As the movement to tap and grow the talents of working adults continues to gain momentum, CAEL continues its thought leadership by spearheading a research partnership with Stanford Pathways Network (pathways.stanford.edu) and Strada Education Foundation. In this joint initiative, "Designing Opportunity for Working Adult Learners," the…

A key commitment of the Adult Literacy for Life Strategy (2021) is to reduce the number of adults in Ireland with unmet numeracy needs from 25% to 12%. One of the main challenges in achieving this is the varied provision of adult numeracy education. Many numeracy practitioners are either employed parttime or are volunteers with few opportunities…

After tracking barriers of adult education learners pursuing their GED®, the Career Learning Center of the Black Hills (CLCBH) found that high rates of poverty, homelessness, unemployment, and other trauma-related experiences led to an ongoing sense of helplessness and despair among many of our adult learners, in particular Native American…

This paper discusses Implementation of a new educational approach to develop competencies for the future STEM workforce, and to build knowledge on success factors for educating a non-traditional target population in data competencies. It is widely accepted that a data capable workforce is critical to science and industry. The literature suggests…

This article provides the perspective of the executive director of a national education association as he retires after 19 years as a national workforce development thought leader. He provides insights including the essential skills required for all learners and the unique opportunities for adult learners to help fill the skills gap as baby…

Under the leadership of Governor Ivey, the residents of Alabama are getting the post-secondary education needed for in-demand careers. The Alabama Community College System is tasked with promoting WIOA Title II adult education programs, postsecondary career and technical education programs, and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)…

This resource provides recommendations for methods, tools, suggested (not endorsed) sample solutions, and tasks trainers can use to increase participant engagement in professional learning experiences. It also outlines connections between adult learning principles and steps in the "Adult Learning Framework." This resource includes: (1)…

English as an additional language (EAL) adult literacy learners have special needs and unique characteristics. The various challenges they face include decoding, comprehending, and developing basic skills for reading and writing. At the same time, it is extremely important to understand EAL adult literacy programming, as the right approaches for…

In the United States, there is a significant need for higher education institutions to provide adult degree completion programs (ADCP) to help students complete their degrees. According to the National Student Clearing House Research Center, as of July 2021, there are 41 million students with some college, no credentials (SCNC), in the United…

This spotlight discusses the critical role of immigrants in the U.S. labor market and the importance of services that support their economic integration. Immigrants represent a significant and growing portion of the U.S. workforce and are essential for addressing labor market needs, especially in multilingual and diverse roles. The workforce…

The guided pathways approach to community and technical college redesign has significant impacts for adult basic education (ABE). The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and Ability to Benefit provide federal support that complements the work being done in Guided Pathways. Washington state's approach to implementing guided pathways…

Emerging adulthood is defined as age-based (18-29 years of age). This age range is central to traditional age collegians who are a very diverse group (i.e., relative to race/ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, relationship status, and educational attainment). In an effort to explore the career development process of college students this…

Technology has become a way of life since March 2020 and the statewide shutdowns after the COVID-19 pandemic. People who had gotten by without ever having to use the internet, much less turn on a computer, had to learn quickly to change and adapt. The administrative team of Fontana Adult School realized the need to help students with basic digital…

Designing and facilitating online learning experiences require a repertoire of skills and a unique mindset. This article focuses on adult learners' characteristics, learner-centered principles, and tools for engaging learning in the online environment as a starting point for acquiring these skills.

Adult student transition programs (also known as 18+ programs, 18-21 programs, adult transition programs, and community transition programs) are educational programs that provide instruction in age-appropriate community environments to adult students who have met the state credit and assessment guidelines for graduation but who still require…