Lifelong Learning in the U.S.

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NCWE ConferenceOctober 2013

Amy Sherman

Mature Workers 101 Aging Worker Initiative/Tapping

Mature Talent LifeLong Learning Accounts Prior Learning Assessment

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Overview

What is Your Mature Worker IQ?

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1. By 2015, workers over 50 are projected to comprise 20% of the workforce.

2. People in the 45-64 year old range out-number the population under 15.

3. Research has found no significant relationship between age and job performance.

4. The population over age 65 has nearly tripled in the past 100 years.

5. People 55 and older take fewer sick days than their younger counterparts do.

6. In the beginning of the last century, life expectancy was 47 years.

7. The fastest growing group of users of the Internet are people over 50.

8. By 2020, there will be double the number of people over 85 than there were in 1990.

9. Older workers have fewer accidents on the job than younger workers.

10. The rate of learning decreases with age.

Aging Worker Initiative SitesOrganization State

Tecumseh Area Partnership, Inc. Indiana

Quad Area Community Action Agency, Inc. Louisiana

Coastal Counties Workforce, Inc. Maine

Baltimore County Office of Workforce Development

Maryland

Macomb/St. Clair Workforce Development Board, Inc.

Michigan

South Central Workforce Investment Board Pennsylvania

Goodwill Industries of Houston, Inc. Texas

Vermont Associates for Training & Development, Inc.

Vermont

Seattle-King County Workforce Development Council

Washington

Fox Valley Workforce Development Board Wisconsin

Transition workshops with attention to social/ emotional component

Computer training

Short-term training for high-demand industries

Career navigation

Internships

Peer support

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Learning Supports that Made a Difference for AWI Participants

Enrollees Employed Enrolled in Training

5,345 2,065 3,178

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What Happened?

KEVIN PITZER

Age 57, from Galveston, Indiana Was forced to retire from the

United States Air Force in 2009 at the age of 55

Was not ready for retirement mentally, physically or financially

Felt lost after the loss of his job with too much free time

Began attending Career Transition Hub networking meetings

With the help of his Veterans Administrative benefits he and his wife have both enrolled in college at Ivy Tech Community College

He is enjoying his classes for his computer information technology major

“They say you’re busier when you retire than you

were when you’re working, and it’s true.”

ALTA REYNOLDS

60 years old from Baltimore, Maryland

Held a series of jobs from veterinary assistant to store owner

Store closed during the recession

Divorced and could not find a job

Back in school with the help of the AWI grant studying to be a surgical technician

“The last thing in the world you

think you're going to do at 60 is go back to school

and rebuild your life!"

Need information, opportunity, and support

Willing to invest in their own education and training

Want to have their existing skills and competencies count towards postsecondary degree

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Mature Learners Are No Different?

Matched savings for employee learning and development

San Francisco pilot with 4 employers, targeting 55+ 24% were 55 or older 89% of participants who were 55

years or older were also lower-income and/or minority group members.

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Lifelong Learning Accounts (LiLAs)

On average, participants 55 years or older saved $860 of their own funds

Participants made progress toward their goals.

Age may be a factor in goal achievement.

Participants believed that LiLAs played an important role in meeting goals.

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What Happened

Federal legislation State Legislation

Washington Individual Employers

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Where are LiLAs Now?

Graduation rates are 2 ½ times higher for students with PLA credit

Fueling the Race to Postsecondary Success, March 2010

PLA helps students graduate

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PLA and Graduation Rate by Age Group

Age 25-34, Non-PLA Students

Age 25-34, PLA Stu-

dents

Age 35-44, Non-PLA Students

Age 35-44, PLA Stu-

dents

Age 45-54, Non-PLA Students

Age 45-54, PLA Stu-

dents

Age 55-64, Non-PLA Students

Age 55-64, PLA Stu-

dents

65 or older, Non-PLA Students

65 or older, PLA Stu-

dents

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

7%14%

6%13%

6% 9%3% 7% 5%

12%

15%

38%

17%

45%

16%

52%

11%

54%

11%

50%

Associate's Degree Bachelor's Degree Other No Degree

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Prior Learning Assessment

All stu-dents

(n=4,905)

25-34 (n=1,921)

35-44 (n=1,730)

45-54 (n=1,001)

55-64 (n=158)

65 plus (n=15)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

17.6

15.1

18.520.9

23.2

25.7

Aver

age

PLA

Cred

its E

arne

d

1. One-Stop shop for PLA

2. Free academic advising

3. Individualized portfolio development and assessment

Faculty expert network to review learning portfolios

4. Credit recommendations on an NCCRS transcript or on the institution’s own transcript if a Partner Plus

LearningCounts.org

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President’s Plan to Make College More Affordable

HEA Reauthorization State Support

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PLA Policy

Not Too Late for School: Winning Strategies to Help the Mature Learner. http://www.cael.org/pdfs/Mature-learners---AP

New Approaches for Supporting the Mature Worker: The Experiences of the U.S. Department of labor’s Aging Worker Initiative Grantees. http://www.cael.org/pdfs/TMT_New_Approaches_AWI_Grantees

The Learning That Maturity Bring: An Analysis of the Value of Prior Learning Assessment for Mature Learners, February 2012http://www.cael.org/pdfs/PLA_Mature_Learner

For additional TMT publications, please visit http://www.cael.org/How-We-Help/Older-Workers

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CAEL Publications

Amy ShermanCAEL

asherman@cael.org

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