Intersect With Earl March 2023

by Earl Buford on Mar 10, 2023

When connections among education and employment grow, they create new opportunities to make college more accessible and relevant for students with diverse backgrounds and needs. Examples below include two state-level efforts to create equitable work-based learning experiences. You'll also find a funding opportunity and, as always, other recent items that 'intersect' with CAEL's community of practice.

Making college access more equitable through work-based learning: To help public colleges and universities create more work-relevant learning opportunities for enrolled students, California launched the Learning-Aligned Employment Program. LAEP directs $500 million in funding through 2031 to pay up to 100 percent of the wages of underrepresented students working in jobs that align with their academic program and/or career aspirations. The program just launched last fall and could eventually cover up to 100,000 students. Almost all the state's public colleges and universities plan to participate. And across the country, the Virginia Business Higher Education Council, a collaboration of college and business leaders, is advocating for making paid internships available to all students.

Inspiring Women in Industry: CAEL member Amarillo College's annual Women in Industry event showcased how the college trains students for good-paying jobs in industry and manufacturing and inspires female students to pursue roles in male-dominated occupations that are often more rewarding than the traditional pathways open to them.

Part-time student, full-time responsibilities: A Complete College America report, noting that adult and traditionally underserved students are less likely to attend college on a full-time basis, calls attention to the six-year completion rate for part-time students, which is 21% and 19% at four- and two-year institutions, respectively. The report outlines supportive strategies, many of which resonate with our ALLIES Framework for adult learner success.

San Diego Learning Summit draws educators, workforce innovators, and employers from across the country: It was our pleasure to partner with the San Diego Workforce Partnership to host a learning summit dedicated to collaboration among public workforce systems and postsecondary education providers. My special thanks go to Patricia Wallace, senior director, initiatives; Ashley Wilhelm, director, initiatives; Laura Heller, director, initiatives; and to all of their colleagues who made the summit possible.

Grant opportunity: The Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission is offering $3.3 million to support equitable access to and completion of community college certificates and degrees by increasing the number of under-served, low-income and first-generation college-bound students who enroll in community college and make progress toward a degree or a certificate. Only community colleges and/or their foundations can apply. The grants can be used for services that support student success. Many CAEL services and products, such as credit for prior learning policies, Credit Predictor Pro, and career pathway mapping are recognized best practices and strategies in engaging and advancing prospective students, especially those with diverse backgrounds, toward degree completion. Responses to this request for grant applications are due March 31. As always, feel free to contact our vice president of higher education partnerships, Scott Campbell, at scampbell@cael.org to discuss how CAEL's team can help you fulfill the scope of this or any grant that seeks to advance best practices and services for your adult learners.

CAEL member mention, part two: The University System of Georgia's Career Resource Planning Platform, available within its 26 public colleges and universities, offers students a career-planning tool that connects them with supplemental counseling resources and information about employment opportunities, salaries, and even alumni in career pathways aligned with their studies.

Interested in learning more about CAEL memberships? Please visit us, and always feel free to contact us with questions or comments on any topic at cael@cael.org.