CAREER PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS ADULT EDUCATION TRANSITIONS TO POSTSECONDARY LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES Citrus County Adult Education: Withlacoochee Technical Institute Judy Johnson and Jennifer Blake
Dreams of creating personal success Dreams of a fulfilling career Dreams of making the world a better place Dreams of a better lifestyle, a way out of poverty Dreams of finding a way to support their family and afford the life they want
Our Vision: All adult education learners will have a career pathway transition plan
TRANSITIONS TO POSTSECONDARY LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES I took the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. ~Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken US poet (1874-1963)
ADULT EDUCATION PRIORITIES Transitions Transitions to next level within Adult Education Transitions to postsecondary education Career Pathway plan Career exploration and planning
WHY FOCUS ON POSTSECONDARY TRANSITIONS? Projections indicate that by 2016 more than 75% of the fastest growing job sectors will require some level of postsecondary education Adult Basic Education students are the future workforce and postsecondary systems next students Adult education is one of the building blocks of Florida s economic and workforce development efforts
WHAT DO WE KNOW? We must improve student transitions from developmental education, ABE, GED, and English literacy, to credit-bearing postsecondary programs particularly for low-skilled adult workers Students must earn an industry credential or college degree to obtain a job that empowers them to support a family above the poverty level We need to track student transitions within education and then through their advancement in the labor market
FLORIDA DOE GRANTS FOR ADULT EDUCATION TRANSITIONS Original Florida DOE grant funded 11 districts and colleges This year s grants provided access to funds for all Florida districts Grants include components such as advisory committees/partnerships, advising/support services, curriculum alignment, Bridge courses, career planning, adult career pathways Grant allows for flexibility in developing a transition system that meets local needs And some of the Best Practices.
WHAT OUTCOMES HAVE WE SEEN? Increased retention and persistence Increased number of AE students who enter and complete at least one year postsecondary education Reduced number of AE students who need remedial college prep classes
PROGRAM FEATURES: Advisory Committee Enhanced Intake and Referral Process Enhanced Recruitment and Retention Strategies Improved Student Performance Advanced Academics Program Academic Support Student Workshops Goal Setting/Needs Assessment Career Counseling Staff Development Dissemination of Best Practices
INTAKE AND REFERRAL PROCESS: Assist students in identification of postsecondary education goals Identification of support needs / services to overcome issues that act as barriers to the pursuit of postsecondary education in occupational college credit and industry certification programs Referrals for Services Use of Florida CHOICES for Career Exploration Learning Styles Assessment (Educational Activities, Inc.) Childcare Needs Mentors
ADVISING MODEL: WHAT WORKS? Make the experience personal: It really is all about me! Help potential candidates make sense of the educational maze Dispel the myths that have caused higher education/postsecondary anxiety among candidates Serve as a clearinghouse for community resources Coach students on how to speak with an agency representative when requesting assistance Empower rather than enable!
ADVISING MODEL: INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP The Career Transition Facilitator and WTI Guidance Counselors will coordinate the transition process by providing ongoing academic and career counseling through use of the Educational and Career Pathway Transition Plan Provides structure for the intake and orientation process Outlines student s educational, career and personal goals Provides career counseling through CHOICES Provides a mechanism to collect data in Student Survey and Student Action Plan sections Addresses possible barriers to attainment of goals with documented referrals to community agencies Includes regularly scheduled reviews to evaluate goals and make adjustments as needed
ADVISING MODEL Workshops for students designed to overcome barriers to program completion and transition Tours of post-secondary institutions that include opportunities to audit a class at WTI or College of Central Florida A Career Pathways to Success packet containing program information from local post-secondary institutions, financial aid options, and support services to be disseminated in folders, CDs, and through the WTI website
STUDENT WORKSHOP TOPICS: Designed to overcome barriers to postsecondary education Time Management Organization Financial Literacy Test Taking Skills Study Skills Financial Aid Navigating the Postsecondary Application Process
EXTENDING ASE PROGRAMMING We have many GED completers who reach minimum passing GED scores, but lack necessary skills to successfully transition to and take advantage of postsecondary education and training opportunities A model for improving this is extension programming like GED Plus
DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION To Students Posters, brochures and fliers disseminated throughout the county at health care agencies, government assistance offices, faith-based partners, retail and grocery stores, laundromats, restaurants, and via our school website To the Community Newspaper, website, speaking opportunities at CBO s and FBO s (Rotary, Elks, Kiwanis, Councils,
DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION: WEB SITE
DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION: FACEBOOK
ADVERTISING EXAMPLES
Program Brochure
Program Brochure
ADVISORY COMMITTEE: Adult Education Students WTI Administrative Staff WTI Student Services Staff WTI Adult Education and CTE Instructors College of Central Florida Staff Workforce Board Members Program Advisory Council Members School Advisory Council Members Community Agency Representatives
Adult Career Pathways: Providing a Second Chance in Public Education By: Richard Hinckley and Dan Hull Seven Components Source: CORD Communications
STUDENT PERFORMANCE INDICATORS: GED TABE CASAS CPT ACT SAT AE Program Completion Postsecondary Placement and Completion LCP s OCP s Workplace Readiness: Florida Ready to Work
ADDING THE CAREER PLANNING COMPONENT TO THE CLASSROOM Career Information Delivery System Florida CHOICES Motivate students to set goals and plan for the future Career exploration Learn about career clusters/career pathways Develop a career pathway transition plan
Florida CHOICES PLANNER: WORK SECTION free on-line career information program assessments 650+ careers career videos resume builder LEARN SECTION 8,000 postsecondary schools high school & postsecondary planning YOUR PORTFOLIO SECTION stores assessment results saves education & career plans
ASSESSMENTS Take an assessment! Interest Profiler to match your interests to careers. Work Values Sorter to match your values to careers. Basic Skills Survey to find out which careers match your basic skills.
GETTING READY TO WORK
Career Pathway Roadmaps
Adult Education Data Tracker
Adult Education Data Reports
Student Information & Demographics
Class & Program Information
TABE & CASAS Progress Monitoring
GED Scores
Academic Preparation and Workshops
Career Transition Placement
Career Pathway Meeting Log
Career Assessment
Completed Transition Plans
Resources 1. Adult Career Pathways: Providing a Second Chance in Public Education Written and Compiled by: Richard Hinckley and Dan Hull CORD Communications: 2. WTI Online 3. Florida Department of Education: Office of Student Financial Assistance
Resources 4. Florida Choices/ Bridges 5. SCORE: Service Corp of Retired Executives
JUDY JOHNSON ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR ADULT EDUCATION JOHNSONJ@CITRUS.K12.FL.US JENNIFER BLAKE TRANSITIONS GRANT FACILITATOR BLAKEJ@CITRUS.K12.FL.US SANDY VAN DERVORT GUIDANCE COUNSELOR VANDERVORTS@CITRUS.K12.FL.US WITHLACOOCHEE TECHNICAL INSTITUTE 1201 WEST MAIN STREET INVERNESS, FLORIDA 34450 352-726-2430 WWW.WTIONLINE.CC