Workforce Skills Certificates:Enhancing Curriculum and Student Outcomes

COABE 2007 National ConferenceMarch 27, 2007

Melissa Dayton, Adult Training and Development Network

Dan Wann, Adult Education Professional Development Project

Contact Information

Melissa DaytonAdult Training and Development Network (CT)mdayton@crec.org

Dan WannAdult Education Professional Development Project (IN)dlwann@comcast.net

CT Young Adult Learner Initiative

The goals: Increase the involvement of young

adults without a high school diploma with their own education

Develop a system of academic, support, and workforce preparation programs to ready these young adults for employment in the 21st Century

Connecticut State Department of Education

CT Young Adult Learner Initiative

YoungAdult

Learner

Enhanced Academics

ComprehensiveSupport Services

WorkforcePreparation

Diploma and Workforce Skills Certificate

Post-Secondary Education Employment

Connecticut State Department of Education

YAL Workforce Preparation

YoungAdult

Learner

Enhanced Academics

ComprehensiveSupport Services

WorkforcePreparation

• Career exploration

• Work-based learning experience

• Workforce Skills Certification System

Certificate Program Elements

Certification standards and expectations

Preparation pathway: assessment and curriculum

Connection to world of work: information, assessment, experience

Employer involvement: collaboration and endorsement

CASAS Workforce SkillsCertification System

Skill areas Reading Math Problem Solving Critical Thinking

Skill levels High Secondary Education

Transferable across occupations and industries

Appraisal and pre/post assessments

Reading Competencies Comprehend, explain, and analyze

information from a variety of works, including primary source materials and professional journals

Use context clues and higher order processes to interpret meaning of written material

Interpret job-related documents such as spreadsheets, flow charts, signs, diagrams

Math Competencies

Perform all basic math functions with whole numbers, decimals, and fractions

Interpret and solve simple algebraic equations, tables, and graphs and can develop own tables and graphs

Use math in business transactions

Critical Thinking Competencies

Evaluate situations to provide customer service

Use observations to monitor and improve production

Demonstrate effective management of project resources

Identify factors involved in making decisions, based on job description

Use inductive and deductive reasoning to carry out company policies

Problem Solving Competencies

Identify problem by analyzing customer service complaints

Identify solutions to production quality problems

Implement a plan to reduce safety incidents

Evaluate results of revised hazardous materials safety procedures

Modify solution to improve error reduction plan

Implementation Elements

Establish overall YAL program Partner with employers Integrate workplace skills into

curriculum Recruit students and promote buy-in Monitor student progress Provide work-based learning

experience

Local Implementation

New HavenNew London

Danbury

Middletown

Vernon

EastConn

YAL Ongoing Program Development

Credit orientation skills continuum Employer contact collaborative

partnership Work exposure work experience Add-on activities integrated

curriculum Create student supports support

system

Indiana Department of EducationDivision of Adult Education

Dan Wann, Professional Development Consultant

Indiana Adult EducationWorkforce Education Project

1 – State Agency – IDOE

3 – Staff hired from outside ed.

15 – Workforce Districts

43 – Comprehensive programs

100 – Adult education providers funded

through IDOE

91 – Counties with adult education classes (out of 92)

A Proven Provider

English Works in Indiana has been selected as one of six projects nationally to be profiled as a model for High Impact Work-Based Learning Programs.

OVAE / DOE

An IDOE / DWD Partnership Project

A competency based model which is industry driven and results oriented.

Overall goals: Improve the basic skills of Hoosier

workers Build the capacity of adult education

providers to deliver customized, on-site workplace basic skills

Adult Education Works in IndianaWorkforce Education Project

Adult Education Works in IndianaWorkforce Education Project

98 classes held in 60 companies with 1,074 students594 workers (55%) advanced at least 1 grade levelAverage project cost was $9,500Average training investment per worker was $601141 educators were trained to provide workplace education52 unemployed/dislocated workers found jobs56 workers obtained GED34 workers entered post-secondary trainingMain industries served were manufacturing, agriculture, hospitality/tourism and transportation/logistics.

Workplace Education Outcomes

Workplace Education ROI

The information below focuses on the 232 dislocated workers served in 8 of the 60 total workplace projects.

Occupational/Employment Outcomes:~ Obtained Employment: 52

Estimated Dollars Saved or Earned:Students Finding Jobs $578,656*Increased Tax Revenue $115,731**

Total Dislocated Worker Savings $694,387

*Figure obtained by multiplying the number of students obtaining a job times the $5.35 hourly minimum wage times 40 hours/week times 52 weeks.

**Figure obtained by multiplying value of unemployed students finding jobs times 20%.

Workplace Education ROI

According to the 2000 U.S. Census, a worker age 21-64 with no diploma earns an average income of $24,256 per year; a high school graduate earns an average income of $28,445 per year. Assuming that there is an increased annual earning potential of $4,189 with a diploma, the estimated value of 56 GEDs attained to Indiana is $234,584.

The newest initiative . . .

Shared Themes in CT and IN

Planning within program context Developmental, step-at-a-time

process Needs of target population Marketing to employers and students Curriculum integration Ongoing professional development Persistent leadership