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by CAEL on Jul 17, 2024
Lock in Your Reduced Rate Before It’s Too Late
There are several things making this year’s annual conference special. As CAEL’s 50th conference, it will be the capstone of CAEL’s year-long semicentennial celebration. It also happens to coincide with Halloween in New Orleans. For these reasons (and more, including six tracks, 175+ speakers, and 125+ sessions), we expect record-breaking attendance. But it’s not too late to receive reduced rates. Register before they sell out; a discount is available through Sept. 30.
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Report Highlights Inaugural Credit for Prior Learning Equity Award Winners, Keys to CPL Success
In May, CAEL and the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) announced the inaugural winners of the Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) Equity Awards, established to highlight and promulgate proven strategies for making CPL more accessible and commonplace among underserved adult learner populations. Closing Equity Gaps in Credit for Prior Learning: Tools and Strategies to Recognize All Learning also details the winners’ successes, including how they closed CPL equity gaps and the outcomes they achieved.
Results released of AACRAO, CAEL Survey on CPL Methods
CAEL and the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers partnered to survey postsecondary institutions in the U.S. and Canada on their CPL policies and practices. While the report, issued in May, shows that CPL programs are present at more than 80% of responding institutions, it also exposes several challenges around CPL access and transferability.
CAEL Awarded Grant in Support of Lumina Foundation’s HBCU Adult Learner Initiative
CAEL has received a grant from Lumina Foundation to support a cohort of five Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in North Carolina selected to participate in the Foundation’s HBCU Adult Learner Initiative. The institutions include Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Shaw University, and Winston-Salem State University.
Regional Upskilling Alliance Receives SkillsFWD grant
Last summer, CAEL partnered with Pittsburgh ScholarHouse, the Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education, and Vibrant Pittsburgh to bolster its Regional Upskilling Alliance (RUA), which CAEL established to provide more education and training options to traditionally underserved populations in Pittsburgh and the surrounding Allegheny region. Now, thanks to a grant from SkillsFWD, CAEL is further enhancing the RUA, via an end-to-end learning and employment record (LER) infrastructure. LERs capture diverse forms of education and employment achievements, offering individuals a more equitable way to showcase their competencies and making it easier for employers to recognize them during the hiring process.
Shining a Light on Best Practices: CAEL Workgroup Sharing Successes in Serving Military-Connected Learners
Earlier this year, CAEL formed a higher education community of practice dedicated to serving military-connected learners. The community of practice provides another space for sharing insights about program successes as well as common challenges and opportunities. CAEL is publishing highlights from this dialogue in a series of blogs, beginning with this one, which is about “recruiters helping military recruiters,” a strategy for success at Black Hawk College. Learn more about CAEL's work with military-connected learners.
'Connecting Adults to Postsecondary and Workforce Success' Initiative Launches in Partnership With the National League of Cities
In June, representatives of cities selected for participation in CAEL and the National League of Cities' Municipal Action Cohort gathered in person for a one-and-a-half-day kickoff event in Washington, D.C. Through this collaboration, cities across Texas (Abilene and Waco) and Florida (Tampa and LaBelle) will advance locally led efforts to engage adult learners and workers with postsecondary education and training. CAEL appreciates the support of The Kresge Foundation and Strada Education Foundation, which makes this initiative possible.
CAEL Member Hub Launching Soon!
CAEL members will soon have access to their exciting new platform: the CAEL Member Hub! This new platform will allow members to easily access their benefits, connect with one another, and sign up for CAEL events and training. This new online platform has been in design for almost a year, has gone through testing with several groups, and is getting its final finesses in place before the curtain officially opens to members. The engagement team can't wait to welcome members to their beautiful new platform!
Lending Their Leadership and Expertise
Dr. Beth Doyle, CAEL senior vice president of initiatives and solutions, has been named to the Learning Evaluation and Recognition for the Next Generation (LEARN) commission. The commission, announced last month by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), is dedicated to fostering learning mobility by advocating for the recognition of learning in all its forms.
Kristen Himmerick, CAEL vice president of solutions, was selected as co-chair for the Workforce Track of the Experience POWER Conference, taking place Oct. 9-11 in Orlando.
CAEL, Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives Forge Reciprocal Membership Model
CAEL and the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) have entered a new, reciprocal partnership agreement. The partnership affords membership of both organizations opportunities to benefit from the exchange of best practices, research, and technical expertise through networking events and other engagement. Established in 1914, ACCE members represent 1,300 chambers and more than 1.2 million businesses in the U.S. ACCE members also represent hundreds of adjacent stakeholders, including convention and visitors bureaus and economic development organizations.
More Than 40 Organizations Represented at CAEL Regional Summits
CAEL held back-to-back April summits in Atlanta. On April 25, CAEL hosted the SNAP Employment & Training National Partnership Summit. On the following day, the Thriving Communities and Economic Mobility Regional Summit took place, which focused on partnership development for the optimal alignment of resources and strategies within the workforce, education, and employment ecosystems. CAEL leaders who were there shared their perspectives about the events in a Q&A posted on cael.org.
Supporting Credential Completion, Career Success for Justice-involved Individuals
In addition to the obstacles familiar to all adult learners, incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals face unique barriers to education, training, and workforce opportunities. To improve career pathways for justice-involved individuals, especially via work-based learning opportunities, CAEL is partnering with College Unbound, which focuses on adult learners who have faced significant barriers to attending college. The organizations will present a pre-conference workshop about their collaboration during CAEL’s annual conference, Oct. 30-Nov. 1. In the meantime, a College Unbound alumnus, who is today the college’s assistant vice president of community and belonging, has written a guest blog highlighting the critical role education and employment opportunities play in breaking the cycle of recidivism.
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Throughout the month of June, CAEL celebrated its members by conducting member-only webinars, trivia contests (with prizes), networking events, scavenger hunts (with more prizes), flash promotions, and member awards (with even more prizes). Special networking events with members were hosted by various departments within CAEL every Friday during the month, creating additional opportunities to connect.
Membership Appreciation Month is among the year-long celebrations marking CAEL’s founding 50 years ago and honoring the critical role members have had in its success, which has seen the organization grow from 10 founding members to a network of more than 5,000 today.
Sign Up Soon: Final Professional Development Cohorts of the Year Begin in September
Registration is open for September cohorts of the CAEL professional development opportunities below. In addition to these asynchronous courses, CAEL will soon offer a new synchronous program. Watch CAEL’s professional development and training page or sign up to receive future announcements.
The Workforce Ecosystem: Building Partnerships for Community Growth
This four-week asynchronous online course explores how employers, postsecondary education, community-based organizations, and workforce development entities can (and must) collaborate to provide high-quality job training to connect adult learners to family-sustaining careers. Ecosystem-wide partnerships are even more critical as the country experiences a significant increase in short-term occupational skills training programs tied to in-demand employment, particularly for historically underrepresented communities.
Successful completion of this course will count as eight hours of professional development in competencies 4,5 when applying for NAWDP's CWDP recertification.
This three-week online workshop prepares faculty to draw on introductory information and concepts about prior learning assessment (PLA)/credit for prior learning (CPL) and then serve as portfolio assessors. It provides case studies and use scenarios to explore the experience of portfolio assessment. Participants complete practice exercises using student-developed portfolios.
Participants who complete the course requirements will obtain a CAEL Assessing Prior Learning Certificate upon workshop completion. (Member discount available.)
Successful completion of this course will count as 6 hours of professional development toward CWDP Competencies 2,4 when applying for NAWDP's CWDP recertification.
Career and Education Advising Course
This twelve-week online, instructor-led course is designed specifically for those who need to provide career and education advice to adults. Participants learn how to apply career development theory and advise students from diverse social, cultural, and economic contexts. Invest in helping adult learners succeed. (Member discount available.)
Successful completion of this course will count as 24 hours of professional development towards CWDP Competencies 2,4 when applying for NAWDP's CWDP recertification.
From The Ground Up: Building the Foundations of a CPL Program
This four-week asynchronous online course explores the different opportunities students have to demonstrate their knowledge and learning as well as the impact PLA/CPL has on organizational practices and student success. Participants will learn how to build an action plan for executing a prior learning assessment program on their own campuses. (Member discount available.)
Successful completion of this course will count as eight hours of professional development in competencies 1,2,3 when applying for NAWDP's CWDP recertification.
Click Here for more information on upcoming *Professional Development Courses. The next cohorts begin July 22 and Sept. 23.
*An additional 15% discount is available for groups of five or more individuals attending from the same school, registering at the same time.
Don’t Miss These Upcoming Webinars
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July 18: Where are the adult learners? Crafting a recruitment plan that finds and fuels your pipeline
Past efforts to recruit adults have been inefficient and ineffective. How do you redesign outreach and craft marketing strategy to build a pipeline of talent in your programs that drives institutional revenue goals?
Using person level predictive modeling, a powerful tool that identifies high-intent adult learners interested in specific educational opportunities, CollegeAPP clients have solved several of their outreach challenges and made finding adults more efficient while substantially growing enrollment for its degree and non-credit programs. During this session, our co-presenters will walk you through how to wield these tools and techniques to successfully recruit new student segments. The presentation will include a live demonstration of CollegeAPP’s unique methodology, previously restricted to political and consumer product marketers, that makes marketing more efficient and can solve the challenges of finding and recruiting adult learners.
Pam Hartke, associate dean of enrollment management at Lake Land College; Bonnie Blumer, director of marketing and strategic partnerships at Rensselaer at Work, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; and Andrea Shaw, senior vice president at CollegeAPP, will present. Register at cael.org.
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Aug. 8: The Alternative Credential Journey: New Research on Learners’ Lived Experiences & Institutional Impact
New empirical research conducted by StraighterLine and UPCEA investigates Comebacker interest in pursuing degree completion programs, and the impact alternative credentials have on that interest. The study dives into learners’ original reasons for choosing postsecondary education, their career stagnation and current goals for expanding workforce skills, and how alternative credentials and credit for prior learning can attract learners. The findings can inform institutional leaders in terms of their decision-making for alternative credential programs, trends among non-credit seeking adult learners, and the stackability of credit and non-credit offerings. Dr. Amy Smith, chief learning officer at StraighterLine, will present. Register at cael.org.
August 22: Building Bridges to Prosperity: Chambers' Impact on Education, Workforce, and Economic Growth
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This event, co-sponsored with the Detroit Regional Chamber, will serve as a platform showcasing the pivotal role chambers play in supporting regional prosperity. From connecting individuals to education, training, and networking resources to advocating for public policy, chambers play a central role in nurturing vibrant communities and fostering equity and inclusion. With a focus on how they build bridges among employers, postsecondary institutions, workforce and economic development boards, and civic leadership, this webinar will offer insights into holistic community-building strategies that will be valuable to practitioners throughout the education-employment ecosystem.
Working with CAEL creates new opportunities for connecting these bridges to regional pathways development. During the webinar, we’ll engage current CAEL members as well as public participants on these multifaceted capacities. This webinar is set to inspire more collaboration and innovation in regional development initiatives.
Christi Taylor, senior director of talent initiatives at the Detroit Regional Chamber, and Meghan Schmidbauer, senior director of Detroit Drives Degrees, will present. Register at cael.org.