(INDIANAPOLIS) — A framework for creating a more collaborative and effective adult education and workforce training system – one that serves more working-aged adults, focuses more on completions, is guided by coordinated leadership and operates in a fiscal environment that rewards collaboration and improvement – was released today in a report commissioned by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.

Recommended Policies and Practices for Advancing Indiana’s System of Adult Education and Workforce Training was compiled by the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) and made possible through a grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc.

This is a follow-up to the February 2008 Indiana’s Adult Education and Workforce Skills Performance Report, which identified nearly one million Hoosier adults who have not completed high school, speak little or no English and/or are in families that earn less than a living wage (i.e., twice the level of poverty).

These adults in need of education and training are currently faced with a maze of more than 20 different programs from at least four different providers: the Indiana Department of Education, the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration and Ivy Tech Community College. The path the adult learner takes is as much a result of chance encounters as guided by state policy, according to NCHEMS.

“Given our state’s current economic climate and unemployment rates, it’s imperative that we focus on effectively retraining workers sooner rather than later. The Daniels administration has made marked improvements in many areas of state government with its performance measurement approach,” surmises Indiana Chamber President Kevin Brinegar.  “We encourage the governor to now turn the state’s full attention to workforce development and how those programs can better serve the many Hoosiers in need of that assistance.  The measures detailed in this report provide a strong starting point.”

These new policy recommendations stem from detailed interviews conducted with Indiana’s providers of adult education and workforce training, government officials and business leaders, as well as NCHEMS’ extensive experience in this area.

Among the report’s key recommendations:

Goal-setting and accountability.  Stakeholders and providers should work together to develop measurable goals such as total number of adults served, number completing recognized credentials and the number of transitions from adult basic education to college-level work.

Collaboration and alignment.  Education and training provisions are loosely connected (and in some areas not at all) and create an incoherent message to the consumer.  One suggestion is for the state to work toward creating a single port of entry for adults (in need of education and training) where they would be assessed and placed into the most appropriate level/type of skills training.

Affordability. Make it a priority to allocate funding for part-time students.  Currently, only $5.3 million out of $210 million in state grant financial aid is dedicated to Hoosiers attending school part time.

Administration/organizational infrastructure. A coordinating mechanism – either within the existing structure or potentially a new entity – should be developed to provide long-term strategic direction for the adult basic education and workforce training effort.

Marketing and awareness. There needs to be a compelling and coherent message to the public and employers regarding the value of improving education and skills, and the options available to them.

“The recommendations included in this report, if implemented, will put Indiana in the forefront of states that are purposefully addressing their workforce development needs, “ asserts NCHEMS President Dennis Jones.  “To my knowledge, no other state has engaged in such a thorough review and arrived at such a coherent set of recommendations for change.”

From Ivy Tech, which has seen tremendous growth in recent years as its role has evolved, there is particular recognition of the need for one recommendation – for related entities to better work together, says president Thomas J. Snyder.

“It is clear that Ivy Tech Community College is the answer for adults looking for further training or retraining to stay competitive with today's workforce.  We are the gateway for so many people to change their lives in so many different ways.  Collaboration with the various other training providers around the state will be vitally important to continuing to ensure that more and more Hoosiers have access to the education they need to be successful in this ever-changing economy,” he states.

The report concludes, “If many of these recommendations are addressed, more adults will have living-wage jobs, the state’s economy will be fueled by a more educated workforce, fewer adults will rely on costly state services such as Medicaid and corrections, and the state will experience substantial gains in personal incomes and tax revenues. In the end, the return will far outweigh the investment.”

Offers Patrick Kelly, NCHEMS senior associate, “Indiana has already laid the groundwork for addressing the education and training needs of adults by building collaboration among the key providers and a collective recognition that improvements are vital to the future of the state’s workforce and economy.   But continued progress hinges on successful policy intervention in some key areas, developing transparent outcomes and goals, and well-coordinated efforts to sustain the agenda over time.”

Brinegar emphasizes there is no proposal in this report for new monies.  Instead, the report calls for more strategic use of existing federal funding, and Brinegar advocates the reallocation of unused resources already dedicated to workforce development.

“There is approximately $10 million in funds that employers paid through taxes to the TAG (Training Acceleration Grant) program that was left on the table at the end of 2008.  We believe that money should still be used for what it was intended – workforce training – in one form or another.  The Indiana Chamber is calling on legislators to make sure Hoosiers needing skills enhancements see these dollars,” he stresses.

The NCHEMS findings align with the state-level proposals cited in the national study Reach Higher, America, which was released in June by the National Commission on Adult Literacy.

The full NCHEMS report is available online at www.indianachamber.com/studies-reports.

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The Indiana Chamber of Commerce has been the state’s largest broad-based business advocacy organization for over 85 years.  The more than 4,900 member companies employ 800,000 Hoosier workers.