Advancing Innovation in Work and Learning | july 15, 2021
Can the right kind of student supports bring students back to college and turn around enrollment declines?
For Cindy Persaud, a business administration student, the answer is an emphatic yes. Persaud benefitted from the City University of New York system’s ASAP program, which helped her cover not only the cost of tuition, but also other basic financial needs.
Reimbursements for metro cards and textbooks gave Persaud the financial freedom to pursue an internship instead of a service job. Even more helpful, she said, was the support of her advisor, whose empathy and understanding was “the support system I needed.”
A recent Strada Education Network report, “Powering Purpose,” highlights exemplary programs, including CUNY ASAP, that bring students back to the classroom by demonstrating how institutions can help students complete their degrees and connect to careers.
In a webinar hosted by Strada affiliate InsideTrack, leaders of organizations highlighted in the report discussed the difference those student supports can make.
The postsecondary education leaders highlighted these solutions for helping students complete degrees and connect to careers:
Consider financial supports that meet students where they are. Though it might seem obvious, expenses beyond tuition can be problematic for many students. Fees, rental assistance, the cost of food and transportation — all of them can stand between a student and finishing a degree.
Think of students’ time at an institution as a point in their journey, not their destination. Scott Ralls, president of Wake Technical Community College, noted that program pathways at community colleges should function like a “ladder” that elevates students to their next career or educational step.
Do not underestimate the benefits of quality advising. All the supports institutions put in place can’t help if students don’t know how to access them.
The number of organizations offering nondegree credentials is proliferating, and interest from learners in these credentials — certificates, certifications, and licenses — is growing. But even though these credentials are now in the spotlight, we have relatively sparse data on outcomes. Join Strada researchers and guest panelists at 2 p.m. EDT Wednesday, July 28 for “Examining the Value of Nondegree Programs,” a virtual discussion about a Strada-Gallup survey that asked more than 14,000 adults across the nation about earnings, job satisfaction, and perceptions about the worth and benefits of nondegree credentials. This month’s Strada Public Viewpoint release compares learner outcomes across degree, nondegree, and combined pathways.
PRIORITIZING CREDENTIAL COMPLETION CAEL helped nine community colleges in Virginia substantially increase the amount of credit for prior learning they awarded adult learners. The work was part of a U.S. Department of Labor grant-funded New River/Mount Rogers Workforce Development Board project that incorporated credit for prior learning in strategies to sustain talent pipelines in regional growth industries. The program prioritizes credential completion among un- and underemployed adults to enable career success in high-demand occupations.
HOW 2020 SHAPED US
The Black Lives Matter social justice movement felt like a turning point, particularly for young people coming of age in the midst of a pandemic and the murder of George Floyd by a police officer. Because this moment raised some big questions about the future — including individuals’ plans for their education, careers, and how they choose to live their lives — Roadtrip Nation interviewed three graduating high school seniors about how the social justice movement affected them at such a pivotal time of their lives. The recently released video showcases the kinds of questions the movement raised for these students and how they plan to tackle what comes next.
NEW HUB FOR NEWS AND ANALYSIS Our understanding of success in postsecondary education has evolved dramatically during the past two decades. Leaders have come to more fully understand that access and completion don’t mean much if credentials don’t translate to good careers — and ultimately to equitable growth and economic advancement. Yet our education and career systems, by and large, remain fragmented. Media coverage reflects that, treating college and the labor market like separate universes. Work Shift, a new independent, nonprofit digital hub underwritten by Strada, Cognizant Foundation, and ECMC Foundation, aims to change that through news, analysis, and opinion focused squarely on the intersection of education and work.
Lessons Earned
In our podcast, we explore bold ideas to help Americans navigate between learning and earning throughout their lives.
