Serving the Adult Learner: Increasing
Opportunities & Improving Lives
Karen SteinbergExecutive Vice President
Council for Adult & Experiential Learning (CAEL)
SHEEO Professional Development ConferenceAugust 17, 2005
What is CAEL?
Non-profit national organization established in 1974
700 membersOffices in Chicago, Denver, New
York, PhiladelphiaDiverse projects operating in nearly
every state
CAEL’s Mission
CAEL pioneers learning strategies for individuals and organizations. We advance lifelong learning in partnership with educational institutions, employers, labor organizations, government, and communities.
CAEL works to remove policy and organizational barriers to learning opportunities, and identifies and disseminates effective practices.
AdultLearners
Employers and
Unions
Governmentand
Community
Colleges and
Universities
CAEL Connects:
CAEL’s Workforce Development Work
CAEL’s Lifelong Learning Work
CAEL’s Public Policy Work
The Adult Learner
Why Should States be Concerned @ Adult Learners?
Estimate that 38-45% of currently enrolled undergraduate degree seeking students have one or more characteristics of an “adult”
Estimate 68M adults (1/3 of adults 16 and older) took formal courses or training outside of traditional degree programs in 2002-03
Why Should States be Concerned @
the Adult Learner?
56% of U.S. Population aged 25-64 has some education beyond high school
16% of adults in US have not completed high school…in 5 states 1 in 5 has not completed high school and in an additional 12 states 1 in 6 has not
70-80% of jobs in the near future will require some education beyond high school
Why Should States be Concerned @ the Adult
Learner?Top States in the nation: 5.4% of their working age
adults (25-49) enrolled in postsecondary education (Measuring Up 2002).
This level of Adult Learning Engagement Will Not Meet States’ Workforce Needs in the Coming Years.
Adult Learner Barriers
Institutional: Policies and Practices that impede and discourage adult learners
Situational: Adult Learner’s life situation or circumstances
Dispositional: Adult Learner’s personal concerns, beliefs or attitudes
Adult Learning Focused
Institutions:
Outreach Life/Career Planning Financing Assessment of Learning
Outcomes—PLA Teaching Learning Process Student Support Systems Technology Strategic Partnerships
Access
Do State Policies encourage or hinder ‘Adult Friendly Practices’?
Financial Aid for Part-time Students
Equitable Funding for Community Colleges
Funding for ‘non-credit’ Developmental courses
Encourage Convenient Schedules & On-line Programs
Services nights and weekends Recognition of Prior Learning
Public Policy Changes to Enhance
AccessCAEL works to change public
policy: Lifelong Learning Accounts
or LiLAs
Career Pathways Initiatives
LiLAs Lifelong Learning Accounts (LiLA’s)
are portable, individual asset accounts to finance education (similar to 401k accounts) Employer matches each
employee dollar Both employer and employee
would receive a tax benefit for the investment
Pilot demonstrations for LiLAs underway in three locations
CAEL is working with state action teams to design state-based LiLA models (Maine, Indiana, Illinois, Oklahoma, Hawaii).
Career Pathways Initiatives
A career pathway: links educational programs with
work, on-the-job training, and support services to enable workers to earn wages and attend college.
identifies jobs of importance to local employers.
brings together the resources needed to prepare workers to qualify for these positions.
provides stepping-stones for the entry and advancement of workers.
CAEL’s Experience Building Career
Pathways
CAEL has helped state community college systems to build sector-specific career pathways and ensure that colleges have infrastructure in place to support these pathways.
CAEL created the Collaboration Tool Kit for use with multi-stakeholder action teams.
Examples of State-Level/
System Policy Change Kentucky: CAEL Developed Asset
Map for Governor Patton’s “Poverty to Opportunity” Summit and Works with KCTCS on Career Pathways
Louisiana: CAEL Assisted Governor’s Workforce Commission with Inventory of Adult Learning Programs in State
Ohio: KnowledgeWorks Foundation Using CAEL and ALFI Tools as Resource for Building Career Pathways for Twelve Community Colleges and Targeted Industries
Workforce Development
CAEL works with over 60 companies and their employees in 40 states.
CAEL administers $130 million in tuition assistance benefits to 400,000 learners annually across the country and internationally.
CAEL advises over 150,000 employees annually about how and where to return to college to use their tuition benefits.
Influencing Employers’ Policies
CAEL is working to increase employers’ investment in learning and tuition Broaden tuition policies
beyond job-related learning Pay up-front through a
voucher or letter of credit system rather than through reimbursement
What Else?
Strategic Importance of Paying Attention to Adult Learning in State and National Priorities
Link to Workforce & Economic Development—…The Pipeline won’t do it…
Policy Reviews and Consistent Data
Leverage Funding—Inventories and Asset Maps & Partnerships