Enrollment in Community College Noncredit Workforce Programs: A study from the Education and Employment Research Center at Rutgers University investigates why students pursue nondegree workforce programs in community colleges.  Drawing on more than 80 student interviews across three community colleges, the researchers organized their findings into three broad categories. 

• Diverse student populations with complex backgrounds: The noncredit students interviewed represent a wide range of backgrounds. Students ranged in age from 18 to 60 and had different financial and employment circumstances.  

• Nonlinear and interrupted postsecondary pathways: Most of the students had prior college experience, primarily in credit-based degree pathways. Students cited various reasons for leaving those programs, including disengagement with the coursework, dislike of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, lack of motivation and financial need/personal hardships.  

• Enrollment considerations: why now?: Students identified several reasons for enrolling in a noncredit program, including affordability, to seek employment/a career change, and alignment with future education goals such as four-year degrees and medical school. 

Employers as Partners in the Success of Working Adult Learners: A study from RAND evaluates the effectiveness of the Achieve Your Dream (AYD) initiative, an employer-community college partnership that allows adult workers to earn a free certificate or associate degree.  

Analysis of program data reveals that AYD participation is associated with increased attainment of short- and long-term certificates as well as associate degrees. This association is stronger for adult workers earning a short-term certificate. The researchers also surveyed AYD staff and employer partners and found that both spend a significant portion of their time focusing on AYD-related administrative tasks rather than direct program support.  

From these findings, the researchers developed a set of recommendations for future partnerships to consider, including leveraging federal tax allowances to build partnerships and investing more in student supports such as mentoring and career coaching, which AYD staff indicated they provide little of.  

The Future is High School: A new resource from the XQ Institute identifies a high school redesign framework focused on teacher professional development, postsecondary credits, work-based learning and K-16 alignment, with examples of relevant state policies. Alongside reports for each state, the national report found that, among the 10 policy actions identified in the framework: 

• 46 states and D.C. award credit for work-based learning experiences such as internships and apprenticeships. 

• 38 states and D.C. support high school students’ access to rigorous postsecondary coursework such as dual enrollment and early college programs.  

• 32 states and D.C. have established high school graduate profiles that align academic and real-world competencies. 

• 32 states have established policies that award credits based on mastery and not seat time. 

• 23 states invest in teacher professional development opportunities that integrate academic and durable skills through instructional approaches such as project-based and competency-based learning. 

• 12 states publish disaggregated postsecondary enrollment and persistence data for each high school, while 27 states and D.C. partially meet this requirement by publishing disaggregated postsecondary enrollment data. 

Embedding Youth Apprenticeship in High School Pathways: A report from the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship examines youth apprenticeship programs from across the nation and finds that each program utilizes the following four strategies to ensure success: 

• Establishing strong, cross-sector partnerships and governance structures: Partnerships between K-12 schools, postsecondary institutions and industry leaders ensure that youth apprenticeship programs are aligned with academic and industry needs. The Charleston Regional Youth Apprenticeship program cultivates strong, sustained partnerships between schools and employers that connect students with high-demand careers.  

• Designing programs to enable acceleration and multiple entry and exit points: These programs allow students to accelerate, pause or pivot along their education and career pathways. The LAUNCH Apprenticeship Network integrates related technical instruction through CTE and dual enrollment coursework, allowing students to earn postsecondary credit while participating in their apprenticeship. 

• Establishing statewide policies, incentives and accountability measures: Effective state policies incentivize districts and schools to embed youth apprenticeship programs in high school pathways. The Tech Ready Apprentices for Careers in Kentucky program is intentionally embedded in the state’s CTE programs of study. 

• Investing in high-use resources: Resources such as implementation toolkits or technical assistance can help sustain and scale successful program models. Youth Apprenticeship Wisconsin develops a suite of resources tailored to employers, school districts, students and parents.