Preparing the Whole Learner:

1. Preparing the Whole Learner: Designing, Developing, and Delivering a Basic Welding Certificate Course in Rural MN

2. Hiawatha Valley Adult Basic Education Red Wing, MN St. Paul, Mpls. Metro Area Goodhue and Wabasha Counties

3. Who We Are… Theresa Luther-Dolan – HVABE Director, Regional Transitions Coordinator, Chief GED Examiner Britt Gulstrand – Lead ABE Instructor, Curriculum and Instruction Specialist, Data Specialist, GED Examiner

4. Who We Serve… • We are a small program serving rural locations across two counties in SE MN • Based on the FY 2012-13 - Student enrollment included 264 learners and • 8337 contact hours • *Note: Total student enrollment numbers include Conditional Work Referral and Work-based Project learners, as well as other learners who did not reach 12+ contact hours.

5. Demographics • Gender • 40% Male/60% Female • Age • 16-24 = 46% • 25-44 = 44% • 45+ = 10% • Ethnicity • White = 64% • Latino = 24% • African American = 5% • American Indian or Alaskan Native = 4% • Asian = <1% • Identified as two or more ethnicities = 2%

6. Entry Level • ABE Beginning = 4% • ABE Intermediate = 54% • ASE = 30% • ESL Low = 7% • ESL Intermediate = 12% Employment Status upon Entry • Employed = 57% • Not in the Labor Force = 17% • Unemployed = 25% • Of those reporting to be unemployed, 12% obtained employment by the end of the reporting year.

7. Industry in our area. • The primary sources for employment include: • Manufacturing the need for qualified welding employees was/is high • Agriculture • Healthcare • Tourism

8. We still had to hold true to our approach to ABE programming: In ABE, learner retention is an integral program goal. Because of their unique needs, learner retention in ABE is difficult at best. We try to address the “whole learner” from the moment they set foot into our programs.

9. Program goals • In order to reach our retention goals, we do the following with our learners: • Set goals • Develop individualized learning plan • Establish motivators (find the “carrot”) • Address the needs of the learner during the critical “1st three weeks” • Establish supportive and safe learning community • Provide ongoing support/feedback • Address potential barriers to participation

10. Adult learners may have barriers to their goal completion. • A barrier in adult education can be defined as any reason or variable which prevents a learner from entering or completing educational goals. Barriers can be present both prior to and during an educational activity (Cross, 1981). • There are three common types of barriers with which ABE learners experience. • Situational barriers • Institutional barriers • Dispositional barriers

11. Situational barriers… • A situational barrier is one that is relevant to a learner’s daily life or situation. • cost (tuition was charged for the welding course) • time • responsibilities to children • job schedules • transportation issues

12. Institutional barriers… • An institutional barrier is one that is controlled by the program policies that are in place at the educational institution. • lack of relevant courses or programming • insufficient course hours/times/ • inaccessible locations (little accessible public transportation in more rural areas) • inadequate support for unique adult learners • confusing program/institutional rules

13. Dispositional barriers… • Dispositional barriers are those barriers which are related to a learner’s beliefs , attitudes, behaviors, past school experiences, hopes/expectations, and/or self-esteem. • values and attitudes of the people around the learner (family, spouse, friends, etc…) • experiences from past educational conflict or situations, and fear. • ABE learners often have very low self-esteem and a lack of confidence. • The design of our program and instruction attempts to address the learner’s barriers, acknowledge their hopes and fears, and establish expectations (achievable goals).

14. What is the HVABE Delivery Model? • Intake Counselor (completes all ABE program learner intake except for Red Wing ELL learners): • Makes appointments for the 1st two-hour orientation • Administers the orientation to the learners • Completes regular and frequent follow-up • Administers initial assessments • Establishes Individualized Learning Plan • Addresses “stopping out” • Addresses potential barriers to completion

15. Knowing there was a need to offer a clear and quick pathway to a Basic Welding Certification in the Red Wing area, and still needing to honor the protocol for our unique programming, the Pre-Welding/Hands-On Basic Welding course evolved.

16. Inquiring minds want to know… So given how we typically do things in our small program, how did we manage to pull together this particular career pathway course?!?!

17. History of our collaboration with Southeast Technical College (SE Tech) leading to the Spring 2013 Welding Class

18. Continued…

19. Format of our Welding class. To offer a lower-cost local certificate class, we collaborated with SE Tech to bring in an instructor for the hands-on portion (leading to basic welding certification). Our ABE program delivered a “pre-welding” component where some of the basics were taught in a classroom.

20. Pre-welding classroom component = free, 24 hours of instruction, pre-requisite to hands-on. Hands-on welding component = fee-based (for MNSCU certificate), 60 hours of instruction Successful completion of both components (84 hours) leading to Basic Welding Certificate

21. Pre-welding classroom • 24 hours of instruction • Hands-on welding class • 60 hours of instruction

22. Overall class structure. Pre-welding: Tuesdays and Thursdays 6-9pm, 4 weeks, 24 hours of face-to-face instruction + 2-4 hours/weekly homework (online and with course materials) Hands-on welding: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, 5-10 pm, 4 weeks, 60 hours of hands-on welding instruction. 84 hours total

23. Elements needed to make this class viable Multiple instructors needed Classroom space for pre-welding Welding space for hands-on component Tuition charged for SE Tech certificate Dates/times for both pre/hands-on classes Logistics of welding equipment (transportation, storage, who will be responsible)

24. Continued… Attendance policy Academic prerequisites (Reading assessment minimum – using CASAS) Academic requirements (Basic Math proficiency, demonstrated understanding of welding basics) Recruitment of learners Curriculum decisions

25. And everything fell into place… • Who, what, where, when, was decided • Collaboration between all stakeholders – decision-making was shared • Fees established • Dates/times of both course components • Other logistics (welding equipment storage, etc..)

26. So how did we “prepare the whole learner” via a welding certificate course? • Set goals:  • Because of the unique career pathway course, the class shared a common goal successfully complete Basic Welding Certificate course

27. Develop an individualized learning plan:  • Initially, the course syllabus was to be delivered to everyone in the same manner. • However, as every educators understands, there were several (about 50%) who didn’t “fit” perfectly into the course delivery. • Academic needs identified through a math pretest, as well as a welding safety pretest

28. Establish motivators:  • This group of learners was highly motivated by their own learning/training goals but also by the fact that tuition was being charged – this was their own money and time being spent. It was up to them to complete this course successfully.

29. Addressing the needs of the learner during the critical 1st three weeks:  • Addressing the needs and establishing rapport with this group of learners began with the initial contact with each learner. • Course expectations were explained during every encounter with each learner. • Course requirements were outlined. • Potential barriers were discussed before registration was completed.

30. Establish supportive and safe learning environment:  • Initiated by consistent and positive contacts even before class began • Subsequent maintenance of supportive learning community rules/experiences occurred throughout the course, particularly the pre-welding component but also into the hands-on class (the co-teacher was also consistently present in the hands-on class)

31. Provide ongoing support and feedback:  • Both instructors were readily available for extra help with content during the pre-welding component • Special Spanish-English translation was also available as needed • Before class time was offered to learners for any reason • Feedback of progress of learning objectives occurred on a regular weekly basis – email, paper, differentiated instruction, etc…

32. Addressed potential barriers to participation and goal completion:  • Listened for potential barriers of completion beginning with registration • Listened for clues during class (or before/after) that a student was struggling • Provided support (academic instruction, tuition payment flexibility, and/or attendance issues) to learners throughout both course components

33. Basic Welding Course Spring 2013 Demographics Note: Out of 15 students, 1 was ineligible (17 and still enrolled in high school) for ABE participation but was still able to complete the course and the certificate. The following demographics include the aforementioned learner, however.

34. Gender • Male: 12 – 80% • Female: 3 – 20% • Age (Range was 17-56) • 17-25: 6 – 40% • 26-39: 3 – 20% • 40-50+: 6 – 40% • Workforce Development clients • 2 WDI clients – 13%

35. Ethnicity • Hispanic/Latino: 7 – 47% • White: 6 – 40% • Native American/Alaskan: 1 – 6.5% • Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 1 – 6.5% • Employment at time of entry • Employed: 12 – 80% • Unemployed: 3 – 20%

36. Format of first pre-welding class – expect the unexpected  15 learners registered – 16 learners showed up for 1st class (no joke ) Introductions – co-instructors and learners Warm up activity – (get to know each other) Review course syllabus Expectations of learners Role of instructors Purpose/function of assessments Pretests (math and welding safety) Video Q/A

37. This is how we encouraged persistence and completion Created and nurtured positive safe learning community Renewed course expectations as needed Nurtured each learner relationship Respectful interactions at all steps Honored specific personal situations Held learners accountable

38. Kept in constant communication as needed Helped manage tuition payments Helped support learners as they struggled with various participation barriers Make-up time for missed classes was clear and in place Additional help scheduled as needed Homework schedule was reinforced Before/after office hours available for learners

39. Hands-on class format • Taught by certified welding instructor from SE Tech - Winona • Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, • 5-10 pm, 4 weeks • Attendance was required • Co-instructor for ABE/pre-welding class had regular scheduled time assigned to be present in the hands-on course • Instructor was still in regular contact with learners to help deal with barriers • Issues? (math basics, tuition payments)

40. Who successfully completed the entire Basic Welding course? 100% completion of all requirements (math, tuition, attendance) 100% of the pilot group of learners received their Basic Welding Certificates through Southeast Technical College 67% (exceeded MN state-set level gain goals) achieved a level gain in math

41. Results?!? 1 learner accepted a job from one of the local manufacturing businesses 1 learner who was offered a position from same business but was unable to accept 1 learner advanced in their current job and received an increase in pay 4-6 learners applied to local manufacturing business and were granted interviews 2 learners used their Basic Welding Certificate to satisfy current job requirements for continued employment

42. Collaboration with college and community • The following is a list of the partners with whom we collaborated to make this pilot welding course work well: • Hiawatha Valley ABE • MN State College Southeast Technical (Red Wing and Winona) • Red Wing High School • Hispanic Outreach of Goodhue County • Local grant: Jones Family Foundation • Mississippi Welding Supply Company • Other local business including those that were interested in opening up application/interview opportunities for our learners upon completion

43. In conclusion…Our “take-a-ways” • Adhering to our ABE programming protocol was important. • Supported learners in addressing their barriers • Created and maintained safe learning community • Maintained healthy working partnerships • Nurtured learner relationships • Provided support for short term goals (baby steps – meeting course requirements)

44. This was a starting point…we have other career pathway training being developed currently – we were able to secure a much larger MN DEED Workforce Development Grant and develop further collaboration. • Second welding course in our schedule – starts January 2014 • Truck driving certificate course • Retail customer service course • Healthcare - CNA • The bond between stakeholders in the community is now even stronger.

45. Testimonials 

46. Thank you for joining us today! For further information or questions, our contact information is provided below  Theresa Luther-Dolan tmluther@rwps.org 651-385-4562 Britt Gulstrand bmgulstrand@rwps.org 651-385-4656