Education Level: Workforce & Adults

Overview

Workforce & Adult Learning

Decorative picture of an adult man on a computer.It’s never too late to earn a credential, finish a degree, or add new skills. Students of any age improve their quality of life with more education, and communities prosper with a well-educated workforce.

General information

Who is the Adult Learner?

Adult learners are a diverse group – typically age 25 and older –  with a wide range of educational and cultural backgrounds, adult responsibilities and job experiences. They typically do not follow the traditional pattern of enrolling in postsecondary education immediately after high school.

Blog post Alan Richard
Nija Simmons, an African American college student parent stands holding a paper and presents to her class

How colleges can better serve student-parents
One in five U.S. undergraduates now raising children

More of today’s college students are raising children while in school, and they’re a larger, faster-growing group than many colleges institutions and policymakers realize.

Nicole Lynn Lewis, the founder and CEO of Generation Hope, joined SREB for a webinar on June 11 to discuss how institutions can build and strengthen support for student-parents. Her organization assists teenage parents—men and women—who attend college in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Blog post Meagan Crowe SREB Policy Analyst

Effective Adult Education Programs: A Challenge for States

States face an uphill battle in meeting the needs of adult learners, especially at a time when technology is advancing rapidly. Adults can turn to adult education programs to improve their skills, but enrollments have fallen in recent years.

Publication October 2018

More Unprepared Than We Thought
Adult educational attainment

Low-skilled workers are being left behind as technology shifts the workforce toward the middle-skills level. Educators and policymakers will need to reach these adults with education and training to fill plentiful, well-paying middle-skill jobs in their states. This fact sheet summarizes trends and state policy concerns.

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