Adult Learning in Focus: The National
Landscape and a Picture of Oklahoma
Presented by: Pamela Tate
President & CEO, CAEL
February 26, 2009
About CAEL
 CAEL is the Council for Adult and Experiential
Learning
 A 501(c)3 non-profit organization with almost 35
years of lifelong learning and workforce
development experience
 Mission to remove barriers so that adult learners
can be successful in postsecondary education
and training
 Offices in Chicago, Philadelphia, Denver, New
York and Toronto
CAEL’s Unique Integrator Role
Workforce Learning
and Development
Employers
Lifelong
Learning
Public
Policy
CAEL
Colleges
and
Universities
Government
and
Community
Office Jobs
 The share of white collar office jobs has
risen from 30 to 40 percent of all jobs since
1973.
 In 1973, only 38 percent of office workers
had completed some kind of postsecondary
education. Today, 69 percent of them have,
while 37 percent have at least a bachelor’s
degree.
Education and Healthcare Jobs
 Since the 1970s, education and healthcare
jobs have increased from 10 to almost 20
percent of all jobs.
 The share of these jobs requiring at least
some college has increased from fewer
than half in the 1970s to more than 75
percent today, with more than 52 percent
requiring baccalaureate or graduate
degrees.
Technology Jobs
 Technology jobs have doubled from roughly
4 to 8 percent of all jobs.
 In 1973, 63 percent of technology workers
had completed at least some college, but
today 86 percent have—and more than half
have at least a bachelor’s degree.
Factory Jobs
 Number of factory workers with a high school
diploma or less is shrinking as a result of
productivity growth. These jobs have declined
from more than 30 percent of all jobs to less than
17 percent.
 Yet even as these jobs have been declining, the
number of manufacturing workers with college
educations is rising
 Manufacturing is going high-tech, and we need
individuals in manufacturing who can design,
finance and sell what we make. More than 36
percent of manufacturing workers now have some
college education.
Natural Resources Jobs
 Even in natural resources jobs like farming,
fishing, forestry and mining, which have
been in decline, the share of college trained
workers keeps increasing.
 Workers with at least some college hold 31
percent of those jobs—in comparison, back
in 1973 two thirds of the workers in these
fields were high school dropouts.
Oklahoma’s Occupational Projections
2006-2016
 175,000 jobs will be added to the economy
overall
 Three industries will account for more than
fifty nine percent of Oklahoma’s job growth
• Education and health services
• Professional and business services
• Leisure and Hospitality
Oklahoma’s Jobs: What Training and
Education are Needed?
 102,000 of those jobs will require short
term, moderate term or long term job
training
 Almost 62,500 of them (36%) will require at
least some level of postsecondary
vocational training, an Associate’s Degree,
a Bachelor’s degree or higher
 This percentage is significantly lower than
the national average of 74% that will require
postsecondary credentials
Adult Learning in Focus
 CAEL and NCHEMS released in 2008
• National Report on current size and shape of
adult learning provision, barriers to adult
participation
• Comparisons among 50 states
• State by State profiles
• Policy Framework
Percent of Adults Age 25-34 with College Degrees
(Associate and Higher), 2005
United States
Massachusetts
Minnesota
New York
New Jersey – North Dakota
Connecticut – Nebraska – New Hampshire
Colorado – Maryland – South Dakota – Virginia
Iowa – Vermont
Illinois – Pennsylvania – Rhode Island
Washington – Wisconsin
Kansas – Utah-Puerto Rico
Delaware
Georgia – Hawaii – Maine – Michigan – Montana – North Carolina - Ohio
California – Florida – Oregon
Missouri
Indiana
Mississippi
Alabama – Alaska – Arizona – South Carolina – Tennessee – Wyoming
Kentucky – Oklahoma – Texas
Idaho – Louisiana – West Virginia
New Mexico
Arkansas
Nevada
Source: U.S. Census Bureau; OECD
%
54
53
52
51
50
49
48
47
45
44
43
42
41
40
39
38
37
36
35
34
33
32
31
30
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
20
19
18
17
16
15
14
12
10
OECD Counties
Canada
Japan
Korea
Norway • Ireland • Belgium
Denmark • Spain
France • UNITED STATES
Australia • Finland
Sweden • Luxembourg
Iceland
Netherlands • United Kingdom
Russian Federation
Estonia
Switzerland • New Zealand
Poland
Greece
Germany
Austria • Hungary
Portugal
Mexico • Chile
Slovak Republic • Italy
Czech Republic
Turkey
Slovenia
National Profile on Adult
Learning
 In the U.S., more than 59 million people, or
30% of the adult population are untouched
by postsecondary education
 In 35 states, over 60% of the population
does not have an associates degree or
higher
 Over 26 million adults in the U.S. currently
have no high school diploma
National Perspective: How Can the U.S. Reach
International Competitiveness by 2025?
Current Degree Production Combined with Population Growth
Vs. Best Performance*
on the Student Transition and Completion Measures
41,860,914
Degrees* Produced from 2005 to 2025 with Current
Rate of Production plus Population Growth
63,127,642
Degrees Needed to Meet Best Performance** (55%)
0
20
40
60
80
Millions
The performance gap is large and we need to increase the rate of
degree production in the U.S. by 50.8%.
* Degrees includes both Associates and 4-year degrees.
** Best performance is the average of the top three states.
14
Even Best Performance with Traditional College-Aged Students at Each
Stage of the Educational Pipeline Will Leave Gaps in More than 30 States
1,333,645
Texas
893,504
Florida
560,688
California
320,720
New Jersey
307,956
Tennessee
287,565
Nevada
204,814
Louisiana
186,640
Arkansas
159,765
Kentucky
132,748
North Carolina
122,061
Arizona
115,120
Mississippi
In order to reach international competitiveness by
114,375
Ohio
112,681
South Carolina
2025, the U.S. and 32 states can’t close the gap with
110,495
Alabama
even best performance with traditional college
74,752
West Virginia
students. They must rely on the re-entry pipeline –
65,853
Alaska
getting older adults back into the education system and
62,332
Oklahoma
53,995
Oregon
on track to attaining college degrees.
53,574
Michigan
47,420
New Mexico
44,757
Wisconsin
39,436
Maine
37,706
Idaho
34,547
Montana
28,659
Hawaii
25,326
Georgia
24,741
Wyoming
23,542
Maryland
Connecticut 10,875
Missouri 8,898
Indiana 2,788
0
300,000
600,000
900,000
1,200,000
1,500,000
Oklahoma’s Challenge
 But of 2,208,389 working-age adults
(18 to 64)….
• 72.5 percent have not completed college
(associate’s degrees or higher) This is much
lower than the national average. Of these:
 537,154 have completed some college but no
degree
 749,633 have completed just a high school diploma
but have not entered college
Oklahoma’s Challenge
 469,212 Oklahomans are living in families
whose combined incomes are less than a
living wage (twice the level of poverty)
 Almost 50,000 speak little or no English
 314,454 have not completed High School or
equivalent
Traditional Student Pipeline (What We Measure Well)
High School
Students
HS Graduation and
Dropout Rates
Enter College
College-Going Rates
Retention and
Persistence Rates
Complete
College
Graduation Rates
But What Happens to Those Who Fall Through the Cracks?
High School
Dropouts
Residents Entering with
English Deficiencies
Residents Who Finish High School but
Struggle to Earn a Living Wage?
Workers Who Need Retraining to
Compete in the New Job Market
Residents Who Complete
Some College but No
Degree
Major Barriers to Adult
Participation
 Major Barriers to Adult Participation in all
Learning Opportunities are Access,
Affordability, and Aspiration:
• Time and Place Barriers
• Levels of Preparation for Participation &
Success
• Cost and Ability to Pay
• Understanding Relevance and Getting
Information
Policies That Help Adult
Learners
 Address Affordability: Reduce the Cost of
Postsecondary Learning for Adults
 Raise Awareness about the Need for Adult
Learning
 Address Accessibility: Put Postsecondary
Learning within Reach of Adults
 Make the Right Connections: Advising, Career
Pathways, Education Pathways, Articulation and
Credentialing
Federal Financial Aid
 Pell Grants are technically available to less
than half-time students, but do not allow
these students to count living expenses as
part of cost of education
 Pell Grants cannot be used for non-credit
programs
 Federal loans are available only to students
attending half-time or more
Proportion of Need-Based Aid Distributed to Part-Time
Students 2004-05
15
0.0
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.0
2.0
onsin
Wisc Virgin ia
t
Wes
Utah
s
Te xah Dakota
Sout
Ohio Dakota
Nort h Caro lin a
Nort hd a
Nevassippi
i
Miss iana
Lo uisas
Kans
Iowa
o
Ida h gia
Geo rware
Dela ma
a
Alab on
Ore g sas
n
Arka York
New Jersey
New u ri
o
Miss na
Ind ia esse e
Te nnland
Ma ry sylva nia
Penn
tana
Mo n e
a
Ma in Carolin
h
Sout ii
a
Haw ecticut
Connka
Alas
a
h om
Oklania
s
Virgi achuse tt
Ma ss t
n
o
Verm ado
ire
r
Colo Hampsh
New ing ton
h
Was e Islan d
Rhodg an
i
Mich a
d
Flo ri u cky
Kent rnia
o
Calif na
Arizo ing
m
Wyo s
i
Illino aska
Nebr Me xico
New esota
Minn
Source: NCHEMS Student Financial Aid Survey
No Aid to Part-Time Students
or Missing Data
5
4.0
4.5
5.0
5.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
7.0
7.0
7.1
8.0
9.0
10
11.0
11.0
11.7
13.0
14.0
15.0
16.0
17.0
18.8
21.5
20
25.0
26.0
25
28.8
30.0
30
41.4
45
40
35
0
State-Based Aid
 Most states do not provide grant aid to less
than half-time students
 Some states provide grants to students in
short-term, intensive, non-degree programs
that do not qualify for federal aid
 Almost all states have early aid application
deadlines that may disadvantage adults
with multiple obligations
Other Sources of Assistance
 Tuition Assistance Programs (employer
assistance)
 Lifelong Learning Accounts
 529 plans
 TANF & WIA—subject to state program
plans and definitions and interpretation of
regulations (about 40% of these funds are
currently used for education and training
across the states)
Affordability Solutions
 Document aid that is available to adult learners
and make that easily available to students
 Ensure resources for part-time and less than parttime study
 Investigate and promote new financing strategies
such as Lifelong Learning Accounts
 Encourage higher education institutions to review
and re-work procedures to meet needs of these
students (flexible payment plans, for example)
Accessibility Solutions
States can:
 Encourage/incentivize better transfer/bridge
processes between noncredit and for-credit
learning
 Create better pathways between two- and
four-year institutions
 Encourage prior learning assessment and
accelerated degree programs
Accessibility Solutions
 Provide incentive funding to encourage
institutions to improve their services and
programs for adult learners
 Change reimbursement formulas for public
institutions so that there are no
disincentives to serving adult and other
nontraditional learners
Aspiration Solutions
 Foster partnerships between industry and
higher education so that adults can see
career possibilities
 Raise awareness of the benefits of
education for employability and earnings
 Create and disseminate educational
pathways to jobs in high demand
CAEL Contact Information
Contact:
Pamela Tate,
President and CEO, CAEL
ptate@cael.org
312-499-2681