Narrative: III. a. 2. H.

The State’s strategies as described throughout this plan will address issues that prevent access to postsecondary credentials, including establishing youth apprenticeship opportunities and increasing the number of Registered Apprenticeships, addressing student loan debt issues that prohibit readmission, continuing partnership efforts with initiatives, such as Live and Work in Maine, to encourage college graduates to stay and work in Maine, supporting the transition of students from high school to community college and university, including advocating for smoother credit transfers between institutions, developing and sharing a clear, concise consumer handbook with information on postsecondary services, publicizing no-cost and low-cost training opportunities, and promote availability for Vocational Rehabilitation to collaborate and coordinate with educational institutions in provision of services for students with disabilities.

The world of workforce development is becoming increasingly aware of the meaning, benefits and uses of stackable credentials to enable a person to progress from a series of stackable short-term certificates to postsecondary degrees to their chosen occupations. In the world of education, a very similar process is referred to as micro-credentials. Each micro-credential certifies competency in a specific skill. These micro-credentials can be stacked to indicate higher level of skill attainment and in Maine, the goal for many is to connect them with recognized course credits and if desired, lead a holder of micro-credentials on to other credentials or degrees.

The benefits to earners of micro-credentials, especially for WIOA clients, are that they are not place based, are short-term, tied to learner mastery, can be earned online at the learner’s convenience, are self-directed, contain job embedded content, many include college credit, eliminates duplication of coursework, and can be used to recognize and validate prior learning. These factors make them a valuable solution to the state’s need to connect with learners who feel unable to participate in traditional education and/or training due to financial or time constraints or who believe they are not “college material”.

The benefits of micro-credentials to the workforce system is that they clearly articulate what the person has done to earn the credential in a job specific area. In addition, whereas new programs of instruction at the higher education level can take a long period of time to develop and be approved, micro-credential development is very nimble. This makes for a timely response to employer needs.

Both adult education and the MDOL are currently participating in an All Learning Counts (ALC) initiative lead by the University of Maine System. The project focuses on engaging adults with barriers in earning micro-credentials and gaining employment. Committees are currently focusing on the sub-populations of low-income, Native American, English language learners and incarcerated individuals. Other partners include the community college system, Maine Department of Corrections, Edovo, Educate Maine and the Maine State Library.

Though the content area will vary, all of the micro-credential work is separated into three consistent areas of competency attainment.

• Level 1- Exploration and Discovery
• Level 2- Skill Development
• Level 3- Initiative/ Leadership

Following the completion of these three levels, the learner earns a stacked macro-badge, which is the cumulative assessment of skills, evidence of learning is visible and validates alternative learning. Micro-badges, capturing 21st Century skill development and/or industry/association credentials, will also be embedded along the pathway, adding further value. 

University of Maine System is part of Education Design Lab's Badged to Hire campaign, implementing employer-demanded 21st Century skill badges into courses and programs. 

This micro-credential initiative relies on Maine’s workforce data regarding areas of employer need and the specific competencies required of employees. It also includes the development of an employer advisory group to ensure, like stackable workplace credentials, that micro-credentials align with employer needs, will be recognized for employment purposes and support Maine’s goal of a seamless continuum of programs and supports with a focus on career pathways for in-demand industries.

Adult education is expanding its connection to the state’s postsecondary institutions regarding that continuous and seamless continuum. In 2019, adult education providers established a presence on three of the seven community college campuses. Efforts are continuing to expand that number. When adult education is on community college campuses, adult education learners envision themselves as college students and recognize they have adult education support services to help them transition to college. Having staff members on the campus also facilitates the communication that is needed amongst the two systems to articulate the best pathways for students.

Adult education will continue to build on the collaborative success of the Maine College and Career Access (MCCA) transitions program which also fully integrates into Maine’s priority to develop a seamless continuum of programs and supports. MCCA, offered by adult education providers across the state, provides academics, college and employability success skills for adult education students seeking a postsecondary credential and/or employment. In the past, MCCA targeted adult students over 25 with a high school credential who were planning to attend a traditional postsecondary institution. In response to a changing adult education population and the Maine workforce needs, the state adult education office revised the grant goals in 2018 to include all adult education students and those seeking any postsecondary credential of value. This change allows adult education providers to increase access for young adults under 25 and for those students without high school credentials. Pathways for students from a high school credential to MCCA or a postsecondary credential were created.

Partner efforts also resulted in the Maine Community College System accepting college and career readiness scores on the HiSET in place of the NextGen ACCUPLACER placement test. This change, which began in early 2019, allows students who perform at the HiSET college and career level to enter directly into credit-bearing courses. Beginning at the time of student intake and throughout their preparation for taking the HiSET, emphasis will be placed on the benefits of scoring at the college and career readiness level. When learners are prepared trough MCCA To enter postsecondary without having to take developmental courses saves money and accelerates the path to graduation. Adult education providers, organized in regional hubs, continue to collaborate to ensure equitable access to MCCA programming across their region, as well as coordinating with postsecondary partners in their region to develop articulated courses or to encourage co-enrollment.

The adult education state director will continue meeting with representatives of the workforce training department of the Maine Community College system. Goals of those meeting have been to increase communication amongst the local programs and their community college partner with the focus on establishing the appropriate place for adult education to support learners in community college trades programs.

With greater availability for adult education students to earn college credits comes the possibility for them to enter community college with six college credits and be eligible for Pell funding. Currently, lack of access to federal financial aid is a major barrier for many WIOA eligible learners to enter postsecondary. Working with postsecondary partners, including the university system to development a system for these learners to access Pell will greatly increase their access to academic and career education.

Adjustments made due to Pandemic may be found in section