Three Pathways
In Minnesota and around the country, educators and workforce development professionals employ different strategies to help students and workers traverse across the adult basic education, higher education, and workforce development arenas. Here, we catergorize these strategies into three general (and often overlapping) approaches or pathways:
1. "Traditional" linear progression from adult basic education to GED completion and then continuing in the higher education system toward a two- or four-year degree. In this pathway, adult basic education coursework is articulated with higher education courses and/or workforce development training.
2. Working inside a particular industry sector to help learners/workers advance through adult basic education, higher education, and workforce training all in the context of a specific career pathway.
3. Creating an infrastructure of student support that helps smooth transitions from one arena to another, and helps learners overcome barriers to success in school and/or the labor market.
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Making the “Traditional” Path Successful |
There are a number of ways to align and articulate curricula so that learners can move from one system to another with relative ease. A few more common approaches include:
1. GED-Plus to accelerate learning for adult education students interested in pursuing postsecondary education. In this model, GED curriculum is aligned to include academic and/or college success skills. In some cases, students are dually enrolled in ABE and postsecondary education. For more, see an example from the State of Florida)
2. ESOL to reduce the time and expense of additional ESOL/ESL coursework at the start of the student’s college career. This model focuses on advancing language skills required for academic settings. For more, click here.
3. College Preparatory to help students transition successfully into college-level courses by providing direct instruction that addresses the gaps between the knowledge required to complete the GED and those needed for success in college.
Minnesota's Mindquest Academy, for example, provides online educational resources to ABE programs and community/technical colleges so that practioners can help prepare adult learners who seek post-secondary education but aren’t yet ready to begin an academic program. Resources include online courses and modules, staff training and certification, and program development.
Sometimes the college preparatory model provides a learning environment that simulates a college environment, includes a comprehensive counseling component, and utilizes student cohorts or learning communities. For more, see information about using Memoranda of Understanding between ABE providers and colleges.
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Using Career Pathways & Industry Clusters to Advance Learners |
The career pathways approach to moving students and workers with limited education into advanced training and college-level programs in high-wage, high-growth employment sectors is used in many places around the country.
Key features of this model include:
d Engagement between local employers, public-sector workforce development professionals, workforce intermediaries, and education and training providers to jointly identify high-wage, high-growth industries and attendant training needs.
d Teaching basic education and technical skills that are contextualized around a specific employment sector.
d Multiple levels of instruction with curriculum that is “chunked” into clear steppingstones that are recognized by employers and link to academic and career advancement pathways.
d Support services to help learners overcome barriers to advancing their careers.
A few examples of career pathways work in Minnesota:
1. M-Powered is a partnership between Hennepin Technical College, several local manufacturing companies, and HIRED, a workforce development organization in the Twin Cities. The goal of M-Powered is to guide low-income individuals, many with limited skills and little, if any, job experience, through a career pathway in the manufacturing sector.
Trainees take part in a 12-week industry-specific course at the technical college, where they are taught basic skills such as applied math, measuring, print reading and job safety. Participants then complete 480 hours of paid on-the-job training, before returning to the classroom for another 12-week session that leads to an industry certification upon graduation. They also receive career counseling, mentoring, and job placement assistance.
Participating employers agree to hire graduates as entry-level employees or to send incumbent employees to additional training. They also participate in curriculum and program design, develop criteria for enrollment, and ensure that the number of students graduating from the program matches the current demand for new employees. For more information, click here.
2. Healthcare Academies are designed to assist low-income and disadvantaged participants who are interested in entering or moving up the healthcare career ladder. Academy goals include: integrating classes into industry specific work sites to ensure the Healthcare Academies are driven by current trends and needs, and that participants are mentored and supported; working with businesses to fill job vacancies and increase retention rates; and providing a more diverse workforce. The academies are run by a partnership of local long-term care providers, community colleges, ABE providers, and Workforce Development, Inc., in Southeast Minnesota . Employers actively guide curriculum and career pathway development, give employment preference to graduates, and offer on-site learning opportunities. For more information, click here.
3. Workforce U is a joint initiative of the Stearns-Benton Employment and Training Council, leading local employers, and St. Cloud Technical College to educate and train workers to fill jobs in high demand in central Minnesota. Workforce U offers comprehensive skills assessment and career exploration opportunities in all regionally strategic industries—health services, printing and publishing, manufacturing, engineering and management services, wholesale trade, and business services – followed by classes designed to move the student/worker along his or her chosen career pathway. For more information, click here.
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Creating an Infrastructure of Support |
Providing a range of support services, from academic and career counseling to child care assistance, can help students/workers to map out an effective education pathway and to balance school/job training alongside work and family obligations. Some key types of support are:
1. Advising to raise students’ awareness of postsecondary education options and admissions processes through workshops, presentations and individual counseling. This approach is often coupled with other supports often referred to as "wrap-around supports". For more information on this approach, read about the Capital Idea program in Texas.
2. Co-Location of services is sometimes a successful approach to strengthening infrastructure. As an example, the Anoka Technical College & Metro North Adult Basic Education (ABE) are co-located with the ABE classroom on Anoka Technical College’s campus, which helps students acclimate to the college environment; the students utilizing ABE services become familiar and comfortable with the educational environment and are more apt to continue their education. Indeed, the Metro North ABE program teaches basic skills, but also helps students to develop the skills needed to succeed at Anoka Tech.
Further, the Anoka Technical College & the Minnesota WorkForce Center in Blaine have partnered to provide an on-campus Career Center to assist students with career exploration and development. Specifically, the Career Center assists students by educating them about the career planning process; networking and job search strategies; resume assistance and critiquing; practice interviewing; and accessing salary and labor market information.
3. Cohort learning is increasingly popular approach in adult education, in which a group of students move from the commencement of their program through common courses as a "learning community." Cohort members have an opportunity to forge strong interpersonal relationships that can enhance learning, promote peer support and, improve program completion. Technology is increasingly used to facilitate contacts among cohort members when they are not in face-to-face contact. Mountain State University in West Virginia is one instituion that has embraced this approach.
4. Wrap-around job training services are used by many non-profit training providers to help disadvantaged workers overcome barriers they may face - child care and transportation limitations, limited education, lack of workplace experience, etc. - so that they may succeed in the labor force. Goodwill/Easter Seals Minnesota, for example, provides comprehensive support services to clients of its job training programs.
 ABE to Higher Ed Transitions
Source for models and examples of ABE to higher education transition programming
Pathways Resource Guide
Downloadable Resource Guide developed for partners
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