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Education Dive
Summer Reading: How colleges are helping adult learners succeed
Feeling the heat from declining enrollment and employer demand for
workers with specific skills, more colleges are eyeing these students.
Hallie Busta
July 12, 2019
Last week, Amazon announced plans to "upskill" one-third of its U.S.
workforce. It's unclear what, if any, role traditional colleges and
universities will play in that effort, although the company is already
working with community colleges across the nation on other education
initiatives.
More broadly, though, the news reflects employers' need to retool their
workforce as jobs automate, requiring a different set of technical
abilities. By 2030, around 14% of workers worldwide will need to change
up their skill set as a result of that shift, according to research
from the McKinsey Global Institute.
Surveys show that employers willing to invest in this training, and
that employees are interested in pursuing such learning on their own.
Colleges see an opportunity, too, particularly as stagnating enrollment
threatens tuition revenue. Two- and four-year colleges are looking to
expand their enrollment of these students, though the former may be
better suited to doing so as they've long served working adult
students.
In fact, two-year institutions can be instructive to four-year ones on
how to target curriculum and support these students, who tend to have
work and family commitments outside of school that can interrupt their
learning trajectory.
Below, we've gathered our recent reporting about how all colleges can better attract and retain these students.
Higher ed administrators can better serve adult learners
Colleges are struggling to adapt to older students' needs, "finding
themselves burdened by traditions and practices that prove ill-suited,"
writes Constance Iloh, an assistant professor at the University of
California, Irvine, in the Journal of Student Affairs.
To serve these students more effectively, recruiting and retention
experts recommend strategies like offering more credit for prior work
and learning experience and providing support beyond the classroom,
like child care and flexible schedules.
"Universities need to think, 'What's best for this type of learner?'
rather than 'This is what we offer. Adult learners can take it or leave
it,'" said Wayne Smutz, dean of the Extension program at the University
of California, Los Angeles.
Colleges rethink student services for online learners
Public university systems are joining existing online mega-universities
in a play to reach more adult learners online. But traditional,
campus-based institutions aren't always equipped to provide the kind of
tailored, on-demand support services these students need. However, they
can help colleges compete in an increasingly crowded online marketplace.
"Establishing a point of difference in support will help attract new
students," said Sue Ohrablo, a college advising consultant. "A popular
phrase that's heard when discussing these strategies is
'concierge-level service.'" Colleges can take several approaches to
providing that support.
As higher ed eyes adult learners, community colleges add supports
"About 80% of community college students say they want a degree, but
only about 20% complete it. Life gets in the way," said Josh Wyner,
vice president at The Aspen Institute and founder and executive
director of its College Excellence Program. Aware of this drop-off,
colleges are looking to give students more structure to help them stay
enrolled through graduation.
Bottom of Form
One way they are doing so is through guided pathways and related
supports, which can give students "real momentum toward their degree
and beyond," Wyner said. Research backs the use of this method to keep
students on track, which includes benchmarks like requiring them to
choose a major at a certain point in their studies.
To be successful, however, colleges must look beyond pathways and embed reinforcement throughout the institution.
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