December 3, 2009

Proposal for a National Strategy to Rapidly Train Workers for High-Demand, High-Wage Jobs Through Accelerated Postsecondary Degree and Credential Programs

Jamie Merisotis, President and CEO, Lumina Foundation for Education

Context

A major part of the national strategy for putting Americans back to work in living wage jobs must be to get more individuals into and through postsecondary education programs very rapidly, especially those offering degrees and credentials linked to high-demand, high-wage occupations. Two overarching factors make this imperative. First, the vast majority of jobs currently available—and those likely to be created in the near-term—require some form of postsecondary education. Second, individuals and families without jobs or with limited income require immediate relief, something that has been difficult for college and university programs to accomplish. Many programs take too long to finish, particularly for families already under financial pressure. Time is a major factor that drives many individuals—both adults and traditional age students—into low-wage, low-skill jobs that simply exacerbates the need for additional, and often costly, education in the future.

Proposal

We propose a new national program that allows students to achieve job-relevant postsecondary degrees and credentials very quickly—in a year or less. A "shovel ready" program focused on students seeking Associate’s degrees in high-demand, high-wage jobs could be established very rapidly in collaboration with community colleges and other providers that are able to deliver curriculum on an accelerated timeframe.¹ The highest priority should be given to programs that:

1. Target unemployed adults.
2. Partner with employers.
3. Focus on high-demand, high-wage occupational areas—e.g., healthcare, teaching, green occupations, information technology.

Programs would require students to treat their education as a job—to go to college 9-5 every day, with other needs addressed through a range of student services (assistance with housing, childcare, transportation, and other real-life concerns). Students would receive a stipend that is significant enough to reduce the need for any outside work until they complete the degree. In effect, the stipend becomes their "pay" while they are completing their "job" of getting a high quality, workforce-ready postsecondary education.

Such a national, large-scale effort could be launched for an estimated $1.5 billion for every 100,000 participants who complete the program. Costs are estimated at $12,000 per student for the stipend and $3,000 in other institutional costs associated with course redesign, student recruitment and assessment, and student services and counseling. We believe this could be immediately implemented at approximately 10% of community and technical colleges nationally (150-200 institutions) in the next year. Many more could be ready within three years.

Accelerated Associate’s degree programs have been piloted by states and institutions with the goal of helping students earn quality credentials that have real value in the new economy. Some of these are being developed through support from Lumina Foundation and other philanthropic partners. A large- scale expansion of these proven programs would help make President Obama’s call for every American to complete at least one year of postsecondary education a reality.

Here are two promising examples of accelerated Associate’s degree programs:

• Indiana’s Ivy Tech Community College has a new "second-chance" option for at-risk high school students who commit to enrolling in a tuition-free, accelerated Associate’s degree in a high-demand field. The program includes a summer "boot camp" for students who need developmental education and a tuition-free transfer option for students to move into four-year institutions. Students will complete the 60 credit hours necessary for an Associate’s degree in just 10 months. The program treats postsecondary education like a full-time job, with full-day time commitments and block-scheduling of classes. This intensive schedule not only makes the program much shorter; it also minimizes the distractions many students encounter at college that contribute to dropping out. Students are given a stipend to help pay for transportation and some meals, to augment the living cost allowances typically available through financial aid programs.
• New York’s Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) offers free tuition, small classes, block schedules, and work experience to enable highly motivated community college students to complete an Associate degree more quickly. In 2007, a qualified cohort of more than 1,100 students enrolled at CUNY's six community colleges (Borough of Manhattan Community College, Bronx Community College, Hostos Community College, Kingsborough Community College, LaGuardia Community College, Queensborough Community College). Data for retention are very promising: 80% of ASAP students re- enrolled full-time in fall 2008; a similar group of fall 2006 students had a 59% fall-to-fall retention rate.

About Lumina Foundation

Lumina Foundation for Education is the nation's largest private foundation committed to enrolling and graduating more students from college—especially low-income students, students of color, first-generation students, and adult learners. Our goal is to increase the percentage of Americans who hold high-quality degrees and credentials to 60 percent by 2025. Lumina pursues this goal in three ways: by identifying and supporting successful practices, through public policy advocacy, and by using our communications and convening power to build public will for change. For more information go to www.luminafoundation.org

¹ Various accelerated postsecondary programs, ranging from Certificate to Bachelor’s degree programs, could be developed. We believe that accelerated Associate’s degree programs would be the most immediate and impactful way to connect high-demand, high-wage jobs with the required postsecondary education needed to be successful in those jobs.