By Pamela Tate, President and CEO, Council for Adult and Experiential Learning
College or vocational training is closely linked with higher incomes, increased consumer purchasing power and improved economic health. But too many working adults do not have access to these educational opportunities. This affects not only them, but their employers as well. In fact, last year 4 out of 10 employers reported difficulty filling open positions with skilled workers.
For this reason, CAEL is facilitating an employer-led partnership called Business Champions for Credential Completion in partnership with The Aspen Institute Skills for America’s Future. With executives from nearly thirty of the nation’s top corporations, including many Fortune 500 companies, we will promote ways to help more working adults obtain industry-recognized credentials or college degrees. Through our collaboration, we will:
- Identify which workforce development efforts are most effective and share lessons learned
- Contribute to a Return on Investment Report measuring the impact of worker credentials on business (Final report expected Spring 2016)
- Help create a designation to recognize excellence in business investment in workforce development and credentialing of front-line workers
- Advocate for state and national policy changes that foster workforce development and credential completion
Increasing postsecondary credential achievement will be critical to keeping the country competitive. In a study by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, the nation is currently on track to have a shortage of 5 million workers with postsecondary credentials by 2020.
At CAEL, we’re constantly reminded that in the next decade, more than half of all American jobs will require employees with postsecondary credentials. This urgency informs our advocacy on behalf of adult learners. Along with becoming mandatory for most jobs, postsecondary credentials significantly contribute to a cycle of growth, enabling workers to realize higher wages, which increases workers’ ability to pay taxes and their consumer purchasing power—and consequently ensures the vibrancy of businesses and the nation’s economy overall.
Educating and credentialing our front-line workforce is an imperative for our nation’s economic health and prosperity—and we are proud to be a part of it. With our collective voices and influence we can ensure that we have a work-ready labor force so that we can develop and retain talent, stay globally competitive, and meet the skills needs of a changing economy.