Adult Education:
Key to Building Nebraska’s
Future Workforce
Nebraska Appleseed Center
for Law in the Public Interest
April 2010
About Nebraska Appleseed Center for
Law in the Public Interest
Nebraska Appleseed is a nonprofit, nonpartisan
public interest law firm that works for equal
justice and full opportunity for all Nebraskans.
Appleseed uses litigation, public policy reform,
and community education to positively impact
low-income families, immigrants, children in
foster care, and access to health care.
Acknowledgements
The Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the
Public Interest would like to thank the national
Working Poor Families Project, in association
with Brandon Roberts and Deborah Povich, for
their generous support of this project and much
appreciated technical assistance. Nebraska
Appleseed would also like to thank Jordan
Milliken for her generous assistance in editing
this report.
Nebraska Appleseed is a part of the Appleseed
network of independent, state-based, public
interest law centers working to identify and
address social injustices. The Appleseed
network seeks to build a just society through
education, legal advocacy, community activism,
and policy expertise by addressing root causes
and producing practical, systemic solutions
with broad implications. For more information,
visit www.appleseednetwork.org.
Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law
in the Public Interest
941 “O” Street, Suite 920
Lincoln, NE 68508
www.neappleseed.org
ii
Adult Education: Key to Building Nebraska’s Future Workforce
Contents
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Economic Demand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Educational Attainment and Economic Stability . . . . . . 5
Nebraska’s Adult Education System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Best Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Policy Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Citations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
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iii
Overview
Adult Education programs are a key to building
Nebraska’s future workforce and to helping our
families, communities, and our state move
ahead. Today, 80% of jobs nationwide currently
require workers to have education beyond high
school1. Jobs with future growth potential in
Nebraska, including health care and business
positions, require a workforce with strong basic
skills.
While Nebraska workers are among the most
dedicated in the nation, many need new opportunities to gain education and skills they need to
contribute fully to our workforce and to earn
family supporting wages. In fact, more than one
in five (22.5%) low-income families in Nebraska
contains a parent without a high school diploma
or GED2.
Workers in our state are an essential part of
building the “Good Life” today and ensuring our
economic competitiveness in the future. The
purpose of this report is to illustrate the vital
role that adult education plays in building a
future workforce and advancing family economic well-being in Nebraska, and to put forth proposals for improving our state’s system. Investing
in adult education is an important strategy for
building Nebraska’s workforce and for connecting low-income and low skilled workers to jobs
that pay family supporting wages.
These strategies position Nebraska to capitalize
on our asset of working families to fuel economic development and state prosperity, contribute
to the well-being of children and parents, and
prepare our state to be a national leader during
this period of economic recovery and beyond.
Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest / www.neappleseed.org
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2
Adult Education: Key to Building Nebraska’s Future Workforce
Economic Demand
Need for Skilled Workers
The Nebraska Department of Economic
Development’s Annual report provides the results
of a 2008 survey of business owners and managers about their current challenges and plans for
expansion. The survey found that the top three
difficulties for employers were “workforce availability, market competition, and increasing the
customer base.” According to the report, “there is
a continued lack of people to hire for positions in
certain occupations.”3 In spite of a comparatively
low unemployment rate, the lack of skilled workers in Nebraska continues. This prevents
Nebraska from attracting new businesses and
growing existing businesses. It is particularly
concerning when we look towards the future,
when our state will need to compete in the
“knowledge economy” of the 21st Century, which
will focus on technology and information sharing
in a global marketplace.
Nebraska’s need for a skilled workforce is a significant problem - both current and future occupations require workers with skills and education.
In Nebraska, of the top ten occupations with the
greatest expected growth from 2006-2016 only
one, food preparation and serving workers, does
not require a High School Diploma (or General
Educational Development Diploma.) (Figure 1).
Figure 1:
Occupations with Greatest Numeric Change in Employment 2006-2016 with Education Level 4
Title
2006 Estimated
Employment
2016 Projected
Employment
% Change
Education
Level
Truck Drivers, Heavy and TractorTrailer
29,766
36,756
23.49%
High School Diploma (or GED or High School
Equivalence Certificate)
Registered Nurses
20,429
27,323
33.75%
Associate’s Degree (or other two-year degree)
Customer Service Representatives
18,676
23,560
26.69%
High School Diploma (or GED or High School
Equivalence Certificate)
Retail Salespersons
30,092
34,284
13.93%
High School Diploma (or GED or High School
Equivalence Certificate)
Combined Food Preparation and
Serving Workers, Including Fast Food
15,754
19,939
26.89%
Less than a High School Diploma
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and
Auditing Clerks
20,693
24,181
16.86%
Some college courses
Nursing Aides, Orderlies, and
Attendants
14,781
18,165
22.89%
High School Diploma (or GED or High School
Equivalence Certificate)
Waiters and Waitresses
15,861
18,918
19.27%
High School Diploma (or GED or High School
Equivalence Certificate)
Office Clerks, General
16,224
20,693
13.55%
High School Diploma (or GED or High School
Equivalence Certificate)
Child Care Workers
9,637
11,964
24.15%
High School Diploma (or GED or High School
Equivalence Certificate)
Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest / www.neappleseed.org
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Nebraska’s Adult Workforce
In order to fill these jobs and meet Nebraska’s
workforce needs, we must turn our attention to
our current adult workforce. Two thirds of our
2020 workforce is already on the job today, but a
significant number need new opportunities to
gain education and skills5. In 2007, 97,300 adults
aged 18-64 lacked a high school diploma or
GED. This is equal to the combined statewide
high school graduating classes of 2007-2011
assuming constant class sizes (Figure 2.) Further,
the 2000 Census found 161,698 persons aged
16-60+ in the state without a high school
diploma or GED – a large population that the
Adult Education system works hard to serve.
Figure 2:
Working Age Adults - Key to Nebraska’s Economic Future 7
120,000
100,000
2011
80,000
2010
60,000
2009
40,000
97,300
2008
20,000
2007
0
All Nebraska Public High
School Graduating Classes
Added Togerther 2007-2011
Total Nebraska Working Age
Adults Without a High School
Diploma or GED 2007
Nebraska also faces a significant net outmigration
of higher educated individuals. This trend, often
referred to as “brain drain” is an issue that the state
has faced over time (Figure 3). The outmigration
of educated individuals, particularly those with
High School Diplomas, contributes to the workforce shortages faced by Nebraska businesses. It
also reinforces the need to increase access to Adult
Education programs for those seeking to gain an
education and build a better future in Nebraska.
Figure 3:
Estimated Nebraska Net-Migration of 22-to 64-Year-Olds in 2004, 2005, and 2006 by Education 8
-1,796
Graduate or
Professional Degree
830
-1,329
670
Bachelor Degree
-1,028
Associate Degree
-923
-1,143
2,664
2,417
1,339
Some College,
No Degree
943
3,897
-155
High School Graduate
2,295
-3,390
3,191
Less Than High School
2,234
1,524
-5,000
4
-2,500
0
2,500
5,000
Adult Education: Key to Building Nebraska’s Future Workforce
Adult Education and
Economic Stability
Education, Unemployment, and Earnings
Education is a key to economic security for families and for the state as a whole. An individual
in Nebraska with a high school diploma or GED
can expect to earn an average of $3,500 more
per year than one without such a credential.
Educational attainment is essential to a workers
ability to find a job, it is also central to the
state’s ability to attract and create high quality
jobs. Additionally, workers with higher levels of
education also tend to contribute more to state
tax systems9. Increased personal income translates into more revenue for state investments
and a stronger economy10.
Adult education is essential to meeting workforce demand. It is also an important part of
economic recovery. Unemployment rates for
individuals without a high school diploma are
more than twice that of those with some college
or an Associate’s Degree (Figure 4.) In order to
continue on the path towards economic recovery, we must develop opportunities for adults to
gain skills necessary to re-enter and move up in
the workforce.
Figure 4:
Nebraska Earnings and Unemployment Rate by Educational Attainment 2008 11/12
$60,000
$50,000
6%
5%
5.6%
$40,000
4%
4.6%
$30,000
3%
2.7%
$20,000
$10,000
2.7%
2%
1.5%
1%
$0
0%
Less Than High
School Diploma
High School
Graduate
Some College or Bachelor’s Degree
Graduate or
Associate’s Degree
or Higher
Professional Degree
Annual Income
Unemployment Rate
Education and Family Self-Sufficiency
Education is an important strategy for moving
families from poverty to self-sufficiency and
economic stability. Currently, 60,210 working
families in Nebraska are low-income. In other
words, in spite of work, more than one in four
Nebraska families (28.4%) struggle to meet their
basic needs and get ahead13. These families contain one third (32.2%) of the state’s children14. A
significant percentage, 22.5%, of those lowincome working families contains a parent with-
Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest / www.neappleseed.org
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out a High School Diploma or GED15. 13.7%
of low-income working families contain a parent
that has difficulty speaking English well16.
The average wage for an individual without a
high school diploma in Nebraska is $20,99117.
Nebraska’s Self-Sufficiency Standard measures
the income that is needed for families in
Nebraska to adequately meet their basic needs.
It outlines, by county and family type, the costs
of necessities such as child care, health care, and
food and calculates the wage that a full-time
worker must make in order to care for their family’s basic needs. In no county in the state is
$20,991 a self-sufficient wage for an adult with a
preschooler and school age child18. This means
that families earning wages at this level may
require public assistance and likely struggle to
make ends meet.
According to the “Family Bottom Line” report,
the majority of families in Nebraska require far
more than $20,991 to meet basic needs, regard-
less of geographical area. The following chart
illustrates the “Family Bottom Line” for multiple
family types in metropolitan, non-metro urban,
and non-metro rural areas (Figure 5.)
In the future "knowledge economy" of the 21st
century, it will be extremely difficult to gain and
hold a job that pays a family-supporting wage
without basic – and even post-secondary –
educational attainment. An analysis by the
Nebraska Department of Labor found 268 top
high demand jobs that also pay high wages for
the state.20 Of these 268 jobs, only 4 (1.5%) do
not require at least a high school diploma or
GED.
The need for Nebraska to develop new opportunities for families to meet their potential
through education and for Nebraska businesses
to gain employees with basic skills is clear.
Nebraska’s adult education system provides
opportunities for both individuals and businesses, but has room to grow to meet future
demand.
Figure 5:
Family Bottom Line for Multiple Family Types by Geographical Area 19
The Family Bottom Line in 2008 for Households with Two Adults
48,000
$26,716
$33,539
$32,817
$34,090
$28,494
Metropolitan
40,000
Non-metro Urban
32,000
Non-metro Rural
< Federal Minimum Wage
24,000
< Federal Poverty Level
16,000
Preschooler
Preschooler
and Infant
Schoolager and
Preschooler
Schoolager
and Schoolager
Teenager
and Schoolager
The Family Bottom Line in 2008 for Households with One Adult
$24,303
36,000
$24,135
$25,181
$18,657
$28,494
Metropolitan
28,000
Non-metro Urban
Non-metro Rural
20,000
< Federal Poverty Level
< Federal Minimum Wage
12,000
Preschooler
6
Preschooler
and Infant
Schoolager and
Preschooler
Schoolager
and Schoolager
Teenager
and Schoolager
Adult Education: Key to Building Nebraska’s Future Workforce
Nebraska’s Adult
Education System
Adult Education Success Story – Tim, Lincoln Nebraska
I was a high school dropout for 20 years. I’d always wanted higher paying jobs, but only found closed doors. In those 20
years, I did make half-hearted attempts at a GED but found more excuses than motivation. In finally found that education is more important than goofing off.
I was assigned a study location and met friendly teachers who were eager to help me. When I stopped thinking of how
long it would take to complete my GED and started thinking only of the day I’d get it, T.I.M.E. (Things I must earn)
went fast. In April 2006, I was awarded my high school diploma from the Nebraska Department of Education. With my
newfound understanding about the importance of Education, I enrolled in college and currently have a 3.8 GPA1.
1. Nebraska Department of Education “Testimonials from some GED Graduates” http://www.nde.state.ne.us/ADED/GEDSuccessStories.htm
Nebraska’s Adult Education Programs
There are both economic and civic benefits of
successful state Adult Education programs.
Workers with higher levels of educational attainment are much less likely to be unemployed, to
rely on public assistance programs, or to live in
poverty-level household21. Increased levels of literacy are also associated with higher levels of
participation in civic and community affairs, voting, and child educational achievement22.
see appendix A.) Services include adult basic
education, adult secondary education, high
school equivalency completion, English as a
Second Language programs, and workplace literacy programs. Figure 6 breaks down participation by program type.
Figure 6: Participation by Program Type
2007-2008 23
Adult Basic
Education 45%
Nebraska’s Adult Education programs are administered through the Department of Education in
partnership with community colleges, public
schools, correctional institutions, and community
based organizations. There are 21 programs
statewide (for a listing of enrollment by provider,
Adult Secondary
Education 13%
English as a Second
Language 42%
Adult Education Programs Defined
Adult Basic Education: Programs and services that
target adults functioning below the ninth grade level
Adult Secondary Education (ASE): Programs and
services that target adults functioning at the ninth grade
level through the twelfth grade level
English as a Second Language: Programs and services
that target limited English proficient learners who have
a focus on improving English communication skills in
the instructional areas of speaking, reading, writing, and
listening.
High School Equivalency Completion: Programs
targeting adults working to earn their high school
equivalency degree (GED)
Workplace Literacy: A program designed to improve the
literacy skills needed to perform a job and at least partly
under the auspices of an employer.
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Funding
Nebraska’s Adult Education programs are funded
by a combination of federal, state and local dollars. The most significant portion, 73%, comes
from federal investment. State dollars support
the federal match, the programs with the largest
proportion of Native American students, and
volunteer coordination activities to recruit, train,
evaluate, and manage volunteer tutors and
instructors in programs statewide. Figure 7 outlines Nebraska Adult Education funding sources.
Figure 7:
Nebraska Adult Education Expenditures 2009 24
Federal Expeditures
71.5%
Local Program Match
20.4%
State Match
0.6%
State Match Native
American 0.2%
State Match Volunteer
Coordination
7.3%
Demographics
Nebraska’s Adult Education programs serve a
wide variety of students. The majority of students are ages 25-44 – prime age for participation in the labor force. Another significant percentage are young people ages 19-24 seeking
alternative ways to complete their GEDs or gain
other skills (Figure 8.) As such, investments in
these participants are investments in our current
and future Nebraska workforce.
Figure 8:
Adult Education Program Participation by Age
2007-2008 25
16-18 yrs. 3%
19-24 yrs. 28%
25-44 yrs. 55%
45-59 yrs. 12%
Participants enter programs at a variety of levels,
many are employed and raising families, others
are struggling with disability or unemployment.
Figure 9 outlines the status of individuals entering adult education programs.
60+ yrs. 2%
Figure 9:
Adult Education Participant Status on Entry into the Program 26
Participant Status on Entry Into the Program
Disabled
Number
259
3,331
In Correctional Facilities
Unemployed
1,766
In Community Correctional Programs
Not in the Labor Force
3,406
In Other Institutional Settings
On Public Assistance
575
SECONDARY STATUS MEASURES (Optional)
Living in Rural Areas
492
Low Income
In Family Literacy Programs
In Workplace Literacy Programs
In Programs for the Homeless
In Programs for Work-based Project Learners
122
82
6
Number
INSTITUTIONAL PROGRAMS
Employed
PROGRAM TYPE
8
Participant Status on Entry Into the Program
1,071
149
20
1,300
Displaced Homemaker
111
Single Parent
791
Dislocated Worker
Learning Disabled Adults
63
129
122
Adult Education: Key to Building Nebraska’s Future Workforce
Strengths and Challenges
The Nebraska Adult Education Program has
achieved federal performance benchmarks for
four of the past six years. Specific successes
include:
• 45.2% of the adult learners who entered the
program with a goal of getting a job achieved
this goal in the first quarter after exiting the
program. 47.5% of exiters with the goal of
retaining a job or getting a better job did so.
• 57.4% of the adult learners who entered the
program with a goal of obtaining a GED
diploma met this goal.
• 40.1% of the adult learners who entered
the program with a goal of entering
postsecondary education obtained this goal
by the end of the first quarter of FY 2010
(September 30, 2009)26.
Program strengths identified by Adult Education
Program Directors include a dedicated staff and
connections to local organizations that provide
match support27.
However, here are currently 97,300 adults age
18-64 that do not have a High School Diploma
or GED. In 2006 only 8,699 – or 8.9% received
Adult Education Services28. A 2008 survey found
that half of all adult education programs in the
state had a waiting list29. Meeting the demand
for adult education programs is a clear challenge
for Nebraska, particularly in response to the
economic downturn. Program Directors also
identify the challenge of paying wages that
draw well-trained, full-time instructors30.
Student Challenges
Adult Education Program Directors across the
state identify multiple challenges for adult
learners. First, many (39%) are balancing work
and education31. Balancing work and family
responsibilities, particularly in low-income
households, can be a challenge to success in
adult education programs. Many students are
in need of supportive services such as transportation, child care, and GED testing scholarships to overcome obstacles to completion of a
credential. Additionally, Adult Education
Program Directors report increased occurrences
of learning disabilities, requiring additional
assistance and instructional time32.
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Funding Gaps
Nebraska serves only a fraction of the adults in
the state without a High School Diploma or
GED33. However, our investment in Adult
Education programming has remained stagnant
over time and is significantly lower than that of
other states (Figure 10.) .
Figure 10:
Nebraska Adult Education Funding Over Time 34
Nebraska Adult Education Funding
2006
2007
2008
2009
Federal Expenditures
$2,666,675
$2,808,689
$2,670,453
$2,339,389
Local Program Match
$743,255
$755,637
$737,088 -
$668,159
Total State Investment
(State Match, Native American,
Volunteer Coordination)
$246,875
$247,252
$249,072
$263,180
A state match of 25% is required to receive
federal funding. Currently, Nebraska matches
at a rate of just 25.24%35. We invest $9.05 per
adult without a High School Diploma or GED,
ranking 43rd in the nation. Comparatively, the
10
national average is $65.5536. Nebraska should
increase our investment in adult education
programming to serve more students, with a
priority focus on areas with waiting lists.
Adult Education: Key to Building Nebraska’s Future Workforce
Best Practices
Adult education is an important first step
towards building a prepared workforce.
Nebraska’s Adult Education programs play a
major role in developing the skills of adult
learners and helping them move up the economic ladder. Given the need for skilled workers and the economic potential our workforce
holds for the state, it is important to move our
systems forward. The best practices highlighted
in this section illustrate ways in which we can
ensure that students and families succeed and
transition effectively into employment and higher education.
Support Services and Family Literacy
Providing support services such as career counseling, child care, and transportation is a
proven strategy to promote student success,
particularly in persistence and completion.
Such initiatives help students to balance work,
family, and financial responsibilities with their
educational goal37.
In Mississippi the Learn More Earn More initiative provided support services including child
care, transportation allowances, and GED testing fee scholarships to pilot programs in two
community colleges. The initiative saw a 33%
increase in GED completions and was awarded
$1.5 million to promote the initiative
statewide38.
With many participants in Nebraska facing multiple barriers to participation, such as unemployment and disability, and significant percentage
engaged in work and parenting activities, such
an initiative could contribute to success for
Adult Education students in our state.
Family Literacy
In Nebraska, Even Start Family Literacy programs in six communities across the state work
to break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy and
improve the educational opportunity of low
income families by integrating intensive early
childhood education, adult literacy or adult
basic education including support for English
language learners and parenting education.
Even Start is a program of the US Department
of Education administered through the NDE
Office of Early Childhood. In 2007-2008, 141
families, including 160 adults and 208 children,
were served across Nebraska. 57% of adult basic
education participants improved at least one
level and 64% obtained a GED39.
The Even Start program successfully integrates
adult learning, child learning, and parental education for families in our state. Expanding this
program could maximize the impact of adult
education programs to serve vulnerable families
through both education and family supports.
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11
Workplace Literacy
Workforce literacy programs allow more lowincome workers to benefit from Adult
Education programming while avoiding the barriers of transportation and child care they may
otherwise face. Investments in ABE and English
as a Second Language not only provide new
opportunities for low-income women, minorities, and others in low-income working families,
they can also help make Nebraska’s workforce
more competitive.
One example of a successful workplace
education program is the Cargill Community
Learning Center in Schuyler, Nebraska, which
serves approximately 200 community members
annually. See “Focus on: Cargill Community
Learning Center” for more about this program.
Focus on: Cargill Community Learning Center
I will = I’ll. I will call my mother today. I’ll
call my mother today.
Contractions are the lesson of the day at the
Cargill Community Learning Center.
Understanding contractions is one more step
towards a solid grasp of English for the
diverse group of students in the classroom.
They are young and old, single and parents,
many are Hispanic but students at the center
come from as far away as Thailand and as
close by as the Schuyler community.
The Cargill Community Learning Center
provides educational opportunities for
approximately 200 members of the Schuyler,
Nebraska community annually. Located
at the Cargill Meat Solutions processing
center, the center serves employees and
their families and is open to all community
members. Cargill underwrites the program
facilities, teachers, and supplies and contracts with Central Community College for
fiscal oversight and other administrative
duties. The program is held to the same
standards as other programs statewide.
12
It is a highly successful and meaningful initiative. Students work on English skills, some
earn GEDs; many also attend citizenship and
driver’s preparation courses. At the halfway
point of 2009, the program has an impressive
81% student retention rate. Another core
benefit of the program is the development of
stronger relationships among employees at
the plant.
The program’s success can be accounted for
due to a number of factors: dedicated students
and teachers, a committed workplace, and
smart practices such as filtering new hires
through the center during orientation and providing recognitions for students completing
100 hours of study.
However, the impact is most clearly seen in
the progress of students themselves. As one
student explains, “I used to be so afraid to
speak; now I am much more confident.” In all,
the program is a clear example of the impact
that adult education initiatives can have on
individuals, workplaces, and communities.
One step at a time.
Adult Education: Key to Building Nebraska’s Future Workforce
Career Pathways
“Career Pathways” is a term that describes a
framework for connecting customized education and training programs to the needs of the
labor market. In career pathways programs,
students move through contextualized education and training programs that lead towards a
job in a high-demand industry with solid wages
and opportunities for advancement.
The Omaha Workforce Collaborative is one
such initiative. One recent initiative with
Mutual of Omaha and Blue Cross/Blue Shield
recruited individuals to fill customer service
positions. Participants received training from
Metro Community College and Job Coaching
from Goodwill Industries. The Omaha
Workforce Collaborative successfully placed
participants in the customer service positions,
and is moving into welding and ophthalmology
pathways programs.
However, participants were required to pass a
basic skills test in order to be considered for the
program. 240 people applied and only 27 were
invited to participate in the program. Career
Pathways are a successful strategy to improving
the skills of adults and fill workforce needs.
Improving adult education programs to serve
the needs of low-educated adults and connecting them to career pathways programs is a key
strategy for Nebraska’s future workforce needs.
Transition to Postsecondary
A High School Diploma does not have the
earning power it once did, nor will High
School Diploma recipients fill the gaps in
Nebraska’s future workforce. Therefore, High
School Diploma or GED completion should be
considered a step on a pathway to postsecondary education. A report by the Washington
State Board for Community and Technical
Colleges found that one year of post-secondary
education and the attainment of a credential is
a “tipping point” for family economic success –
such individuals have a considerable average
annual earnings advantage40. The state of
Kentucky has set an explicit goal for their adult
education system to increase the number of
adult learners that transition to post-secondary
education. This goal was set by the state legislature and outlines a pathway (and provides state
funding) for students to transition to developmental education, and then on to postsecondary
work. The implementation of these changes has
led to a significant increase in the percentage of
GED graduates that successfully transition to
postsecondary education41.
Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest / www.neappleseed.org
13
Policy Recommendations
Nebraska should increase our investment in
Adult Education to contribute to building our
state’s future workforce. Investments should
increase participation, ensure quality, and create
opportunities to transition to work and education. Nebraska should also set benchmarks for
success and track outcomes through effective
data collection.
Increase State Investments in Adult
Education Programming
If Nebraska were to serve just one quarter of
the adults in our state without a High School
Diploma or GED we could increase the
number of people in our labor force with
basic skills by 24,325 – which would add up
to more than a full graduating high school
class. Increasing our investment in this system
is necessary to meet the needs of adult learners
and prepare them to meet the workforce
demands of the future.
Provide Opportunities to Make
Improvements in Program Quality
With an increasingly diverse student population, hiring skilled instructors with backgrounds
in education is an essential component to
quality programming. Providing opportunities
to increase the intensity of instruction, through
one-on-one teaching, smaller class sizes, and
more class offerings and hours of instruction
will also increase the quality and rate of
progress for students. Finally, providing
additional skills training opportunities for
instructors will allow them to better respond
to the changing and diverse populations they
serve. Provide ongoing training for teachers
14
in effective teaching techniques is essential
for program success – particularly, training for
serving special needs populations and helping
students become employment ready.
Maximize Student Support Services
Adult students are often balancing work and
family responsibilities while pursing their
educational goals. Support services such as
transportation, career counseling, “soft skills”
training, and, importantly, child care can all
help students successfully reach their educational goals. Building a pilot program based on
the Mississippi “Learn More Earn More” model
would allow Nebraska to create an adult education supportive services system that works in
our state.
Expand Family Literacy Programs
The Nebraska Even Start Family Literacy program is available in only six locations statewide.
Barriers to increased participation mainly consisted of need for access to supportive services
such as child care and transportation. Expanding
availability of technical assistance and expanding the availability of the program to more
communities statewide will improve educational
opportunities for both parents and children in
Nebraska.
Transitions to Work
The Cargill Community Learning Center
illustrates the success that can be achieved in
workplace literacy programs. Unfortunately,
not all workplaces that would like to participate
in literacy programs are able to provide the
same opportunities as Cargill.
Adult Education: Key to Building Nebraska’s Future Workforce
The Indiana Adult Education Works program
provides basic skills training to current employees and collaborates directly with businesses
to create customized workplace programs.
Indiana set aside one million in federal funds
to implement a workforce grants program and
to support three workforce specialists at the
state level. The 2006-2007 Annual Report on
Adult Education Works showed a return on
investment of $3.06 for every dollar spent on
the program.
Implementing a similar workplace literacy
grants program in Nebraska could meet the
mutual needs of increasing educational opportunity and filling workforce needs in our state42.
Transitions to Postsecondary Education
Nebraska has a relatively small percentage
(13%, or 1,096 students) of Adult Education
participants participating in higher level Adult
Secondary Education programs43. These students have the shortest path to attaining a GED
and moving forward to postsecondary education. As a state, we should set clear goals to
move a majority of these students on to college
or another post-secondary education or training
program. Providing targeted resources to
develop transition programs for these students
that involve career counseling and financial aid
assistance could help our state move GED
recipients into postsecondary institutions.
Career Pathways
Career Pathways programs like the Omaha
Workforce Collaborative make transitioning
into high demand, high paying jobs more feasible for low income adults. Career pathways
programs provide an interconnected system of
support services, educational access, and work
experience. Career pathways are an important
way to target workforce investments to future
high demand jobs. Nebraska can invest in
pilot projects to implement career pathways
programs in high demand jobs across the state
and ultimately develop multiple programs
across the state.
Track Success
Data collection is an important piece of assuring
and following student and program success.
Moving forward, Nebraska should track all
students and their successes at all levels, follow
students for multiple years, track students across
agencies and into the labor market, provide
technical assistance to programs to do so, and
use data to set benchmarks for progress.
Specifically we should track the impact of adult
education on student earnings and long-term
job retention and follow the graduates that
transition to post-secondary education and the
percentage that obtain a degree or certificate
as well as their ultimate earnings.
Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest / www.neappleseed.org
15
Summary
Nebraskans believe that hard work should be
rewarded and that people in our state deserve
opportunities to turn their hard work into prosperity. Jobs of the future have the potential to
provide such opportunities for Nebraska families and our economy as a whole. Investing in
Adult Education programs is an important strategy to maximize the potential of Nebraska resi-
16
dents and the state. By investing in increased
opportunities for people to access adult education, improving quality, providing family and
student support services, supporting transitions
to work and school, and tracking successes,
Nebraska can leverage our state’s work ethic to
build a strong successful workforce for the
future.
Adult Education: Key to Building Nebraska’s Future Workforce
Appendix
Enrollment by Provider
Provider Name
Enrollment 2007-08
Alliance Public Schools
86
Bellevue Public Schools
113
Blair Community Schools
13
Central Community College
1,518
Crete Public Schools
243
Literacy Center for the Midlands
32
Mid-Plains Community College
182
NAF Multicultural Human Development Corp *
127
Nebraska Department of Correctional Services
–
NE Correctional Center for Women *
157
NE Corrections Education Connection *
467
Northeast Community College
811
Omaha Metro Community College
2,009
Omaha Public Schools
918
Papillion LaVista Public Schools
68
Plattsmouth Community Schools
60
Sidney Public Schools *
21
SCC – Beatrice
246
SCC – Lincoln
1,202
Western NE Community College
216
York Public Schools
28
State Totals
8,517
* sites have been closed or consolidated for 2009
Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest / www.neappleseed.org
17
Citations
1 The Workforce Alliance, “Federal Policy
Recommendation, Adult Basic Education”
http://www.workforcealliance.org/atf/cf/%7B9335395
2-1df1-473a-b105-7713f4529ebb%7D/
ADULT_BASIC_EDUCATION_FS_2009.PDF
2 Working Poor Families Project, “Working LowIncome Families with a Parent without a High
School Diploma or GED,” Population Reference
Bureau Analysis of 2007 American Population Survey
3 Nebraska Department of Economic Development,
“Fiscal Year Annual Report July 1, 2007-June 30,
2008”
http://www.neded.org/files/PIO/ann_rep/2008/2008N
eDED_AnnualReport.pdf
4 Nebraska Department of Labor, “Occupational and
Industry Projections, Nebraska, 2007-2009 Short
Term Projects, 2006-2016 Long Term Projections”
and Nebraska Career Compass,
http://www.dol.nebraska.gov/nwd/center.cfm?
PRICAT=2&SUBCAT=4C
5 Working Poor Families Project. “Strengthening
State Financial Aid Policies for Low-Income Working
Adults.” 2007
6 Working Poor Families Project generated from
Population Reference Bureau analysis of 2007
American Community Survey
7 Nebraska High School Graduation rates based on
“Kids Count Nebraska” Voices for Children Nebraska
2007 Graduation Number held constant
http://datacenter.kidscount.org/data/bystate/
Rankings.aspx?state=NE&ind=2062
8 Nebraska Coordinating Commission for
Postsecondary Education, “2009 Nebraska Higher
Education Progress Report”
9 Ishwar Khatiwada, Joseph McLaughlin, Andrew
Sum and Sheila Palma, “The Fiscal Consequences of
Adult Educational Attainment”, National
Commission on Adult Literacy, 2007
18
10 Dennis Jones and Patrick Kelly, “Mounting
Pressure Facing the U.S. Workforce and the
Increasing Need for Adult Education and Literacy”,
National Commission on Adult Literacy, 2007
11 U.S. Census Bureau, 2008 Annual Community
Survey
12 U.S. Census Bureau American Fact Finder
http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_
lang=en
13 Working Poor Families Project, “Working
Families that are Low-Income,” Population Reference
Bureau Analysis of 2007 American Population Survey
14 Working Poor Families Project, “Children in
Low-Income Working Families,” Population
Reference Bureau Analysis of 2007 American
Population Survey
15 Working Poor Families Project, “Working LowIncome Families with a Parent without a High
School Diploma or GED,” Population Reference
Bureau Analysis of 2007 American Population Survey
16 Working Poor Families Project, “Working LowIncome Families with a Parent that has Difficulty
Speaking English Very Well,” Population Reference
Bureau Analysis of 2007 American Population Survey
17 U.S. Census Bureau American Fact Finder
http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_
lang=en
18 Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public
Interest, “Self Sufficiency Standard for Nebraska,”
updated 2007
19 Annemarie Bailey Fowler, Dr. Catherine
Huddleston-Casas, Jon Bailey, and Erin Campbell,
Opportunity at Work, “The Family Bottom Line,”
2009
20 Nebraska Department of Labor, “Nebraska
Statewide High Wage, High Demand Jobs by
Education and Training,” 2009 and Nebraska
Department of Labor Career Compass
Adult Education: Key to Building Nebraska’s Future Workforce
21 Sandy Baum and Jennifer Ma, “Education Pays:
The Benefits of Higher Education for Individuals and
Society”, Trends in Higher Education Series,
Washington, D.C. The College Board, 2007
22 Rochelle Finzel, Indiana Institute for Working
Families, “More than Just a GED: Improving Indiana’s
Education System to Meet the Demand for Higher
Skilled Workers”, 2008
23 Nebraska Department of Education
24 Nebraska Department of Education, “Adult
Education Expenditures”
25 Nebraska Department of Education, Participants
by Program Type and Age, 2007-2008
35 Working Poor Families Project, “StateAdministered Adult Education Program Fiscal Year
2006 Expenditures (July 1, 2006-September 30,
2008.)”, U.S. Department of Education, Office of
Adult and Vocational Education (OVAE)
36 Working Poor Families Project, “StateAdministered Adult Education Program Fiscal Year
2006 Expenditures (July 1, 2006-September 30,
2008.)”, U.S. Department of Education, Office of
Adult and Vocational Education (OVAE) and
Working Poor Families Project from American
Community Survey 2007 for Adults without a High
School Diploma/GED
26 Nebraska Department of Education
37 Christopher Mazzeo, Brandon Roberts,
Christopher Spence, Julie Strawn, “Working
Together, Aligning State Systems and Policies for
Individual and Regional Prosperity, December 2006
27 The Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the
Public Interest, Survey of Adult Education Program
Directors, August 6, 2009
38 Rebecca Dixon and Edward Sivak, “Adult
Education: Gateway to a More Competitive
Workforce,” Missippi Economic Policy Center, 2009
28 Working Poor Families Project, “StateAdministered Adult Education Program Fiscal Year
2006 Expenditures (July 1, 2006-September
30,2007.)
39 Nebraska Department of Education, Office of
Early Childhood, “Even Start Family Literacy
Program,” http://www.nde.state.ne.us/ech/even.html
29 Nebraska Department of Education
30 Nebraska Department of Education, Via E-mail
11/2009
31 Nebraska Department of Education, Via E-mail
11.2009
32 The Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the
Public Interest, Survey of Adult Education Program
Directors, August 6, 2009
33 Working Poor Families Project, “StateAdministered Adult Education Program Fiscal Year
2006 Expenditures (July 1, 2006-September
30,2007.)
34 Nebraska Department of Education Adult
Education Expenditures FY 2006-2009
40 Washington State Board for Community
and Technical Colleges, “Building Pathways to
Success for Low-Skill Adult Students: Lessons for
Community College Policy and Practice from a
Longitudinal Student Tracking Study,” 2003
http://www.sbctc.ctc.edu/docs/data/research_reports/
resh_06-2_tipping_point.pdf
41 Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education,
“Kentucky Adult Education Report Card, 2005”
http://cpe.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/3965DF5A-7E394C7C-B9B4-EFA5837CDFB0/0/KYAE2005Report
Card.pdf
42 Rochelle Finzel, Indiana Institute for Working
Families, “More than Just a GED: Improving Indiana’s
Adult Education System to Meet the Demand for
Higher Skilled Workers” 2008
43 Nebraska Department of Education
43 * Current data is unavailable for smaller population counties
Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest / www.neappleseed.org
19
Nebraska Appleseed Center
for Law in the Public Interest
941 O Street, Suite 920
Lincoln, NE 68508
402.438.8853
402.438.0263 Fax
info@neappleseed.org
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