Barbara Endel, PhD Consultant to KnowledgeWorks Foundation Cincinnati, 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 M 5.0 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: Ohio Board Regents Education and talent development pipeline GED to PhD ABECareer-Tech EdCommunity 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

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