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Back to the Future: A CAEL Perspective on Adult Learning in the 21 st Century. Indiana Council for Continuing Education 2012 Professional Development Conference March 8, 2012 Judy Wertheim Vice President, Higher Education Services. What Is CAEL?.
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Back to the Future: A CAEL Perspective on Adult Learning in the 21st Century Indiana Council for Continuing Education 2012 Professional Development Conference March 8, 2012 Judy Wertheim Vice President, Higher Education Services
What Is CAEL? • CouncilforAdultand ExperientialLearning • A 501(c)3 non-profit, international organization with nearly 40 years of experience • Headquartered in Chicago, IL with offices in Philadelphia, PA; Denver, CO; New York, NY • Dedicated to removing barriers to adult learning
CAEL’s Vision Meaningful learning, credentials, and work for every adult
Learning, Credentials, and Work By 2018, 63% of jobs will require some college or above Source: Help Wanted: Projections of Jobs and Education Requirements through 2018, Georgetown University, Center for Education and the Workforce, June 2010
Postsecondary Credentials: A National Priority • Great and growing need for the nation’s workforce to acquire more postsecondary credentials to compete • Many emphasizing the importance of greater successand persistenceamong college enrollees • Some examples: • President Obama • Individual States • CEOs for Cities • Complete College America • Lumina Foundation
Degree Production: The Facts Degrees* Produced from 2005 to 2025 with Current Rate of Production plus Population Growth 41,860,914 63,127,642 Degrees Needed to Meet Best Performance (55%) 0 20 40 60 80 Millions * “Degrees” includes both Associate’s and Baccalaureate degrees • * “Degrees” includes both Associate’s and Baccalaureate degrees. • ** Best performance is the average of the top three states.
More Facts… Pipeline of young college graduates is in decline and will not be enough to meet future workforce skills demands
To Remedy the Shortfall • Adults (25-64) who never completed high school – 21 million • Adults with high school diplomas but no college – 46 million • Adults with some college but no degree – 32 million
To Serve Adult Learners in the 21st Century Priorities for Transforming Institutions to Serve Adult Learners* 1. Provide help for adults in navigating education and career information 2. Launch a national marketing and communications campaign *From Lumina/CAEL convening and CAEL conference, 2011
Priorities (cont’d.) 3. Recognize learning outcomes (vs. seat time), as well as the assessment and validation of all types of learning 4. Conduct more research – and establish a better understanding of what we know already 5. Focus on financial aid and institutional financing
Priorities (cont’d.) 6. Integrate learning and work 7. Recognize the importance of local and regional drivers 8. Develop a credit bank for students 9. Focus on technology as an integral part of adult learning
Priority #3 Recognize learning outcomes (vs. seat time), as well as the assessment and validation of all types of learning
CAEL’s Origins CAEL began as a project of the Educational Testing Service • To answer the question: Can prior learning assessment (PLA) be both valid and reliable?
Priority #6 Integrate learning and work
Integrate Learning & Work: An Example Indiana Department of Workforce Development December, 2011: WIA Training Funds can be used for Prior Learning Assessments
Action Plan A National Learning Recognition Agenda for Adults • Establish a National Education and Career Navigation Service • Launch a campaign to educate students and faculty about PLA
Action Plan (cont’d.) • Advocate for institutional, government, and accrediting policies focused on learning outcomes and recognition of prior learning • Carry out research to support adult learner success and institutional transformation
Action Plan (cont’d.) • Link with metro and urban strategies focused on Talent Dividend and postsecondary education attainment • Develop new strategies to reach rural adults
What Can We Expect? • A focus on adult learners • A focus on learning outcomes • A focus on PLA “Back to the Future!”