Workforce & Training Workforce Investment Act Adult Learning Services Continuing Education

1. Workforce & Training Workforce Investment Act Adult Learning Services Continuing Education Connecting Education With Workforce

2. When Turf Doesn’t Matter: Breaking Down the Silos James Williams Julia Houston

3. Who are you? • Adult Education? • Other? • Transition? • Program Administration? • Securement of funds? • Forward/progressive thinker?

5. About Us: Adult Education/Express DVD Progressive Movement/Program Evolution: ABE curriculum movement toward Common Core State Standards, while assimilating workforce contextual learning applications.

6. Mission • To provide adult learners with the basic educational opportunities in fundamental mathematics, communication, and interpersonal and reasoning skills which are necessary for employment and self-sufficiency. • To assist adult learners with a native language other than English in the mastery of the English language or citizenship preparation. • To provide adult learners who are parents with the basic educational skills which allow them to become full partners in the educational development of their children. • To assist adult learners in the completion of a GED credential.

7. Market Characteristics of Service Area Social Environment Statistics from CREATE’s 2012 Northeast Mississippi Regional Profile indicate the following socioeconomic barriers: Per capita income - $29,736 Percentage of households with income equal or less than $24,999 – 38.4% Average TANF and Food Stamp Payment per Household - $280.84 Number of Births to Single Teens – 777

8. Market Characteristics of Service Area Percentage of Adults 25 Years of Age or Older By County with Less Than A High School Diploma Educational Environment

9. Programmatic Transitions (70/30) Stringent Literacy Component Which Meets Common Core State Standards Workplace Contextual Learning 21st Workplace Skills of critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, collaboration, communication, and self-direction.

10. Programmatic Transition (70/30) • Tuition Guarantee and First College Class Free • Academic Arrow Terms • Earning Student Test Fee Waiver • Transition Specialist

11. Current Service Delivery Model Tier I: Literacy Classes Adult Basic Intermediate (Pre-GED) English as a Second Language

12. Current Service Delivery Model Tier 2: Adult Secondary Education (GED Express) Fast-Track (test-ready individuals) GED Online Course GED Testing Service (paper-based/CBT)

13. Current Service Delivery Model Tier 3: ACT WorkKeys Testing/Career Readiness Credential ACT WorkKeys Preparation/Remediation 21st Century Skills SmartLab McGraw-Hill Workforce Connects Technology

14. 21st Century Workplace Skills Jobs 4 U SmartLab

15. 21st Century Skills • Critical Thinking and Problem Solving • Application of Technology to Workflow • Connections to Core Subject Knowledge • Project Management • Collaboration and Teamwork • Communication Skills • Creativity and Innovation • Adaptability • Information and Media Literacy

16. What Does Workforce Connects do? Coordinates job/career exploration with the resources and steps necessary to gain the skills and training job seekers need for specific jobs. It uses contextual learning for subjects such as math and English to make those subject areas meaningful to the learner’s job choice. http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/user-media/New-approaches-to-building-careers-white-paper.pdf

17. Workplace Contextual Learning • Contemporary’s Workforce Connects • Assessment • Instruction • Remediate • Resources

18. Partnership Strategy: Roles/Delivery of Services C2C/Jobs 4 U – Counseling to Career OJT –On the Job Training Workforce Basic Skills Manufacturing Certification CRC – Career Readiness Credential

19. Partnerships Department of Human Services – Lee, Itawamba, Pontotoc, Chickasaw, and Monroe Lee County Head Start Lee County Juvenile Detention Center Lee County Correction LIFT, Inc. Good Samaritan Health Services E.T.I. S. A. F. E., Inc. Harbor House Lee County Health Department Mississippi Kidney Foundation McDonald’s Corporation

20. How does our ABE program plan to remain valuable to both our institution and the community we serve?

21. How We Did Last Year Number Served: 1,587 (+2%) Number of GED Completions: 475 (-20%) Number Entering Post-Secondary Education: 196 (+6%)

22. ABE SWOT Analysis: Strengths: • Teachers/Scorecard System of Accountability • Trainer/System of train-the-trainer • Dropout Recovery/Transition Specialist • Partnerships with WIA to serve C2C eligible • Partnerships with WIA to serve non-eligible • Consortium partners – EMCC, NEMCC, NWMCC • Number of GED graduates produced

23. Weaknesses: • Student economic/other barriers • Teachers/Staff dedicated but lacking understanding of where ABE fits/role • Trainer/other demands • Location of centers • Lack of local program visibility/branding

24. Opportunities: • New marketing strategy • GED Awareness Campaign • Development of new community partners • Moving from paper/pencil GED testing to CBT • Aligning ABE instruction with Common Core

25. Threats: • Decreased funding streams • GED 2014 test fee increase • Moving from paper/pencil GED to CBT • Aligning ABE instruction with Common Core

26. What we’ve learned thus far: Many of our strengths, opportunities, and threats were actually one in the same. Thus, they all can be utilized as opportunities if we view them as such.

27. http://play.simpletruths.com/movie/change-is-good/

28. If you want to walk on water…you have got to get out of the boat.

29. Corner Stones • Integration • Communication • Accountability • Nationally Competitive • Partnership • Innovation • Team Work • Leadership

32. No Single Entity Can Supply All the Needs on Its Own Each partner must bring its best resources to the project: • Time • Talent • Connections • Influence • Ingenuity (think outside the box) • Persistence • Management

33. Educational AttainmentPartnerships Tuition Assistance GED Drop Out Recovery Career Readiness Certificate Marketing Campaign Career Ladders Public • Private • Local • Regional

36. LEADERSHIP

38. FEAR