1. WELCOME Smart Start Training Overview
Mississippi Community College Board
Office of Adult Education
January 23, 2018

2. Welcome & Introductions
Mississippi Community College Board
Sandy Crist
State Director for Adult Education & High School Equivalency
Teresa Barnes
Assistant Director for Adult Education
Beth Little
Program Specialist for Adult Education
Sandy: Welcome and Review Agenda ---
Start introductions --- Beth, Bronwyn and the rest of the participants.

3. Introductions
Name
Agency
Your purpose for attending this training

4. What is Adult Education?
U.S. Department of Education
Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education
Title II, Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA)
Federally funded
Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act, Core Partner
Mississippi Community College Board (MCCB) is the approved state agency for operation and distribution of funds for AEFLA

5. Almost 400,000 adults between the ages of 18-64 without a high school diploma.

6. Who do we serve? 16 years of age or older
NOT enrolled or required to be enrolled in school under the compulsory school law.
Mississippi - 16 years old
Withdrawal documentation is required
Lacks sufficient mastery of basic educational skills (below 8th grade)
lacks ability to function effectively on the job, in the family, or in society
Lacks a secondary diploma or high school equivalency diploma
Unable to speak, read, or write the English language

7. Mississippi Adult Education Programs
21 AEFLA Funded Programs in MISSISSIPPI
Community College Programs
Coahoma
Copiah-Lincoln
East Central
East Mississippi
Hinds
Holmes
Itawamba
Jones County Junior
Meridian
Mississippi Delta
Mississippi Gulf Coast
Northeast Mississippi
Northwest Mississippi
Pearl River
Southwest Mississippi
Programs
Greater Columbus Learning Center
Grenada Public Schools
Jackson Public Schools
Pascagoula Public Schools
Rankin County Public Schools
MS Department of Corrections
Central MS Correctional Facility
Parchman – Pre-Release

8. Who Are Our Students? Seeking basic skills training
Seeking high school equivalency
Preparing to enter post-secondary education
Preparing for employment related examinations
Seeking employment opportunities
Having limited English
Residing in correction facilities
Commonality: majority have been unsuccessful in the traditional public school environment
Who are My Students? ABE Learner
Students enroll in ABE programs to achieve specific life goals. To assist them in this endeavor, teachers should establish a connection with each learner and facilitate his/her integration into the classroom environment. Adults differ from children in their orientation to learning, and teachers of adults must recognize these differences and design instructional activities accordingly. Following are some of characteristics of the adult learner. Adult learners
Have extensive and varied life and employment experiences. Your students have developed learning strategies that they can apply to new learning but may also have developed coping strategies that can inhibit learning and that must be unlearned.1
Are of diverse ages and ethnicities. ABE students can range from 16 through 60+ but approximately 25% will be between 16 and 20, and 50% between 21 and 40.2
May have low self-esteem. They may have had negative experiences in the traditional K-12 educational system that limit their ability to be self-directed and self-advocates.
Are goal-oriented. They seek practical knowledge to solve problems as workers, parents and family members, and citizens of their local communities. Adult students must see a clear relationship between the instruction that you offer and their individual needs and goals. If they do not see this connection, they may drop out.
Represent a wide range of educational levels. More than 75% of adult learners have had 10 or more years of education,1 but their acquisition of academic content has been fragmentary at best.
Attend classes sporadically. The adult learner’s family and job responsibilities, and problems/issues related to health, housing, food, and transportation all contribute to irregular attendance and the inability to stay on task. Some students drop in and out of classes as their life situations change and may continue this sporadic attendance until they meet their goals.
May not be aware of their deficiencies. They may need help setting priorities and establishing realistic goals that can be achieved incrementally, one step at a time.
• May need different learning strategies and may have learning disabilities.
Instructional strategies must be varied, and students should be made aware of how
they learn best. See Appendix A Resources for Adult Educators for information
and resources about teaching adults with learning disabilities.

9. Who Are Your Clients?

10. FREE Adult Education Services
High School Equivalency classes
Increase Basic Educational Skills
Reading, Writing, Math
Screening & Referrals to partner agencies
MDHS
MDRS
MDES
Mississippi Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (MIBEST)
Smart Start Pathway Classes
Career Awareness
Necessary Skills
Basic Skills
ACT - National Career Readiness Certificate
Applied Mathematics
Graphic Information
Workplace Documents

11. High School Equivalency Diploma OPTIONS
Connect adult education services to WIOA and the purpose of Smart Start.

12. Workforce Innovation & Opportunity act
2014

13. Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA) 2014
Program Alignment
Unified strategic planning across core programs
Enhances role of State and Local Workforce Development Boards in developing and implementing a Unified State Plan
Increased Accountability
Establishment of common measures across core programs
Increases accountability and transparency through reporting and evaluations
Enhanced Service Delivery
Promotes engagement of employers and alignment of education and training activities through career pathways
Strengthens partnerships and investments in one-stop delivery system

14. Who are the WIOA Core Partners?
The Mississippi Partnership Local Workforce Area
WIOA Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth Programs
Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES)
Wagner-Peyser, Unemployment Insurance, Veteran Services, Trade,
& Senior Community Service Employment Programs (SCSEP)
Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services (MDRS)
Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS)
Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
Mississippi Community College Board (MCCB)
Adult Basic Education (ABE)

15. 4 Local Workforce Areas

16. Who are the WIOA Strategic Partners?
Mississippi Development Authority (MDA)
Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC)
Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) & Mississippi Community College Board (MCCB)
Career & Technical Education Programs
Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS)
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

17. Common Case Management Approach: Mississippi Works Smart Start Career Pathway Model

18. Diagnostic Questionnaire
Partnership
Diagnostic Questionnaire

19. Complete ABE Referrals
Complete the on-line referral form located at:
Referral for Adult Basic Education

20. Mississippi Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, State Plan
MDES Website
and-opportunity-act/

21. MS Smart Start Career Pathway Model
No High School Diploma/Equivalent
High School Diploma/Equivalent
Adult Education
Smart Start
Basic Skills
Career Awareness
Necessary Skills
Career Tech Education
Basic Skills
Certification/MIBEST
Credential Degrees
Apprenticeships
Necessary Skills
Work Ready
Job Search
Job Referral
Resume Preparation
Based on the changes from WIOA, requiring all core agencies to work together and based on the survey identifying sector strategy needs.
The Mississippi Smart Start Pathway is the avenue that will be used to implement the State Combined Plan.
The Mississippi Smart Start is designed on a
“No Wrong Door” concept.
The Smart Start Model requires a close relationship
among agencies and staff.
Regardless of which Core Partner a Mississippian
is seeking services with, the individual will be provided
every opportunity to be work- or career-ready
and to secure his or her dream job right here at home.

22. Smart Start Course Career Awareness Necessary Skills Basic Skills
Reading, Writing, Math
National Career Readiness Certificate
(NCRC)
Career Awareness
Career Counseling (Sector Strategies)
Job Search
Career Goals
Financial Awareness
Necessary Skills
Communication
Teamwork
Work Ethic
Financial Awareness

23. Smart Start Pathway – Basic Skills
Basic Educational Skills
Reading, Writing, Math
National CRC preparation
High School Equivalency

24. WorkKeys® and the National Career Readiness Certificate™
The National Career Readiness Certificate™ (NCRC®) is based on an individual’s performance on three WorkKeys® skills assessments:
Applied Mathematics,
Locating Information, and
Reading for Information.
Scores on these assessments determine the certificate level—bronze, silver, gold, or platinum—an individual can earn.
The National Career Readiness Certificate™ (NCRC®) is based on an individual’s performance on three WorkKeys® skills assessments: Applied Mathematics, Locating Information, and Reading for Information. Scores on these assessments determine the certificate level—bronze, silver, gold, or platinum—an individual can earn.
These assessments measure a range of essential work skills, including the ability to:
Perform basic mathematic operations relevant to the workplace
Read and understand documents commonly found in the workplace
Find information presented in common workplace graphics
Set up and solve complex work-related math problems
Determine the relevance of written information to work-related tasks
Apply information derived from graphics to work-related problems
The NCRC gives individuals proof that they possess the skills employers deem essential to workplace success. This improves career outcomes for everyone from people just entering the workforce to longtime employees—and it enhances employers’ hiring, training, and promotion decisions.

25. The NCRC proves to an employer that you are work-ready!
Benefits of NCRC
The NCRC gives individuals proof that they possess the skills employers deem essential to workplace success.
This improves career outcomes for everyone from people just entering the workforce to longtime employees—and it enhances employers’ hiring, training, and promotion decisions.
The NCRC proves to an employer that you are work-ready!

27. Smart Start Pathway – Career Awareness
Learning about your career interests,
Exploring career options and creating career goals,
Resume writing,
Conducting a job search,
How to handle job applications and interviews,
Developing career skills to succeed in the workplace, and

28. Smart Start Pathway -Necessary Skills
Communication / Listening Skills
Teamwork / Collaboration
Goal Setting / Time Management
Professionalism / Work Ethic
Role of Employer / Role of Employee
Conflict Resolution
Financial Awareness / Life Skills

29. Contract between MS SWIB and ACT
Designated curriculum for MS Smart Start Pathway/ABE
Providers: Community College Adult Education Program
Unique licenses assigned to each WIN Center throughout the state
Five regional training sessions August / September

30. Adult Education Programs
CareerReady101
Adult Education Programs
WIN Job Centers
Options for Completion:
Online Only
Face-to-Face Only
Hybrid: Online and face-to-face

31. Successful Completions
Smart Start Pathway State Credential
approved and issued by the MCCB
National Career Readiness Certificate NCRC
Bronze - Minimum
Silver - Goal
High School Equivalency Diploma
or continued enrollment in HSE program.
Creating Student Portfolio for all of our students based
on the Success Plan at entry into the pathway

33. Why are these skills important and how does this effect Mississippi?

34. Establishing the Baseline Workforce Participation Challenges
We have 55% of our population currently employed.
There are many jobs available in MS however, over half of them require middle level skills. We are unable to fill those positions because of the lack of basic skills and workforce training.
Right now 67% of the jobs available in MS require middle level skills. Unfortunately on 37% (Half) of those employed middle level skills needed for the available positions.
(Need to add national average for comparison.)
Sub-populations with low workforce participation rates:
Youth not enrolled in school
Individuals with less than a high school degree
Low income individuals
Individuals with disabilities
Veterans
We also have many groups of underutilized workers:
5.2% work part-time but desire full-time work
8.4% have an inadequate income
19.1% are in jobs that do not match their education or credential level
27.5% changed to jobs that pay less than previous employment
Workforce Participation Rate: 55%
(one state from the bottom)

35. Establishing the Baseline: Middle-Skills Gap
Middle Skill jobs require more than a high school diploma but less than a four year degree and often require specialized technical skills.
While 66.3% of Mississippi jobs require middle-skill preparation, only 37.1% of Mississippi workers possess such preparation.
This points to the kind of challenges and opportunities WIOA was designed to address – aligning workforce preparation (education) with labor demand.
Source: American Community Survey, 2015; Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015.

36. Almost 400,000 adults between the ages of 18-64 without a high school diploma.

37. WIOA Performance Outcomes
The percentage of program participants who are in unsubsidized employment:
2nd and 4th quarter after exit from the program;
The median earnings of program participants who are in unsubsidized employment during the second quarter after exit from the program;
The percentage of program participants who:
obtain either a recognized postsecondary credential or a secondary school diploma, or its recognized equivalent, during participation in or within one year of exit from the program;
during a program year, are in an education or training program that leads to a recognized postsecondary credential or employment and who are achieving measurable skill gains towards such a credential or employment; and
The indicators of effectiveness in serving employers.

38. /

39. Questions. https://www. dropbox