Advancing Innovation in Work and Learning | june 22, 2021
“I don’t know what I want to do with my life.”
“I have no motivation or money to get the education I need.”
“I am very confused because I am unsure of what path to take.”
The country has only begun to reckon with what the future will hold for the 7 million high school graduates from the classes of 2020 and 2021 — the young adults who graduated into a pandemic and are less likely to immediately pursue postsecondary education. But the responses to one open-ended question in a recent Strada Public Viewpoint survey offer a glimpse into how they feel about their future in education.
More than 1,200 recent graduates were surveyed for new Strada research that will be released Wednesday in a report and webinar. The grads selected for this survey are disrupted learners — they had planned to continuetheir education but decided not to.
“I’ve been feeling very hopeless since the beginning of all of this, and I’m sure lots of other teens my age have been, too,” responded one Class of 2021 high school grad from Wisconsin. “Everybody is.”
LISTENING TO DISRUPTED STUDENTS Enrollment trends show many from the high school classes of 2020 and 2021 are choosing not to continue their education. Of vital interest to Strada and stakeholders across the country is the sharp decline in postsecondary education enrollment from students attending high-poverty high schools. In a webinar at 2 p.m. EDT Wednesday, Strada researchers will discuss the findings with panelists Tammi Oyadomari-Chun, associate vice president for academic affairs at the University of Hawai’i Community Colleges, and Anne Stanton, president of Linked Learning Alliance.
TIPS FOR ADULT LEARNER SUPPORT
The federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic has come in three main pieces of legislation, and postsecondary institutions can leverage the new federal relief funding to help adult learners, writes Becky Klein-Collins, vice president of impact for CAEL. The piece advises schools on how to provide emergency aid to adult learners regardless of their Title IV or immigration status; points out how to use Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund dollars creatively for adult student retention and reengagement; and explains how adult learners can apply for broadband discounts. Writes Klein-Collins: “Consider what you have heard from your adult learners about their challenges this past year — and take advantage of these relief funds to respond and support them.”
ENROLLMENT SOLUTIONS AT WORK
Despite this year’s sharp declines in undergraduate enrollment, research shows demand for postsecondary education and training is strong at the national, state, and regional levels. If millions of Americans are interested but are not enrolling, what can higher education do to engage students, support their enrollment, and help them stay enrolled? At 3 p.m. EDT June 29, join a webinar featuring the presidents of two Strada affiliates — Ruth Bauer White, president of InsideTrack, and Earl Buford, president of CAEL — along with Annette Parker, president of South Central College, and Scott Ralls, president of Wake Technical Community College. The panel will discuss enrollment solutions highlighted in "Powering Purpose," a recent report from Strada and InsideTrack.
FOR WORKERS IN TRANSITION A new statewide career coaching program for Indiana residents, including those whose work was displaced during the pandemic, launched last week through a partnership among the Indiana Governor’s Workforce Cabinet, Ivy Tech Community College, and Strada affiliate InsideTrack, a nonprofit that has coached more than 2.5 million studentsduring its 20-year history. The new service will provide up to four months of one-on-one career coaching for thousands of individuals, delivered virtually via phone, email, and text. Participating Indiana residents who enroll in the free coaching service also will receive assistance with creating and updating job search materials such as resumes, cover letters, and LinkedIn profiles.
Lessons Earned
In our podcast, we explore bold ideas to help Americans navigate between learning and earning throughout their lives.
