Adult Learning in Focus: The National Landscape and a Picture of Oklahoma

Presented by: Pamela Tate

President & CEO, CAEL

February 26, 2009

                        

About CAEL

CAEL is the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning

A 501(c)3 non-profit organization with almost 35 years of lifelong learning and workforce development experience

Mission to remove barriers so that adult learners can be successful in postsecondary education and training

Offices in Chicago, Philadelphia, Denver, New York and Toronto

CAEL’s Unique Integrator Role

CAEL

Government and

Community

Employers

Colleges and

Universities

Lifelong Learning

PublicPolicy

Workforce Learning and Development

Office Jobs

The share of white collar office jobs has risen from 30 to 40 percent of all jobs since 1973.

In 1973, only 38 percent of office workers had completed some kind of postsecondary education. Today, 69 percent of them have, while 37 percent have at least a bachelor’s degree.

Education and Healthcare Jobs

Since the 1970s, education and healthcare jobs have increased from 10 to almost 20 percent of all jobs.

The share of these jobs requiring at least some college has increased from fewer than half in the 1970s to more than 75 percent today, with more than 52 percent requiring baccalaureate or graduate degrees.

Technology Jobs

Technology jobs have doubled from roughly 4 to 8 percent of all jobs.

In 1973, 63 percent of technology workers had completed at least some college, but today 86 percent have—and more than half have at least a bachelor’s degree.

Factory Jobs

Number of factory workers with a high school diploma or less is shrinking as a result of productivity growth. These jobs have declined from more than 30 percent of all jobs to less than 17 percent.

Yet even as these jobs have been declining, the number of manufacturing workers with college educations is rising

Manufacturing is going high-tech, and we need individuals in manufacturing who can design, finance and sell what we make. More than 36 percent of manufacturing workers now have some college education.

Natural Resources Jobs

Even in natural resources jobs like farming, fishing, forestry and mining, which have been in decline, the share of college trained workers keeps increasing.

Workers with at least some college hold 31 percent of those jobs—in comparison, back in 1973 two thirds of the workers in these fields were high school dropouts.

Oklahoma’s Occupational Projections 2006-2016

175,000 jobs will be added to the economy overall

Three industries will account for more than fifty nine percent of Oklahoma’s job growth• Education and health services• Professional and business services• Leisure and Hospitality

Oklahoma’s Jobs: What Training and Education are Needed?

102,000 of those jobs will require short term, moderate term or long term job training

Almost 62,500 of them (36%) will require at least some level of postsecondary vocational training, an Associate’s Degree, a Bachelor’s degree or higher

This percentage is significantly lower than the national average of 74% that will require postsecondary credentials

Adult Learning in Focus

CAEL and NCHEMS released in 2008• National Report on current size and shape of

adult learning provision, barriers to adult participation

• Comparisons among 50 states • State by State profiles • Policy Framework

Percent of Adults Age 25-34 with College Degrees (Associate and Higher), 2005

Source: U.S. Census Bureau; OECD

54 Canada53 Japan

Massachusetts 52 51 Korea50

Minnesota 49New York 48

New Jersey – North Dakota 47Connecticut – Nebraska – New Hampshire 45

Colorado – Maryland – South Dakota – Virginia 44Iowa – Vermont 43

Illinois – Pennsylvania – Rhode Island 42Washington – Wisconsin 41 Norway • Ireland • Belgium

40 Denmark • SpainKansas – Utah-Puerto Rico 39 France • UNITED STATES

Delaware 38 Australia • FinlandGeorgia – Hawaii – Maine – Michigan – Montana – North Carolina - Ohio 37 Sweden • Luxembourg

California – Florida – Oregon 36 IcelandMissouri 35 Netherlands • United KingdomIndiana 34 Russian Federation

Mississippi 33 EstoniaAlabama – Alaska – Arizona – South Carolina – Tennessee – Wyoming 32

Kentucky – Oklahoma – Texas 31 Switzerland • New ZealandIdaho – Louisiana – West Virginia 30

New Mexico 28Arkansas 27

Nevada 26 Poland25 Greece242322 Germany20 Austria • Hungary19 Portugal18 Mexico • Chile 1716 Slovak Republic • Italy1514 Czech Republic12 Turkey10 Slovenia

8 Brazil

United States % OECD Counties

National Profile on Adult Learning

In the U.S., more than 59 million people, or 30% of the adult population are untouched by postsecondary education

In 35 states, over 60% of the population does not have an associates degree or higher

Over 26 million adults in the U.S. currently have no high school diploma

14

National Perspective: How Can the U.S. Reach International Competitiveness by 2025?

63,127,642

41,860,914

0 20 40 60 80

Degrees Needed to Meet Best Performance** (55%)

Degrees* Produced from 2005 to 2025 with CurrentRate of Production plus Population Growth

Millions

** Best performance is the average of the top three states.

Current Degree Production Combined with Population Growth Vs. Best Performance*

on the Student Transition and Completion Measures

* Degrees includes both Associates and 4-year degrees.

The performance gap is large and we need to increase the rate of degree production in the U.S. by 50.8%.

Even Best Performance with Traditional College-Aged Students at Each Stage of the Educational Pipeline Will Leave Gaps in More than 30 States

2,7888,89810,87523,54224,74125,32628,65934,54737,70639,43644,75747,42053,57453,99562,33265,85374,752

110,495112,681114,375115,120122,061132,748

159,765186,640

204,814287,565

307,956320,720

560,688893,504

1,333,645

0 300,000 600,000 900,000 1,200,000 1,500,000

IndianaMissouri

ConnecticutMarylandWyoming

GeorgiaHawaii

MontanaIdahoMaine

WisconsinNew Mexico

MichiganOregon

OklahomaAlaska

West VirginiaAlabama

South CarolinaOhio

MississippiArizona

North CarolinaKentuckyArkansasLouisiana

NevadaTennessee

New JerseyCalifornia

FloridaTexas

In order to reach international competitiveness by 2025, the U.S. and 32 states can’t close the gap with

even best performance with traditional college students. They must rely on the re-entry pipeline – getting older adults back into the education system

and on track to attaining college degrees.

Oklahoma’s Challenge

But of 2,208,389 working-age adults (18 to 64)….• 72.5 percent have not completed college

(associate’s degrees or higher) This is much lower than the national average. Of these: 537,154 have completed some college but no

degree 749,633 have completed just a high school diploma

but have not entered college

Oklahoma’s Challenge

469,212 Oklahomans are living in families whose combined incomes are less than a living wage (twice the level of poverty)

Almost 50,000 speak little or no English 314,454 have not completed High School or

equivalent

Traditional Student Pipeline (What We Measure Well)

High School Students

Enter CollegeComplete College

HS Graduation and Dropout Rates

College-Going Rates Retention and Persistence Rates Graduation Rates

High School Dropouts

Residents Entering with English Deficiencies

Residents Who Finish High School but Struggle to Earn a Living Wage?

Workers Who Need Retraining to Compete in the New Job Market

Residents Who Complete Some College but No

Degree

But What Happens to Those Who Fall Through the Cracks?

Major Barriers to Adult Participation

Major Barriers to Adult Participation in all Learning Opportunities are Access, Affordability, and Aspiration:• Time and Place Barriers• Levels of Preparation for Participation &

Success• Cost and Ability to Pay• Understanding Relevance and Getting

Information

Policies That Help Adult Learners

Address Affordability: Reduce the Cost of Postsecondary Learning for Adults

Raise Awareness about the Need for Adult Learning

Address Accessibility: Put Postsecondary Learning within Reach of Adults

Make the Right Connections: Advising, Career Pathways, Education Pathways, Articulation and Credentialing

Federal Financial Aid

Pell Grants are technically available to less than half-time students, but do not allow these students to count living expenses as part of cost of education

Pell Grants cannot be used for non-credit programs

Federal loans are available only to students attending half-time or more

Proportion of Need-Based Aid Distributed to Part-Time Students 2004-05

30

.02

8.8

25

.0

21

.5

17

.0 15

.0 13

.0 11

.0

7.1

7.0 6

.0 5.0

5.0 4.5 4.0

2.0

2.0

2.0 1

.0 0.0

8.0

11

.0

1.5

14

.0

16

.0

7.0

18

.8

9.0

7.0

11

.7

5.0

41

.4

26

.0

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Minn

esotaN

ew M

exico

Nebraska

IllinoisW

yoming

Arizona

California

Kentu

ckyF

lorida

Michig

anR

hode Islan

dW

ashington

New

Ham

pshireC

oloradoV

ermont

Ma

ssachusetts

Virginia

Oklah

oma

Alaska

Conn

ecticutH

awaii

South

Carolina

Ma

ine

Mo

ntanaP

ennsylvania

Ma

rylandT

ennesse

eInd

ianaM

issouri

New

JerseyN

ew Y

orkA

rkansas

Ore

gonA

labama

Delaw

areG

eorgia

Idaho

Iowa

Kansas

Louisiana

Mississippi

Nevad

aN

orth Caro

lina

North D

akotaO

hioS

outh D

akotaT

exas

Utah

West V

irginia

Wisconsin

Source: NCHEMS Student Financial Aid Survey

No Aid to Part-Time Students or Missing Data

State-Based Aid

Most states do not provide grant aid to less than half-time students

Some states provide grants to students in short-term, intensive, non-degree programs that do not qualify for federal aid

Almost all states have early aid application deadlines that may disadvantage adults with multiple obligations

Other Sources of Assistance

Tuition Assistance Programs (employer assistance)

Lifelong Learning Accounts 529 plans TANF & WIA—subject to state program

plans and definitions and interpretation of regulations (about 40% of these funds are currently used for education and training across the states)

Affordability Solutions

Document aid that is available to adult learners and make that easily available to students

Ensure resources for part-time and less than part-time study

Investigate and promote new financing strategies such as Lifelong Learning Accounts

Encourage higher education institutions to review and re-work procedures to meet needs of these students (flexible payment plans, for example)

Accessibility Solutions

States can:

Encourage/incentivize better transfer/bridge processes between noncredit and for-credit learning

Create better pathways between two- and four-year institutions

Encourage prior learning assessment and accelerated degree programs

Accessibility Solutions

Provide incentive funding to encourage institutions to improve their services and programs for adult learners

Change reimbursement formulas for public institutions so that there are no disincentives to serving adult and other nontraditional learners

Aspiration Solutions

Foster partnerships between industry and higher education so that adults can see career possibilities

Raise awareness of the benefits of education for employability and earnings

Create and disseminate educational pathways to jobs in high demand

CAEL Contact Information

Contact:

Pamela Tate,

President and CEO, CAEL

ptate@cael.org

312-499-2681