Partnerships Play Key Role in Innovative Practices in Adult Education Announced by Manhattan Strategy Group
February 15, 2021

The Advancing Innovation in Adult Education Project will feature five innovative practices in adult education during a Career and Technical Education Month showcase webinar.

Manhattan Strategy Group announced today the second round of innovative practices in adult education, as selected by the Advancing Innovation in Adult Education project. The project is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE). Five practices that enable adult learners to obtain the academic and occupational skills needed to succeed in college or advance in their careers were identified. The practices will be featured in a live showcase webinar with OCTAE leadership on February 23, 2021 at 2:00 PM ET during Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month, to underscore the importance of partnerships between adult education and the CTE community.

“Today, we are recognizing five adult education programs that built partnerships between academic institutions and workforce partners to improve advancement of adult learners,” said Cheryl Keenan, Director of the Division of Adult Education and Literacy, U.S. Department of Education. “These innovations underscore how partnerships can support adult learners as they build skills and earn the credentials they need to progress along a pathway to better jobs and better wages. The practices highlighted here can serve to inspire other programs to innovate.”

Innovations in adult education remain critical to helping adult learners build skills and make connections that will help them achieve personal and economic well-being as the country recovers from the effects of the pandemic. The five adult education practices highlighted employ innovative approaches and partnerships that support adults’ development of the knowledge, skills, and abilities they need to enroll and be successful in postsecondary education or occupational training, earn short-term credentials, and obtain employment. The programs, which are part of local school districts, have developed strong partnerships with a range of stakeholders, including community and technical colleges, universities, workforce development providers, and employers. The five practices are:

  • Bridges to Careers Expansion at Rochester Adult Literacy at Hawthorne in Rochester, MN
  • Career Pathways at South Bay Adult School in Redondo Beach, CA
  • Certified Clinical Medical Assistant at Jennings County Education Center in North Vernon, IN
  • Connections 101 at Great Falls Career and College Readiness Center (CCRC) in Great Falls, MT
  • PluggedIn Virginia (PIVA) Boot Camp at Peninsula Regional Education Program in Newport News, VA

To learn more, visit the Advancing Innovation in Adult Education project.

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About the Advancing Innovation in Adult Education Project

The Advancing Innovation in Adult Education Project is a five-year effort to identify and highlight innovative practices in adult education that lead to improved outcomes. The project is funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE), and is executed by Manhattan Strategy Group and Abt Associates.