Career Pathways in Disparate Industry Sectors to Serve

Underserved Populations in the U.S.

Debra D. Bragg, University of Illinois

Political Backdrop• American Recovery

and Reinvestment Act (2009) Ask: American Graduation Act - $12B

• Receive: • Trade Adjustment

Community College Career Training Act (TAACCCT)- $2B

• “First in the World” – new $75M annual investment

Community College Summit White House, October 2010

Community colleges are “one of the keys to the future of our country. We are in a global competition to lead in the growth industries of the 21st century. And that leadership depends on a well-educated, highly skilled workforce” (The White House, 2011, p. 11).

OECD, 2014

“Growth”

es

OECD (2014):• Income inequality high in the U.S.• Middle class and disadvantaged

families “struggling with changing job market”

• High cost of education and health care

5.85.2

4.7 4.45.1

8.7

9.99

8.27.5

6.7

US Unemployment Rate - 2004 - 2014

2004 2014

US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (2014)

5.85.2 4.7 4.4

5.1

8.79.9

98.2

7.56.7

US Unemployment Rate - 2004 - 2014

2004 2014

8.7M Jobs lost

2010

US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (2014)

5.85.2

4.7 4.45.1

8.79.9

98.2

7.56.7

US Unemployment Rate - 2004 - 2014

2004 2014

8.7M Jobs Lost

2010

22% Jobs Still Not Recovered

“Jobless Recovery”

What’s the Problem?Middle Skills Gap

vs

Job Polarization

Mismatch between skills and

jobs “Hollowing out” of middle skill jobs

The SolutionMiddle Skills Gap

vs

Job Polarization

Mismatch between skills and

jobs “Hollowing out” of middle skill jobs

Education and Training

Job Creation

Career PathwaysFoundations• Breaking Through• Accelerating

Opportunity• Shifting Gears• Alliance for Quality

Career Pathways

Feds• Career-Technical Ed

(CTE), US Dept. of Ed

• Employment & Training Admin (ETA), US Dept. of Labor

• TAACCCT (DOL w/DOE)

Education & Training Job Creation

• Labor market analysis (assess demand)

• Education and employer partnerships

• Engagement of Workforce Investment Boards

• Engagement of employers

• Work-based learning (paid and unpaid)

• Competency-based education and assessment (mobile credits)

• Accelerated instruction• Credit for prior

learning• Online and technology-

enhanced learning• Stackable credentials• Intrusive student

support• Articulation and

transfer• Integrated systems

Preliminary Findings – Two TAACCCT Consortia (16 colleges,

9 states)• Design: Bridges, pathways, and stackable

credentials, mostly to sub-baccalaureate level• Strategies: competency-based, acceleration,

contextualization, intrusive advising, etc.• Participants:

– 31-34 years old– 40% racial/ethnic minority– 30% Pell– 70% part-time enrolled– Over 50% working (any job)

Preliminary Results (Aft 2 Years)Health Care Consortium (9 CCs)

• Enrollment exceeds target by nearly 300% – Target: 2250, Enrollment: 6317

• Contextualized remedial reform: 2 colleges only

• Core competency-based reform: 3 colleges only

• All CCs report high credit attainment rate– Explanation: Intrusive support services

• Credential attainment: 2 meet target; 2 close

• Employment: Unknown (only 1% recorded so far)

Consortium Scorecard, June 2014

TAACCCT career pathways focus on middle-skill gap, but will they lead to jobs?

Unanswered Questions• Do career pathways lead to middle-skill jobs?

• Is individual social mobility enhanced?

• Does public policy lead to economic growth?

Contact Debra Bragg, Gutgsell Endowed

ProfessoroUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-

Champaign dbragg@illinois.edu OCCRL.illinois.edu*I wish to thank my colleagues at OCCRL for their support, and I also want to acknowledge the U.S. Department of Labor TAACCCT program and many others involved in TAACCCT who have offered generous funding and support to make this work possible.