Strengthening State Adult Education and Skills Development Policies

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Strengthening State Adult Education and Skills
Development Policies
National Fund for Workforce Solutions
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Working Poor Families Project

• Supported by AECF, Ford, Joyce and Mott
  Foundations (2001)
• Strengthen state policies that help working
  families to succeed in the labor market
• Emphasis on Adult Education and Skills
  Development Policies

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Approach

• Support to state non-profit organizations (25) to
  assess and strengthen state policies
• Indicators to evaluate and rank state conditions,
  policies and practices
• Continuing support to promote state policy
  improvements

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WPFP Approach to Policy Change

• Develop Policy Agenda
• - Data, Analysis, Focus and Attention
• - State Policy Assessment Report
• Execute Policy Agenda
• - Focus, Data, Expertise, Relationships,
  Targeted Strategies, and Implementation

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Key Data on Working Poor Families

• 1 out of 4 Working Families Low Income
• 42 Million Adults and Children
• One-Fifth All Jobs Paying Below Poverty
• Income Inequality Rising
• Minority Working Families 2x More Likely
  
• Low-Income
• Since 2002 Working Poor Families
• Increased

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Execute Policy Agenda

• Focus on Specific Policy Issues
• Use Data and Objective Analysis
• Build Issue Expertise
• Establish Strategic Relationships
• Develop and Execute Targeted Strategies
• Monitor Implementation

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Adult State Education and Skill Development
Policy Areas

• Postsecondary (Community Colleges)
• Adult Basic Education and Literacy
• Workforce Investment Act
• Temporary Assistance to Needy Families
• Apprenticeship
• Targeted Training (Firms)

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Community College Policy Issues

• Need-Based Aid for Adult Worker Access
• Support Services to Promote Completions
• Development Education Enhancements to Achieve
  Transitions
• Expanded Data Systems to Measure Results
• Funding Incentives to Reward Success

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Other Policy Issues

• ABE and Literacy Transitions
• WIA Transitions and Credentials
• TANF Priority to Education/Skills and Economic
  Advancement
• Apprenticeship Access
• Training Who Benefits

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Capacity to Foster Policy Change

• Credibility
• Pick Your Battles Carefully
• Make the Commitment
• Serve a Greater Good

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Pennsylvania Pathways PA(Marianne
Bellesorte)

• Policy Analysis use WPFP data to educate on
  number of issues
• Data Use data indicators useful in tracking
  policies
• Expanded Reach allows work to reach more places
  at once

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Washington Metro DC Appleseed(Judy Berman)

• Relationships Members and Collaborative
• Data Sharing Data and Informing Efforts
• Shared Work
• - CC issues (funding and steering)
• - WF Intermediary (advising)
• - Green Jobs for Women (networking
• and strategizing

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Key State Policy Challenges Today

• Recognize Working Adults Importance to State
  Economic Recovery and Competitiveness
• Align State Resources and Programs To Optimize
  Use of Current Resources
• Foster Policy and Institutional Change For Better
  Results