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Better Together: Title I & II Serving LowBetter Together: Title I & II Serving Low--Skilled Skilled AdultsAdults

New York Coalition for Adult LiteracyNew York Coalition for Adult LiteracyFebruary 4, 2010February 4, 2010

Amy Ellen DukeAmy Ellen Duke--Benfield Benfield Senior Policy AnalystSenior Policy Analyst

Neil Ridley Neil Ridley Senior Policy AnalystSenior Policy Analyst

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• Authorized in 1998• Reformed federal employment, adult education, and

vocational rehabilitation programs to create an integrated “one-stop” system of workforce investment and education activities for adults and youth

• Five titlesTitle I: Adult, Dislocated Workers, Youth Title II: Adult Education and Family Literacy ActTitle III: Workforce Investment-related activitiesTitle IV: Vocational RehabilitationTitle V: incentive grants, unified plans, etc.

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• Grants to states and local areas for employment and training services

• State and local workforce investment boards—responsible for planning, partnerships and oversight

• One-stop career centers—provide access to services provided by WIA and partner programs

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Funding Stream PY 2009 Allocation to New York City

Adults (age 18 and over) $26.5 million administered by SBS

Dislocated Workers (laid off workers, UI claimants, displaced homemakers)

$15.8 million administered by SBS

Youth (low-income youth, out-of-school youth)

$25 million administered by DYCD

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• Adults and Dislocated Workers follow a sequence of services (core, intensive and training).

• Training services include a range of options, including adult education and literacy in combination with skills training.

• Individual Training Accounts (ITAs) are the main vehicle for training.

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• Strongly encourages career pathways for adults and youth and alignment of adult education, training and postsecondary education with jobs and industries

• Allows for training contracts with colleges and training providers, provided that customer choice is not limited

• Gives priority to low-income individuals

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• Grants provided to states to fund local programs providing adult education and literacy services, including workplace literacy services, family literacy services, English literacy, and GED prep.

• For adults and out-of-school youth age 16 and older

• Multiple goals for the program including gaining knowledge and skills necessary for self-sufficiency

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• WA state survey—86% of adult ed students have employment goals.

• For low skilled adults, the largest economic payoffs are in postsecondary. 1 year of college = 10% increase in earnings (as true for GED grads as for h.s. grads)

Getting a GED alone does increase earnings but by less than a high school diploma. (Only pays off significantly for dropouts with lowest skills and for immigrants.)Vocational certificates and degrees pay off more than academic ones at the Associate level and below

• Up until now, assumption by programs and by adult ed. students has been that GED is the best route to good jobs and to postsecondary education

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• Adult ed. focused on GED but majority do not earn one, and few GED grads. ever complete postsecondary credentials.

Most adult ed. students stay for 30 to 80 hours of instruction. (100-150=1 grade level) Only 12% complete > 1 year of college in first decade after earning GED, 3% earn at least AA degree. Bottom line: Over several decades, of 100 adult ed. students, about 8 go on to postsecondary and 2 get a BA. Very few English Language Learners transition.

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• Access to occupational and job trainingAlso covers costs related to training

• Career counseling, job search assistance, case management

• Support servicesChild care, transportationNeeds-related payments

• Connections to employers, in some cases organized by sectors

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• Partnering with One-Stop Center to provide labor market information and career information to adult education providers

• Partner with One-Stop to provide adult education services at One-Stop

• Referral arrangement to One-Stop and from One-Stop to adult ed providers

• Contextualizing basic skills/literacy content to occupations/sectors

• Co-enrolling individuals in Title I and II• Integrated basic skills/literacy and training

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• Linked education and training services that –“enable students, often while they are working, to advance over time to successively higher levels of education and employment in a given industry or occupational sector. Each step on a career pathway is designed explicitly to prepare students to progress to the next level of employment and education.” (Oregon Career Pathways initiative)

• Greater alignment: Ideally career pathways are not a separate program but a framework for weaving together adult education, training, and college programs that are currently siloed and connecting those services to employers’ workforce needs.

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• Career pathway bridge programs typically cover “soft skills,” pre-college academic skills, and specific job skills, ideally one that is part of a career pathway.

• Career pathway bridges tailor and contextualize the adult ed/ELL content to general workplace needs and to the knowledge and skills needed in a specific occupation.

E.g. bridge programs in manufacturing cover blueprint reading, statistical process control. Those in health care cover intro. to human biology, vocab. and math for health careers.

• Partners in bridge programs can be employers, unions, community-based organizations, community colleges, and others.

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• ESL in Health Careers Context16-week ESL course contextualized to health careersEntry quals: Grade level equiv of 6.0 or higher TABECompleters can go on to next rung of career ladder (VESL)Funding sources: Adult ed ESL, WIA Title I

• Vocational ESL in a Certified Nursing Assistant Context16-week VESL course contextualized to CNAEntry quals: Grade level equiv of 7.0 or higher on TABECompleters can go on to the CNA component or pre-LPN moduleFunding sources: Adult ed ESL, WIA Title I

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• WA state goal: Increase number of adult ed/ELL students who reach “tipping point” of one-year postsecondary & credentials

• 135 programs in the 34 community and technical colleges• I-BEST pairs ABE/ELL instructors with prof./tech instructors in the

classroom to provide integrated basic skills and job training.• Goal is to earn a for-credit occupational certificate AND raise

basic skills/English to level needed to take next career and educational step. Both high and lower skill level options.

• Instructors co-teach 50% of the time, other half of the time teach the same students contextualized basic skills and occupational skills separately. Programs typically range from 1-3 quarters.

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• Administration’s Workforce Investment Act reauthorization recommendations emphasize closer alignment

Maintain focus on educational goals in adult ed, yet greater focus on moving all students along a trajectory ending with postsecondary and career success Establish consistent performance measures and definitions

• Career pathways movement• American Graduation Initiative

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• Introduced by President Obama at Macomb Community College (Detroit), July 14

• Goal: An additional 5 million community college graduates by 2020 (degrees and certificates)

• Reflects emerging themes of Administration and Congress:

Focus on community collegesEmphasis on persistence and completionIntegration of education and workforce needs through career pathways including adult educationEvidence-based innovation

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• For more information about WIA reauthorization proposals visit: www.clasp.org

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