIDS
3. the health and learning of adult immigrants and refugees
4. health and learning within regions and communities that fall well below national or regional health norms
5. the health and learning of Aboriginal adults

Issues of gender and racialisation will be included across this range of priority areas.