Reecie Stagnolia, Interim Vice President, Kentucky Adult Education

Tools for the New Pathway: Work Readiness Certificates and Integrated Training

National Training Institute, Seattle, Washington

November 14, 2008

KentuckyEmployability

Certificate

“Kentucky’s reality is that we will sink or

swim not on how well we educate our

youth, but on how well we educate our

entire population, whether age 15, 25, 55

or 75.”

Ron Crouch, Director, Kentucky State Data Center

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Kentucky’s Strategic Education Initiatives

• Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) - 1990

• Kentucky Postsecondary Education Improvement Act (House Bill 1) - 1997

• Adult Education Reform (Senate Bill 1) – 2000

Senate Bill 1: The Adult Education Act of 2000

“Adult illiteracy is a fundamental barrier to every major challenge facing Kentucky, including early childhood education, education reform, economic development, and improving the health and well-being of Kentucky’s families and communities”

Adult Education Task Force Report and Senate Bill 1

• Provide a multi-faceted strategy• Narrow funding disparities among counties• Require performance and accountability• Use incentives to drive change• Create statewide competency-based

certifications• Emphasize coordination• Conduct a statewide public communication

campaign• Avoid a “one-size fits all” strategy

Governing Principle

Kentucky Adult Education Act of 2000 – Senate Bill 1

"An efficient, responsive, and coordinated system of providers that delivers educational services to all adult citizens in quantities and of a quality that is comparable to the national average or above and significantly elevates the level of education of the adults of the Commonwealth."

3 Million Kentuckians 18 Years and Older

786,000 without a High School Diploma or GED

Source: U.S. Census, 2000

Target Population

Why is it important?

“No country however rich, can afford

the waste of its human resources.”

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Why is it important?

• Per capita income 84% of the national average

• 49th in high school completions and GED

• Strong correlation or direct link between educational attainment and income.

Source: US Census

National Workforce Training Programs

• In a poll of more than 80 corporate site location consultants, Georgia’s workforce training program was ranked number one in the country. Alabama, Florida, South Carolina and Kentucky rounded out the top five.

Source: Expansion Management, August 2007

• An easily understood, conveniently attained, and universally valued workforce credential

• Based on objective, standardized results

• Nationwide portability

• An internationally recognized assessment organization

• Available for immediate use

What is ACT’s WorkKeys®?

• Standard system used in the business community created by ACT.

• Allows business to have a common language regarding workplace skills through job profiling, skills assessment, and instructional support.

• Compares the skills of workers with the skills required by the job.

• WorkKeys Foundational Skills assessments measure cognitive abilities such as applied mathematics, reading for information, and locating information.

ACT’s Occupational Profile Database

http://www.act.org/workkeys/profiles/occuprof/index.html

• More than 4,668 job profiles are contained in the ACT job profile database.

• 90 percent of the 4,668 job profiles require a minimum skill level of 5 on the WorkKeys Foundational Skills assessments.

• Alignment with O*NET (Occupational Information Network) database.

WorkKeys® and the KEC

The Kentucky Employability Certificate is based on three WorkKeys skill areas:

• Reading for Information

• Applied Mathematics

• Locating Information

Reading for Information

Measures a person’s skill in reading and using work-related information including:

• Instructions• Policies• Memos• Bulletins• Manuals • Governmental Regulations

Applied Mathematics

Measures a person’s skill in using mathematical reasoning to solve work-related problems:

• Calculating percentages, discounts and mark-ups

• Performing multiple mathematical operations

• Calculate perimeters and areas of basic shapes

Locating Information

Measures a person’s skill in using workplace graphics such as:

• Diagrams• Floor plans• Tables• Charts• Graphs• Forms

The Value of the KEC

• Employers recognize the KEC as a meaningful credential and have “confidence” in the skills that credential holders possess. • Documented employee skill levels• Pool of certified applicants

• Citizens recognize the value of the KEC in terms of making them more employable and documenting their skills to employers. • Provides skill-based credentials to Kentuckians• Portability among jobs, industries and states

How does an individual earn the KEC?

Targeted Instruction/Assessment in Three Skill Areas: Math, Reading and Locating Information

Score at • Level 4• Level 5

Targeted Instruction

Receive Certificate

Re-assess as Needed

No

Yes

Core employability skills for approximately 30% of the jobs*in the process of being added

Core employability skills for approximately 65% of the jobs

Core employability skills for approximately 90% of the jobs

Kentucky Employability Certificate Levels

The Kentucky Employability Certificate

The Kentucky Employability Certificate

State Support

• Kentucky Adult Education (state funds) will provide 100% funding to Adult Education eligible students for KEC associated costs of assessments, scoring, targeted instruction and KEC fees.

• Available at “no charge” to business and industry.

Kentucky Employability Certificates Issued to Adult Education Students

1,151785

1,085

2,056

3,763

2,709

344

2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09

11,893 KECs Issued to Adult Education Students

It’s all about the students!

Commitment to enroll more students from underserved populations and improve academic achievement among all students

Demographic Imperative Non-English Speaking Adult Population High School Drop Out Rates Workforce, …. grow or shrink?

Economic Imperative 1990’s Growth 2000 Neck-n-Neck 2001-2003 Recovery, BUT….

I-BESTIntegrated Basic Education and Skills Training

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Study tracked 35,000 working age adult students who came to CTC’s with high school education or less, or non-English-speaking

6 years after college start, the highest value-added for work success1 year + credential gives future earnings bump:

• = $7,000 more per year for ESL students • = $8,500 more per year for an ABE student • = $2,700 and $1,700 more per year (respectively) for

workforce students entering with a GED or HSD only Jobs that need 1 year college level credit + credential are among those in greatest demand

The “Tipping Point” ResearchEconomic attainment: 1 year of college level credits + a credential is the tipping point for students needing to

find career pathways

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Research & Data – Integrated ModelsA Gathering of Leaders – National, State

and LocalDemonstration Projects – Integrated Adult

Basic Education & Workforce Training

A Deliberate Strategy for Systemic Innovation to Change!

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Pairs a basic skills instructor with a professional-technical instructor in the same classroom at the same time

Provides academic and workforce skills that lead to a living wage job on a viable career path

What is I-BEST ?

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Contradiction to ideas of pre-requisite skills or certifications

Approach to non-traditional students/workers that assumes ABE and technical instructors will fundamentally change how they teach students all along career pathways and into the foreseeable future

What is I-BEST ?

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Right level of education in the right amount for students to succeed in current and “next step” workforce training

Basic skills curriculum contextualized to skills needed for success along a particular job and career path

Strategy that results in a much faster rate of skill attainment than sequencing basic skills and workforce training

What is I-BEST ?

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From where you are … to where you want to be

Integrated Basic Skills & Corrections/Protection Officers and Corrections Careers Program

Fort Steilacoom Campus-Days

• In 14 weeks students are prepared to be licensed and work as Protection or Correction Officers

• Earn a Pierce College Corrections/Protection Officer Certificate• Earn 20 credits towards a Certificate in Criminal Justice• Earn 5 credits towards a Certificate in Homeland Security• Earn 20 credits transferable to an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice• Corrections Officers earn $27,000-$42,000 per year with excellent

benefits.

I-BESTApproved

Basic Skills Curriculum in ContextAn Example from the Corrections Protection Officers Program:

Speaking: is focused on the skills needed to do things such as communicate clearly and effectively with correctional officers, inmates and/or juvenile offenders and to promote correctional facility safety.

Listening: is focused on the skills needed to do things such as understand directions, offenders’ requests and explanations, and follow safety warnings.

Writing: is focused on the skills needed to do things such as write observation, infraction, and incident reports; entries into daily logbooks; memos; resumes; and security management plans.

Reading: is focused on the skills needed to do things such as comprehend the correction specific text books, policies and procedures, and technical reports.

Math: is focused on the skills needed to do things such as read graphs and charts and perform basic math operations to include percentages and fractions used on the job in Corrections.

CPO Results after 7 Cohorts

ALL Groups(65-69)

GPA Average (including NCs)

Grades Earned Course Completion Rate CASAS Gains

Totals: 2.7 GPA Average 55-A’s124-B’s43-C’s7-D’s5-F’s128-Z’s1-I

64% Fed. Reading: 25State Reading: 86Fed. Math: 23State Math: 69Fed. Listening: 2 State Listening 3

Results after 7 Cohorts

Total # of IBEST Students EnrolledESL: 10ABE: 71GED: 11

Total # of Students Completed

Completion Rate

Quarterly FTE

College Credits

Completed

Tuition Generated

Totals: 92 53 58% 248 1110 $109,476.00

Pierce College Integrated ESL &

The United Union of Roofers Apprenticeship Program(Transfers to Clover Park Technical College Fall 2007)

• Pierce College & Local 153 Roofers Union• Students begin work over $15.00• 4 hours of theory daily• 4 hours of on-the-roof practical application daily• Upon completion of this 2-year program students are

journey union roofers earning over $26.00/hr.

Roofers Results after 2 Cohorts

Cohort #’sGroup 1Group 2

Total # of IBEST Students EnrolledESL: 23

Total # of Students

Completed

Completion Rate

Quarterly FTE

Basic SkillsCredits

Completed

CASAS Gains

Totals: 23 19 83% 25.8 396 18 - Fed. Reading50 - State Reading 17 - Fed. Listening31 - State Listening

State Board for Community and Technical Colleges

Customized Workplace SolutionsCustomized Workplace Solutions

Continuum of workplace services to meet employer needs:•Address range of needed information and skills sets.•Provide a continuum of options for employers to support training.

Workplace Basics:Workplace Basics:ESL and Adult ESL and Adult

Basic EducationBasic EducationPaid release time; sitePaid release time; site

Contract ServicesContract ServicesFee for serviceFee for service

Job Skills Job Skills Training ProgramTraining Program

Dollar-for-dollar matchDollar-for-dollar match

Customized Customized Training ProgramTraining ProgramDeferred paymentDeferred payment

50% B&O credit50% B&O credit

Education and career pathways to increase skills of incumbent workers•Work-based learning options within the work site and work day.•Options to continue to increase skills that can occur at colleges or use e-learning.

State Board for Community and Technical Colleges

Customized Workplace Solutions – Workplace BasicsCustomized Workplace Solutions – Workplace BasicsEnglish as a Second Language and Adult Basic EducationEnglish as a Second Language and Adult Basic Education

Continuum of instructional models:•Negotiated locally.•Addresses the needs of employers and workers and communities.•Meets the requirements for adult basic education programs, including assessment and reporting in WABERS.

TRADITIONAL BASIC SKILLS INSTRUCTIONoffered at a worksite.

Success is measured by adult basic education gains,

such as a GED.

CONTEXTUAL BASIC SKILLS INSTRUCTIONoffered at a worksite.

Success is measured in workplace terms tied to

job performance,like productivity.

INTEGRATED BASIC SKILLS INSTRUCTIONoffered at a worksite.

Success is measured in terms of gains in both basic and

workplace skills.

WORK-BASED BASIC SKILLS INSTRUCTIONoccurs as employees carry out their jobs.Success is measured in terms of gains in both

basic and workplace skills.

Training for Airport Screeners

•New test for airport screeners after 9/11•1000 screeners facing layoffs, many non-native speakers• 650 incumbent screeners attended classes and workshops•Classes offered six days/week, at various times of day; most students attended 4-6 hrs/week for 10 weeks•Content: reading comprehension, test taking and familiarity with test item format; speaking and interviewing skills, completing on-line application•400 screeners (61% of class attenders, 50% of those assessed overall) retained their jobs. National average at similar airports was 10-15%

Airport University

•Screening training led to Airport University•Partnership: college workforce education, non-profit PortJobs•Entry level jobs Career pathway•Job skills classes, computer skills, leadership class, ESL•765 students have successfully completed Airport University classes•84 students have received scholarships for area community and technical colleges

Developing Healthcare

Project

•Partnership: Healthcare Workforce Institute, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, local hospital, community college•Creating a “pipeline” of healthcare professionals•Central supply basic skills training Surgical Technician Training Certification

Developing Healthcare

Project

•Make training possible, given•Different work shifts•Different skills gaps•Limited time outside of work

•Opportunity to learn on the job•Systematize, support, build on existing mentoring and training

•Strategies under consideration•Assessment of skills needed and gaps•“Modules” for use by mentors•Some F2F class time•Computer-assisted or on-line