Intersect With Earl June 2024

by Earl Buford on Jun 25, 2024

Recruiting veterans to the semiconductor workforce: The U.S. semiconductor sector is focused on growing and diversifying its workforce, and that includes veterans, who bring a wealth of experience and expertise and the ability to thrive in accelerated learning environments. Often, they only require some sector-specific technical competencies to enter a rewarding semiconductor career path, and there are growing efforts to include them in workforce development initiatives in support of this critical component of our economy.

Comebackers have an eye on their careers: For the latest reminder that postsecondary credentials are important to adult learners, but so are labor market outcomes, see the 2024 State of Higher Education report from Lumina Foundation and Gallup. Among the findings: almost all adults who have not completed a college degree regard a credential as “extremely” or “very” valuable. Nearly 60% of those who are not enrolled in a postsecondary program have contemplated continuing their education in the past two years, a share that is 15 percentage points higher than 2021’s results. As for why this population of learners would consider enrolling, almost 85% cited an employment-based reason.

Building better internships: One way to align employment and education is internships. A new report, administered through a partnership between Strada Education Foundation and CAEL institutional member the University of Wisconsin-Madison, reviews their impact and offers resources that help educational institutions, employers, and researchers understand and improve the programs.

Enhancing CPL accessibility and inclusion: The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, in partnership with CAEL, has published findings from a national survey on institutional CPL policies and practices. Noting the many benefits CPL offers students and institutions, the report offers recommendations for meeting challenges associated with implementing and sustaining CPL programs and for expanding CPL offerings.

Education and reentry: Thank you to our membership and events team, especially Carolyn Swabek, for a great inaugural Membership Appreciation Month. During all of June, we are hosting networking, education, and other opportunities to engage members throughout our community of practice. Our keynote event was especially impactful, featuring a powerful presentation from Matthew Scott. Matthew oversees the development, implementation, organization, administration, and evaluation of programs for 28,000 adult learners. It just so happens that these adult learners reside in the 22 institutions within the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) Southeast Region. Matt made a compelling case for why incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals should be focal points within the adult learning movement. You can view his presentation at cael.org.

Grant opportunity:
Three "workforce ready" grant opportunities (RFAs) are accepting applications from organizations that "have and maintain a current business registration with the Oregon Secretary of State." Scope details include "outreach, career awareness, and exploration that intentionally prioritizes outreach to individuals from priority populations" and "creating and/or expanding earn-and-learn education and training opportunities with outreach to priority populations." The three sector areas include manufacturing, health care, and technology. $40 million in awards will be dispersed to multiple selectees among the three RFAs. If you’re curious about how CAEL can support an application, or if you want to ideate about a partnership submission, please reach out to Christina Gaetano at cgaetano@cael.org. Applications are due by July 31.

CAEL member mention: CAEL members Peirce College and Penn State University are among the reasons Project RECONNECT is celebrating the completion of its first year. Nearly 100 adult learners have graduated or soon will. The Chester County Economic Development Council administers Project RECONNECT, which is dedicated to helping Comebackers from southeastern Pennsylvania overcome challenges to completing their credential.

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.