Narrative: III. a. 2. E.

Educational institutions are key partners in Maine’s workforce development system and play a critical role in the State’s strategies to increase the effectiveness in how partners work together. Through articulation agreements, establishment of career pathways, joint professional development, and a focus on best practices that reduce barriers to employment (especially for high priority populations), the partners will work together and meet the strategic vision. To that end:

• The re-branding and marketing of the workforce development system will create and distribute a common message that conveys the role of educational institutions as part of the system
• The State’s education and training systems will be supported to provide job-driven instruction as part of a cohesive continuum that includes secondary schools, adult education, community colleges, universities, on-the-job training, and apprenticeship
• Partners will increase engagement with secondary schools to expand student awareness of Maine’s career pathways, in-demand occupations, and employment opportunities

• Postsecondary educational institutions and training organizations will join in the messaging of the workforce development system
• Engaging core partners and employers in micro-credentialing and digital badging will ensure that skills are meeting industry and business needs and credentials are recognized by employers
• Working with education, workforce, and employers, including the MaineSpark and All Learning Counts initiatives, criteria for a “credential of value” will be defined in a way which is clear, measurable, and meaningful to individuals and employers. Career pathways will be identified which allow workers to engage with educational opportunities that lead to higher wage occupations in in-demand sectors
• Workforce development service providers in each of Maine’s local areas will partner with adult education providers, local community colleges, industry trade groups, and others to develop recruitment and training programs to meet the needs of individual or sector employers. For example, the Aroostook County Action Program (ACAP), provider of adult, dislocated worker, and youth programs in Maine’s most northern county, regularly partners with the local adult education providers to address the new hire training needs of employers. A recent initiative involved three regional health care providers and resulted in a health care academy designed to prepare workers for entry-level positions in patient care. Similarly, a construction boot camp was developed in conjunction with adult education and Associated General Contractors to prepare entry-level workers to enter the construction trades. A new initiative is currently underway that will package recruitment, assessment and training services for a new processing factory.

Though adult education in Maine is characterized as working with learners beyond the age of compulsory education, historically, the majority of learners served have been in 24 and above. The efforts of adult education providers have been on moving this group on to college and/or employment. Adult educators are well-acquainted with the challenges and life situations of this group.

Data now indicates younger learners are seeking adult education services. Most of these students come well-prepared and earn high scores, many at the college and career-ready level. This group is not leaving school because they lack ability, but as a result of environmental issues. They report feeling bullied, disenfranchised, or dealing with anxiety and/or family issues. Adult education is no longer a place for problem students end, but a positive solution for a growing number of students. In response to this change, adult education will be taking steps to interact differently with the day school.

Steps planned:

• Conduct several listening sessions to hear from this group of young test takers more about why they chose adult education and how best we can serve them
• Provide professional development to instructors and staff on understanding the needs of this group
• Establish relationships with high school guidance counselors to inform them of possible ways adult education can help them, especially with career and postsecondary advisement as well as micro-credential attainment in technology and health care post-graduation
• Develop pathways to adult education for the 40 percent of high school graduates who do not have any post-secondary plans
• Explore pathways and collaborations with Career and Technical Education programs
• Work with high schools to formulate what it looks like for adult education to serve as a recognized pathway to high school completion

Adult education will look to update MOUs with educational partners and work to increase the number and quality of collaborations with other educational institutions and include those that may be missing.

It is important that communication occurs not only with the public postsecondary system but also the private institutions. There must be engagement with employer training departments to determine what foundational skills their current and prospective employees may need and how these skill requirements might be integrated into their training and hiring efforts.

Adult education will continue to draw on other agencies with expertise in the delivery of English language services to coordinate ways to meet the ever-rising demand for this type of instruction and will develop, introduce, and put into place, a referral system between the various programs and service providers so learners have access to the most appropriate provider.