Intersect With Earl August 2022
Thanks for taking a few moments to check out what’s catching our eye at CAEL. Sometimes these items will relate directly to a CAEL initiative, and sometimes they won’t. But they’ll always intersect with what matters most to all of us: linking learning and work so adult learners – and the communities that depend on them – can thrive.
There is growing urgency to bolster the U.S. semiconductor industry, and Congress is going with the flow. With talent needs top of mind, HR Dive recently covered a partnership between CAEL and the SEMI Foundation that will strengthen and diversify the workforce. Check out the semiconductor career exploration platform that CAEL helped develop in a partnership with the SEMI Foundation. Claire Muth and other colleagues led CAEL’s contribution to this site, which will help expand the pipeline of talented workers ready to meet the sector’s pressing workforce needs. In Indiana, Ivy Tech Community College and the Indiana Department of Workforce Development are partnering around a U.S. Department of Labor grant that will bolster semiconductor and other manufacturing talent pools by increasing apprenticeship opportunities.
Partnerships will always be the key to tackling workforce issues. Here are a few recent reminders: Seven education-employment partnerships in Connecticut have received funding to make the state more competitive in meeting the latest workplace needs. The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education has rolled out the Healthcare Workforce Collaborative, which encompasses state agencies, colleges and universities, employers, and K-12 educators to manage the critical talent shortage in healthcare. A Bank of America president is hailing partnerships for connecting people to rewarding career pathways, and the CEO of EdPlus at Arizona State University writes about the ability of educator-employer partnerships to benefit underserved students and drive tech-powered teaching innovation.
Adult learners face many challenges, so it’s great to see community and technical colleges across North Carolina coordinating efforts to reenroll stopped-out students. And two Ohio universities are coming together to create a first-of-its-kind national network dedicated to adult learners. But back to the topic of challenges: consider the obstacles previously incarcerated individuals face. Critical labor shortages (workforce barriers created by felony convictions cost the U.S. economy around $80 billion back in 2014) may be prompting employers to reassess their employability. Meanwhile, data show that an associate degree reduces recidivism rates by nearly 80%, and SUNY is applying a Mellon Foundation grant to expand educational programming for incarcerated students to 25 sites in New York by 2023.
Grant opportunity: A total of $5 million has been allocated for a grant aimed at fortifying Indiana's talent pipeline for educators. Lead applicant examples cited in the overview include PK-12 schools, nonprofit organizations, education service centers, and higher education institutions (deadline is Aug. 5, read more).
Member mentions: Congratulations to Georgia State University for developing a grant program so successful that it has become the foundation of a statewide program. Entergy, a member of CAEL’s industry-education collaborative EPCE, is investing $1 million in its M.J. Foster Promise Program, launching this summer. The program, which is also funded through a partnership with the state of Louisiana, focuses on talent development, including upskilling or reskilling adult learners in high-demand occupations.
Interested in learning more about CAEL memberships? Please visit us, and always feel free to contact us with questions or comments on any topic at cael@cael.org.
Additional Reading
Hidden in Plain Sight: Amid Enrollment Challenges, Attention Turns to Adult Learners
200 Years Later, Certificates Are Catching Up to Degrees
Workforce Scholars Program Lands Dallas College Only Apprenticeship Building America Grant in State
California Report Offers Case Studies on Apprenticeships in Nontraditional Roles
Enrollment Opportunity Seen in UWM Entrance to Ed Benefit Program at Amazon
Free Career Coaching Available to All D.C. Adults Without Bachelor’s Degrees
A Crosswalk to Civilian Careers: the Idaho Veterans Chamber of Commerce
Thanks for spending a moment with me at the intersection of learning and work. Until next time, happy reading.
