Economic Opportunity
Our Economic Opportunity team aims to dramatically increase the attainment of market relevant credentials in order to connect more adults, especially in vulnerable populations, to family-sustaining careers.
We focus on policies and practices that improve the success of adult learners, and help workers to earn both wages and credentials.
Our intended outcomes include substantially increasing the number of:
- Adults with strong basic skills that enable them to continue their education.
- Employers actively engaged in efforts to increase the relevancy and overall attainment of credentials.
- Educational institutions who structure their services to meet the needs of adult (non-traditional) learners.
- Workers who are able to attain market relevant credentials while working.
Adult Learning
The Adult Learning program area supports economic opportunity through strategies that improve the success of adults into and through the entire spectrum of learning opportunities. This program area focuses on strengthening access to, persistence toward and attainment of market relevant credentials.
To this end, our adult learning efforts focus on:
- Restructuring basic skills development to prioritize successful transitions to postsecondary education.
- Tailoring postsecondary education and training to adult learner needs through institutional delivery innovations.
- Facilitating the development of robust career navigation and learner supports.
- Building the capacity of institutions to improve the market-relevancy of credentials by validating them with employers through the creation and use of a framework that is competency-based.
Work-Based Learning
The work-based learning program supports economic opportunity through strategies that help adults simultaneously work and learn. This program area focuses on the role of employers and industry as a critical partner in the attainment of market relevant credentials.
To this end, our work-based learning efforts focus on:
- Increasing adoption of employer-based policies and supports that ensure work is not a barrier to credential attainment and that make learning more accessible and feasible for workers.
- Expanding the use and innovation of work-based learning models, such as on-the-job training (OJT), apprenticeships, internships, subsidized jobs, etc.
- Building agreement and collective action among employers on the criteria and processes needed to effectively assess learning outcomes to ensure credentials are increasingly validated and trusted in the labor market.