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Credential Seekers: Promising Practices

Programs and services that are helping adult learners earn postsecondary credentials and make career transitions.

Anne Arundel Community College's Center on Aging helps adults over 50 transition to new careers.

Arkansas Career Pathways is a state-run initiative that provides free college classes and training for low income parents that is tailored to local high demand jobs.

Breaking Through is a collaboration of JFF and the National Council for Workforce Education, is to demonstrate that community colleges can restructure themselves to create clear pathways for low-skill adults into professional/technical certificate and degree programs.

The Center for Positive Aging at National-Lous University offers a career assessment and planning course for adults looking to change their careers.

The College for Older Adults is a program of the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center designed for lifelong learners over the age of 50 that offers noncredit courses to help them update their skills.

The Complete to Compete Program is a partnership between Kent State University and Ohio University to help working adults complete college and gain career skills. The partnership has expanded access to higher education in 33 counties in eastern Ohio.

The Excelerator Project is a partnership with six community colleges around the country to recruit and train adults with low-level skills to meet community workforce needs in information technology (IT). So far, 205 adults participated in training programs ranging from ESL to college degrees and certificates.

The External Diploma Program (EDP) at Howard Community College is a self-paced alternative program for adult students to gain credit toward a traditional high school diploma through work and life experience. Thirty adult students graduated from the EDP program at Howard Community College in October 2007.

GED Bridge Programs at La Guardia Community College provide participants with GED test preparation through specialized curricula in business or health careers.

The Global Logistics Specialist Program, Cal State University Long Beach is a partnership with professionals from the transportation industry to provide training and certification in the international movement of goods from source to destination.

The Healthcare Lattice Program is a partnership with The Council on Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) and two-year and four-year colleges and community One-Stop Centers to implement nursing career pathways.

Jobs to Careers is a $15.8 million national initiative to support low-income workers in the healthcare delivery system by providing work-based learning and training methods.

MDRC's Opening Doors project works with six community colleges in implementing special programs designed to help low-income adult students earn college credentials.

The National Coalition for Telecommunications Education and Learning (NACTEL) is a partnership of major telecommunications companies and labor unions to create online learning programs to meet employment needs in the telecommunications industry.

The No Worker Left Behind (NWLB) program in Michigan aims to train up to 100,000 state residents for jobs in high demand occupations, emerging industries, or entrepreneurial endeavors over three years.

The Nurse Educator Consortium is a collaborative effort between the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Council on Collegiate Education for Nursing and SREB's Electronic Campus to fill the increased demand for nursing faculty. Consortium members include six universities in the region that have recommended program expansion across institutional and state boundaries.

Project Quest is a workforce development program devoted to providing job training for people residing in San Antonio, TX who would otherwise remain unemployed.

RE-SEED (Retirees Enhancing Science Education through Experiments and Demonstrations) Program trains retired engineers, scientists, and others with science backgrounds to work as volunteers in elementary and middle school classrooms.

The Recovery Starts Here Program at Lawrence Technological University in Michigan provides 50 percent of tuition to 400 eligible displaced workers or their dependent children, as well as new academic programs and career services.

Step to Employment & Education Program (STEP) is an adult student services support program offered through the Continuing Education Division of Santa Barbara City College. The program has assisted over 9,000 adults to prepare for productive participation in the workforce and successful transition into the college credit program.

The Washington Worker Retraining Program is a partnership between community and technical colleges and some licensed private schools, and the State Employment Security Department (ESD) to provide job-related training and job development services for displaced workers.

We Want To Hear From You!

Email us at lifelong_learning@ace.nche.edu to suggest a promising practice targeting career changers at your institution or organization.

Please direct questions about this page to:
lifelong_learning@ace.nche.edu
This page last updated on 08/28/2009