Workforce

This whitepaper from the National Governor’s Association Center is exactly what is needed to bring businesses, workforce centers, educational centers, and adult learners to the same table to create a win-win for citizens and state economies. However, without a strong adult education component embedded into this approach, it will not be successfully sustained. To date, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) has been thorough in bringing adult education to the table. Much of the lasting value for individual adult learners and states’ varied needs can be attained if the ideas in this report are fully implemented. This paper is an excellent source for policy makers to review their work-based learning systems. It’s particularly important due to shifting policies at the federal level, the “skills mismatch” that is besetting many industries, and the silver tsunami facing America with 10,000 baby boomers reaching retirement age daily. It is essential that local adult education centers, community colleges, workforce centers and local governments work together to bring these ideas to fruition if they want their citizens and states to thrive, attract new business, and remain competitive.

For state or local adult education administrators, this resource adds to the growing body of work on SNAP E&T implementation strategies. The case study of Tennessee’s SNAP E&T program provides the most useful example to date of state adult serving systems developing an ongoing strategy for braiding SNAP E&T funds with education funds.  While the other states profiled in this report offer few details, the Tennessee example names specific roles for state agencies and local providers. Adult education has long served public benefits recipients but often without thought to aligning services or leveraging funding. Recent efforts by multiple states to align SNAP E&T services with education and workforce development services are enhancing services participants receive and building stronger relationships between organizations seeking to support individuals to economic self-sufficiency. The case studies are valuable in their descriptions of the complementary use of SNAP E&T and workforce development. Additionally, the section on moving forward proffers ideas that may better align WIOA and SNAP E&T program services including: planning and coordinating processes involving state human/social services and labor/workforce agencies; deepening partnerships between SNAP E&T and America’s Job Centers cross-referrals, common assessment, and alignment through sharing of data and data systems; expanding third-party partnerships; using career pathways as a framework for alignment; and seeking opportunities to better align through the coordination of non-core programs with WIOA programs (e.g., TANF, SNAP, etc.).

Integrated Education and Training Policy: 50-State Scan is highly relevant to adult education. It is a practical resource that summarizes the how academic skills and job-related training can be combined (integrated) and what the states are doing in this regard. The report consists mostly of easy-to-read diagrams summarizing the accomplishments of each state in integrating instruction. It could be used in a study circle of program developers, state education and training directors, and program administrators. This report is a good overview of the status of Integrated Education and Training Policy as of December 2016. It may be useful for a variety of individuals interested in adult education and the workforce including local leaders who are developing procedures and programs and want to see what other states are providing. Legislators could review this report to understand the status of neighboring and other states for policy development and federal policymakers could consider this information in identifying funding priorities. Certainly, adult education students doing research may have an interest in this report. The map and chart are the most useful features in that both provide information about the states at a glance. Adult education state leaders, program managers, curriculum writers, and professional developers might use this scan to identify states that have adopted IET systems, but they would need to reach out to their counterparts in those states to learn about how those IET programs were/are created, funded, supported, and organized. The descriptions of what is actually happening in the states are brief and do not describe the substance or quality of the programs. This resource would be more useful if it included model programs and provided more detail on the funding, structure, curricula, instructor training, and other components.

Integrated Education and Training: A Career Pathways Policy and Practice is well designed to promote continuous improvement at various levels in the field. A single provider could use it as study material for staff to compare its offerings with the field at large and assess the extent to which its own programs meet research-based standards such as the “tipping point.” WIOA providers in a region could use the IET publication as its title suggests: to review its career pathways policy and practice for improvement. For example, the resource provides several suggestions and strategies to move away from one-off special funding to regular program funds and describes the relevant WIOA regulations to support that move (see page 9). There is significant value to an analysis of the extent of the field’s adoption of the IET approach. This report will be valuable both to practitioners who are considering adding an IET component to their offerings as well as to those seeking guidance on how to strengthen already existing programs. The format is easy to follow and the language is clear. Since IET is an important component of WIOA, many adult education practitioners will be interested in reviewing the results of this survey. At this juncture, this is a helpful overview document both for programs that are already implementing IET as well as for those who are just getting started.

This CALPRO Brief is what a good brief ought to be: succinct, concise, clear, and helpful for users. It provides a basic overview explaining how the components of Integrated Education and Training (IET) can be delivered concurrently and contextually and builds a case for states and programs to implement integrated education and training.  It is short and easy to read and provides a good starting point for discussions around the benefits of IET and considerations to think about when developing an IET. Specific examples are given to explain different ways occupational skills training and basic skills instruction can be integrated using co-teaching and alternating teaching models. A list of ten possible funding sources for IETs is included. One caution for users – it is dated 2017, which makes it several years out of date.  Users may want to seek current data on, for example, correlations between poverty and academic skill levels.

Work-Based Learning Model: Policy Components is an excellent resource for state, regional and local entities looking to outline policy considerations for a work-based learning system that includes adult learners. It is well written, concise, and superiorly organized, making it easy to read and understand. Current and well-sourced information is provided from the work-based learning field covering multiple scenarios that educators might encounter in building a work-based learning program. The combination of content and concrete examples of collaboration across state, local, employer and charitable organizations make it a must have resource for work-based learning planning and implementation.