|
|
|
|
Center for American
Progress
Working Learners
Educating Our Entire Workforce for Success in the 21st Century
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/06/img/workinglearners_onpage.jp
gSOURCE: iStockphoto
Helping millions of American participate in education and training that
yields a postsecondary credential is crucial for both America’s economic
competitiveness and a stable, growing middle class.
By Louis Soares <http://www.americanprogress.org/experts/SoaresLouis.html>
| June 22, 2009
Read
<http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/06/pdf/working_learners.pdf>
the full report (pdf)
Download
<http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/06/pdf/working_learners_execsum
m.pdf> the executive summary (pdf)
On May 8 President Barack Obama encouraged those who have lost their jobs to
“no longer just look for a new job, but also to prepare for a better job.”
The administration quickly proposed changes to the primary college-tuition
grant program—Pell Grants—and the unemployment insurance system to bring
postsecondary education within the reach of greater numbers of working class
Americans.
What the president proposes, however, is but a first step to address the
nation’s need for a well-trained workforce and the needs of those who have
entered the workforce but who require further education to get ahead. These
“working learners” are now served by a system that is overly focused on
crisis intervention at the point of unemployment and getting people back
into jobs, and not focused sufficiently on the need for training and
education.
Our nation’s existing postsecondary system is bifurcated, with any part
adequately providing for the education of working learners. On the one hand
are the tightly-structured, traditional college programs that serve the
needs of full-time students who are ushered through the system toward
completion of a college degree. This system, however, is ill-suited to
workers who receive their education over longer periods during their work
and family lives, and during occasional gaps in employment. On the other
hand, there is a more flexible workforce development system, but it provides
an unstructured hodge-podge of training that often fails to lead to a
well-conceived career path and that produces little in the way of meaningful
educational credentials for both the worker and the employer.
Change is clearly needed. The system’s hallmarks to bring the 75 million
potential working learners the skills they and our economy need are:
These “working learners” are now served by a system that is overly focused
on crisis intervention at the point of unemployment and getting people back
into jobs, and not focused sufficiently on the need for training and
education.
Flexibility. Very few working learners can take four years out of their
lives to achieve a four-year college degree. Yet they can attend class as it
fits in with the rest of their lives over longer periods of time. A system
that provides for working learners must be flexible enough to accommodate
this reality.
Credentials. Many working learners who receive useful and relevant training
fall short of receiving an actual degree or certificate. It often takes an
extended period of time for working learners to achieve such a credential,
leaving them with nothing to show for their educational achievements for
many years. To provide a basis for employers to evaluate workers’ skill
levels—and working learners’ evidence of their accomplishments—the system
must offer credits and credentials for academic achievements short of
traditional degrees.
Coaching. For many working learners the career path is long and has many
detours. They do not necessarily have a good sense of the opportunities
available or the training needed to take advantage of those opportunities.
Professional services with career coaches who are well versed in the
staffing needs of employers, the skills required to fill those positions and
the educational opportunities available are necessary intermediaries in the
labor market.
Resources. The existing workforce development resources are inadequate to
provide education to working learners, most of whom have limited capacity to
pay their own way and many of whom have financial obligations to their
families.
To address these needs, changes are needed in our postsecondary education
system and our workforce development system. Specifically, we need to:
Create a new Micro-Pell Grant. The Pell Grant program is not currently
available to those who want to take one course per semester or an
occupational certificate. This inflexibility makes the program inaccessible
to many working learners. The Higher Education Act should be modified to
create a special Pell Grant without this restriction funded with an
additional $2 billion available from other changes in the program.
Invest in community colleges. Community colleges have strong academic
standards and are in the business of offering credentials and credit for
academic achievement. They are in a strong position within their communities
to play a leadership role in meeting workforce needs of employers and the
educational needs of working learners. They need to modify their programs to
provide the greater flexibility these students require. To do this, however,
will , it will require greater funding and incentives—some of which can be
available through provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
and the Access and Completion Incentive Fund.
Modify workforce development programs. Congress needs to modify Title I and
II of the Workforce Investment Act to:
§ Align several funding streams under WIA to ensure that education does not
take a back seat to crisis intervention and that the system is structured to
best serve the common needs of all working learners instead of being
splintered into several, separate, inadequate programs.
§ Enhance the U.S. Employment Service and place it in charge of the
existing WIA One Stop System to run it as a continuous service career
coaching center.
§ Set national postsecondary education goals for working learners that
include less-than-college credit benchmarks for progress.
§ Convert the local Workforce Investment Board network under WIA into a
quality assurance overseer to ensure that the partners in the new system—the
providers of education, training and coaching—adequately serve the needs of
both the employer and worker communities.
Helping millions of American participate in education and training that
yields a postsecondary credential is crucial for both America’s economic
competitiveness and a stable, growing middle class. This paper presents ways
to build upon President Obama’s Pell Grant and unemployment insurance
proposals so that government programs and services help “working learners”
combine employment and education over their working lives so they may
advance through successful careers, however circumstances in the economy may
change, and contribute to our national economic success.
Read
<http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/06/pdf/working_learners.pdf>
the full report (pdf)
Download
<http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/06/pdf/working_learners_execsum
m.pdf> the executive summary (pdf)
To speak with our experts on this topic, please contact:
For print and radio, John Neurohr, Deputy Press Secretary
202.481.8182 or [log in to unmask]
For TV, Andrea Purse, Deputy Director of Media Strategy
202.446.8429 or [log in to unmask]
For web, Erin Lindsay, Online Marketing Manager
202.741.6397 or [log in to unmask]
Print source:
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/06/working_learners.html/print.h
tml
Rootage:
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/06/working_learners.html
Dan Kern
AD21, Reading
East Central College
1964 Prairie Dell Road
Union, MO 63084-4344
Phone: (636) 583-5195
Extension: 2426
Fax: (636) 584-0513
Email: [log in to unmask]
Instruction begins when you, the teacher, learn from the learner. Put
yourself in his place so that you may understand what he learns and
the way he understands it. (Kierkegaard)
To freely bloom - that is my definition of success. -Gerry Spence, lawyer
(b. 1929) [Benjamin would be proud, I think.]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To access the LRNASST-L archives or User Guide, or to change your
subscription options (including subscribe/unsubscribe), point your web browser to
http://www.lists.ufl.edu/archives/lrnasst-l.html
To contact the LRNASST-L owner, email [log in to unmask]
|
|
|
Archives |
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011, Week 3
January 2011, Week 2
January 2011, Week 1
January 2011
December 2010, Week 5
December 2010, Week 4
December 2010, Week 3
December 2010, Week 2
December 2010, Week 1
November 2010, Week 5
November 2010, Week 4
November 2010, Week 3
November 2010, Week 2
November 2010, Week 1
October 2010, Week 5
October 2010, Week 4
October 2010, Week 3
October 2010, Week 2
October 2010, Week 1
September 2010, Week 5
September 2010, Week 4
September 2010, Week 3
September 2010, Week 2
September 2010, Week 1
August 2010, Week 5
August 2010, Week 4
August 2010, Week 3
August 2010, Week 2
August 2010, Week 1
July 2010, Week 5
July 2010, Week 4
July 2010, Week 3
July 2010, Week 2
July 2010, Week 1
June 2010, Week 5
June 2010, Week 4
June 2010, Week 3
June 2010, Week 2
June 2010, Week 1
May 2010, Week 4
May 2010, Week 3
May 2010, Week 2
May 2010, Week 1
April 2010, Week 5
April 2010, Week 4
April 2010, Week 3
April 2010, Week 2
April 2010, Week 1
March 2010, Week 5
March 2010, Week 4
March 2010, Week 3
March 2010, Week 2
March 2010, Week 1
February 2010, Week 4
February 2010, Week 3
February 2010, Week 2
February 2010, Week 1
January 2010, Week 5
January 2010, Week 4
January 2010, Week 3
January 2010, Week 2
January 2010, Week 1
December 2009, Week 5
December 2009, Week 4
December 2009, Week 3
December 2009, Week 2
December 2009, Week 1
November 2009, Week 5
November 2009, Week 4
November 2009, Week 3
November 2009, Week 2
November 2009, Week 1
October 2009, Week 5
October 2009, Week 4
October 2009, Week 3
October 2009, Week 2
October 2009, Week 1
September 2009, Week 5
September 2009, Week 4
September 2009, Week 3
September 2009, Week 2
September 2009, Week 1
August 2009, Week 5
August 2009, Week 4
August 2009, Week 3
August 2009, Week 2
August 2009, Week 1
July 2009, Week 5
July 2009, Week 4
July 2009, Week 3
July 2009, Week 2
July 2009, Week 1
June 2009, Week 5
June 2009, Week 4
June 2009, Week 3
June 2009, Week 2
June 2009, Week 1
May 2009, Week 5
May 2009, Week 4
May 2009, Week 3
May 2009, Week 2
May 2009, Week 1
April 2009, Week 5
April 2009, Week 4
April 2009, Week 3
April 2009, Week 2
April 2009, Week 1
March 2009, Week 5
March 2009, Week 4
March 2009, Week 3
March 2009, Week 2
March 2009, Week 1
February 2009, Week 4
February 2009, Week 3
February 2009, Week 2
February 2009, Week 1
January 2009, Week 5
January 2009, Week 4
January 2009, Week 3
January 2009, Week 2
January 2009, Week 1
December 2008, Week 5
December 2008, Week 4
December 2008, Week 3
December 2008, Week 2
December 2008, Week 1
November 2008, Week 5
November 2008, Week 4
November 2008, Week 3
November 2008, Week 2
November 2008, Week 1
October 2008, Week 5
October 2008, Week 4
October 2008, Week 3
October 2008, Week 2
October 2008, Week 1
September 2008, Week 5
September 2008, Week 4
September 2008, Week 3
September 2008, Week 2
September 2008, Week 1
August 2008, Week 5
August 2008, Week 4
August 2008, Week 3
August 2008, Week 2
August 2008, Week 1
July 2008, Week 5
July 2008, Week 4
July 2008, Week 3
July 2008, Week 2
July 2008, Week 1
June 2008, Week 5
June 2008, Week 4
June 2008, Week 3
June 2008, Week 2
June 2008, Week 1
May 2008, Week 5
May 2008, Week 4
May 2008, Week 3
May 2008, Week 2
May 2008, Week 1
April 2008, Week 5
April 2008, Week 4
April 2008, Week 3
April 2008, Week 2
April 2008, Week 1
March 2008, Week 5
March 2008, Week 4
March 2008, Week 3
March 2008, Week 2
March 2008, Week 1
February 2008, Week 5
February 2008, Week 4
February 2008, Week 3
February 2008, Week 2
February 2008, Week 1
January 2008, Week 5
January 2008, Week 4
January 2008, Week 3
January 2008, Week 2
January 2008, Week 1
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
April 2004
March 2004
February 2004
January 2004
December 2003
November 2003
October 2003
September 2003
August 2003
July 2003
June 2003
May 2003
April 2003
March 2003
February 2003
January 2003
December 2002
November 2002
October 2002
September 2002
August 2002
July 2002
June 2002
May 2002
April 2002
March 2002
February 2002
January 2002
December 2001
November 2001
October 2001
September 2001
August 2001
July 2001
June 2001
May 2001
April 2001
March 2001
February 2001
January 2001
December 2000
November 2000
October 2000
September 2000
August 2000
July 2000
June 2000
May 2000
April 2000
March 2000
February 2000
January 2000
December 1999
November 1999
October 1999
September 1999
August 1999
July 1999
June 1999
May 1999
April 1999
March 1999
February 1999
January 1999
December 1998
November 1998
October 1998
September 1998
August 1998
July 1998
June 1998
May 1998
April 1998
March 1998
February 1998
January 1998
December 1997
November 1997
October 1997
September 1997
August 1997
July 1997
June 1997
May 1997
April 1997
March 1997
February 1997
January 1997
December 1996
November 1996
October 1996
September 1996
August 1996
July 1996
June 1996
May 1996
April 1996
March 1996
February 1996
January 1996
December 1995
November 1995
October 1995
September 1995
August 1995
July 1995
June 1995
May 1995
April 1995
March 1995
February 1995
January 1995
|
|
