EDGE WEBINAR: MOVING ADULTS FROM BASIC SKILLS TO CAREERS
The California EDGE Campaign presented our first webinar, “Moving Adults from Basic Skills to Careers,” on June 17. This event proved to be remarkably popular — about 200 people participated from all over California!
During the webinar, three expert speakers presented real-world examples of strategies that work to lift adults from basic skills courses into good careers, such as integrating basic skills education into industry-specific workforce training. Participants learned about successful initiatives in several states, including Washington's I-BEST program and California's Career Advancement Academies.
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Click here to view a recording of the entire webinar — audio and video! [requires Flash plug-in] |
Additional archive and supplemental documents:
- Presentation by Julie Strawn about her research on linking basic skills and workforce education — including “appendix” slides not included in the webinar detailing several more example programs from other states [PDF document]
- Presentation by Israel Mendoza on Washington State's “tipping point” and I-BEST initiative [PDF document]
- Policy Brief: “Policies to Promote Adult Education and Postsecondary Alignment” (2007), Julie Strawn, prepared for the National Commission on Adult Literacy [PDF document]
- Overview of Research used in Washington State [PDF document]
- Survey report: “Washington State Employers' Workforce Training Needs and Practices - 2006” [scroll down page to reach links]
- I-BEST Program Summaries [PDF document]
- I-BEST original application form [PDF document]
- Videos about students in California's Career Advancement Academies [page links to video files]
- The Career Ladders Project website
The EDGE Campaign was pleased to present this informative program in collaboration with the California Community College Association for Occupational Education and the National Council for Workforce Education.
 | Tuesday, June 17, 2008 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PDT View recording [requires Flash plug-in] |
Presenters:
Julie Strawn, Senior Policy Analyst, Center for Law and Social Policy- Israel Mendoza, Director, Adult Literacy and Basic Skills Programs, Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
- Linda Collins, Executive Director, Career Ladders Project
Millions of Californians enter our community colleges and adult education systems with the goal of beginning or advancing their careers, but first need help improving their basic skills (writing, reading, and math). Unfortunately, many of these students do not succeed; for example, less than 30 percent of enrolled basic-skills students in our state's community colleges go on to earn a vocational certification, AA/AS degree, or transfer to a four year school.
How can we better help these workers to gain the skills that they need to fill essential jobs in our economy and build middle-class careers? Several other states have adopted strategies that work, including integrating basic skills education into industry-specific workforce training. This webinar provided real-world examples of these strategies and insights about how they are succeeding at lifting adults from basic skills courses into good careers.
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With thanks to the following funders: |