This may come as a surprise — adult learners over 25 make up nearly 40 percent of today’s U.S. undergraduate population at colleges and universities. However, these learners often find themselves treated as outliers by institutions designed for traditional students, which leads to poorer learner outcomes and, as a result, barriers to social mobility.
To ensure adult learners can meaningfully participate in your workforce education program, organizations can build on-ramps capable of accommodating all learners.
On-ramps provide employees access to high-quality academic programs, enable them to continue their educational journey toward a degree or certification by meeting them where they are, and hold a key role in paving the way for successful learner outcomes.
Why on-ramps matter
It’s important to understand the most pressing issues adult learners face when resuming their studies. These include:
- An inability to meet admission requirements.
- A lack of confidence in their ability to succeed in higher education.
- Failing to complete their studies because of challenges in their personal lives.
Considering these pain points, many adult learners feel the odds are against them. Strada Public Viewpoint, for example, found 49 percent of adult learners expressed concern they had been out of the classroom for too long and were doubtful they could succeed. Unfortunately, their concerns are not unfounded. According to the National Student Clearinghouse Learning Center, less than 40 percent of adult learners meet their academic completion goals.
These challenges disproportionately impact learners of color as they are less likely to have prior college experience. A research report shows that 42 percent of Black learners, 58 percent of Hispanic learners and 50 percent of Native American learners aged 25 and over possess only a high school education. In comparison, only 31 percent of white learners and 25 percent of Asian American learners have no college experience. On-ramps can assist these learners in reaching their academic achievement potential.
Going beyond a one-size-fits-all approach: Types of on-ramps
Thoughtfully embedding on-ramps into a workforce education program ensures all learners, regardless of their educational background, can continue their journey without fear of misstep. By bridging gaps a learner may have in their educational background, on-ramps allow learners to reach their academic potential.
For example, a study by the Brookings Institute found that about one in seven adult learners who dropped out of college had earned at least 30 credits and had a GPA of 2.0 or higher. For these employees, on-ramps that focus on allowing them to boost their GPA and earn credits through a flexible credit program may be effective. This lets learners enroll in single courses from accredited institutions, helping them finish the bachelor’s degree program they were already close to completing.
Of course, flexible credit programs aren’t for every learner. Additional examples of learner types that require programs and on-ramps tailored to their education journey include:
- English-language learners: Promotes mastery of the English language while also teaching employee learners phrases and terminology they are likely to encounter in their education journeys and job roles. For example, English Language Learning by Voxy offers “English for Students” courses, which prepare learners for standardized tests and college-level course content.
- Learners who lack high school diplomas: Enables learners to finish their high school diploma in a highly structured and supportive program designed for adults. With Smart Horizons, learners can transfer in many of their existing high school credits to reduce the time it takes to complete the program. And
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- Learners who applied to a degree program but were deemed inadmissible: Provides learners with opportunities to successfully complete college-preparatory courses. For instance, they can gain admission into Arizona State University and the University of Memphis Global through Earned Admission and Academic Prep Academy. Or, with CUNY School of Professional Studies, learners can prove their readiness for higher education by submitting a portfolio documenting relevant prior learning throughout their career.
On-ramps alone do not guarantee success for adult learners, but they are a key component. Other programming and support services that meet the needs of adult learners are access to:
- Flexible class scheduling
- Academic coaching, tutoring and personal counseling
- A mix of live instruction and recorded lectures
- A robust online learning experience
How to build on-ramps: Putting it all together
As you build your company’s workforce education program with on-ramps, the following are key questions to ask yourself:
- Am I able to identify educational attainment levels among my workforce?
Consider what information your human resources team collects during the onboarding process. You can use this data as a guide to determine what types of on-ramps will need to be included in your program.
- What are some of the skill gaps across the organization?
Seek out workforce education providers with learning options that address company-specific skills, as well as skills that can be applied industry-wide. And,
- How can we build on-ramps into the narrative we tell our employees about our workforce education program?
Make continuous learning an integral part of your company culture by emphasizing that where employee learners start or restart their educational journey is just as important as where it ends.
- How can we serve learners who need it the most?
Creating a diverse management team starts by recognizing underrepresented learners have unique needs. The inclusion of historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions and faith-based institutions can make all employee learners feel that their identity is valued.
What does this look like in practice? Imagine you’re a hospital administrator. You have an employee who works in the cafeteria and has a high school diploma but aspires to be a nurse. Instead of redirecting them toward a role requiring less training, they could take an on-ramp that involves first enrolling in an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) program. As they pursue their ASN degree, the learner gains skills that immediately add value to the organization. Then, once they complete their ASN, they can use the credits they earned in their ASN program to meet transfer credit requirements for a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.
Win-win outcomes
By accounting for common challenges adults face when resuming their studies, workforce education programs with on-ramps remove barriers to achieving educational equity.
And that’s not all.
The benefits of building an accessible workforce education program extend beyond the employee-learner achieving their academic goals. Employers who engineer an accessible, strategic workforce education program also receive value, such as:
- Increased employee engagement: Learners are more likely to participate in a workforce education program if they believe they can achieve their educational goals by doing so. This leads to greater employee engagement and
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- Greater return on investment: When employees start and finish their academic programs, their employer will attract and retain more talent. They will also be able to fill positions of need by reskilling and upskilling employees.
- Superior job performance: Learners will be better positioned to master course content and apply it to their job role if content is based on their current level of educational attainment.
Embedding on-ramps into a workforce education program also ensures all learners, regardless of their educational background, can continue their journey without fear of missteps. In the end, everyone wins.
