Barbara Endel, PhDConsultant to KnowledgeWorks FoundationCincinnati, OH

Major workforce issues

70 Million Americans (45% adult population) with skills below the high school level

Too few Adult Basic Education students earn a GED or transition to higher levels of learning

Bridge workforce development policy with higher education policy (ECS must have other partners)

Education Barriers:75 M adults have at least one education

barrier

H.S. Diploma,No college

No H.S. Diploma

Speak English “Less Than Very Well”

18.2 M

51.4 M

5.2 M

8.2 M5.0 M

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Systems Issues

Adult Basic Education (ABE) is not connected to higher education

Workforce systems (WIA, One Stop Network, etc.) have inconsistent relationships with ABE

ABE is not connected to employers or employment systems

Break through strategies:

Adult Basic Education

Less than 2% total budget

Ohio Department of Education (K-12)

Ohio Board of Regents

Community Colleges

University branch campuses

Four-year colleges and universities

Break through strategies:

ABE Career-Tech Ed Community Colleges

January, 2009 via legislative mandate

Break through strategies: Connected ABE to the state’s higher

education system

One agency responsible for ABE’s performance and transition rates

ABE is not competing for funding against higher education

Break through strategies: Permitted formal ABE program

alignment with career technical education and beyond

Integrated ABE into state-wide career pathways (broader regional partnerships)

Connected employers via career pathways to ABE assets

Stackable Certificates

What are they?

Academic and technical certificates (including industry recognized credentials)

Start with ABE training and tip into college

Design is regionally driven Range of what they can be is expansive Driven by locally important industries

Break through strategies

Ohio is piloting “Stackable Certificates” in all 12 regions of the state

Regional employers and education and training consortia drive the process

Integrating career pathways with ABE academic core programming

End points

States need to develop a policy agenda to connect ABE and literacy systems to higher education and career pathways (regional partnerships)

Formal mechanisms to bolster transitions

Leadership matters

Contact information: