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March 25, 2010
In Attendance: Irene Chalek, Kermit Dunkelberg, Anne Goff, Priscilla Golding, Connie Nelson, Patricia Pelletier, Andrea Perrault (by speaker phone), David Rosen, Tim Sappington, Laurie Sheridan, Lisa Soricone.
Announcements
Andrea Perrault: the 23 new ACLS-funded capacity building grants for career pathways and for family literacy have just been announced and posted on the ACLS web site (at www.doe.mass.edu/acls.) Of 20 applicants for the Career Pathways grants, 14 were funded. There were some excellent and very advanced applications; others, not so ready. Several applicants did not know the difference between career awareness and job readiness (and SABES should help clarify this). Most, but not all, have had some experience with workforce development in the past. Awards ranged from $4,500 to the maximum of $12,000. The Career Pathways grants will be used to help prepare adult learners for their next steps. ACLS is planning to highlight the learning from these grants at the ABE Directors meeting in the fall.
Kermit’s program in Ludlow received a grant (as did Irene’s program at Northern Essex). Kermit provided some details about his program’s plans and activities to date. They have had a pilot program funded by their local REB, including intensive 20-hour ESOL leading to training and employment. They are convinced that the answer is more program intensity, which requires more money. They have been able to fund an 18 ½ hour/week counselor, and to build curriculum for their core program. They are working closely with their REB, to align with the emerging job market and skills needed. They have a mixed class in which not everyone needs a job; they will be able to address this with the new capacity-building grant. Te planning grant will enable the program to move ahead. For example, they include a number of Turkish families with small children who can’t attend classes, but the program will now be able to find ways to address this gap (e.g., transportation, family literacy, child care, etc.). To address significant cultural differences, they will conduct a needs assessment. Priscilla: somewhat like the Welcome project in Somerville, which helped families overcome the differences between schools in Haiti and here, and achievement gaps in many communities.
Kermit indicated that the Ludlow program has found online resources that have helped them with programming around preparing students for employment, in their intensive program. These include U.S. Learns, Work Keys, and WIN software. The WIN software, developed for precision manufacturing, is very expensive. It comes from Oxygen, an Indiana software company. David Cruz works with precision manufacturers in Hampden County, and Holyoke Community College is a Work Keys testing center. They also use My Skills Tutor, also used at JVS for additional instruction beyond the classroom. It’s correlated to the TABE. It has not worked as well for ESOL. Skills Tutor is a product of My Skills Tutor, www.myskillstutor.com, primarily for ABE, based on Skills Bank of a few years ago.
SABES should publicize these resources on its web site, and provide regular updates. It’s a good role for SABES to ask what programs are using, and identify resources for other programs to use. This should include the “Integrating Career Awareness” curriculum guide. Whether programs have already worked formally with SABES, they should be made aware of these resources.
SABES Update
Northeast SABES has been working with Martha Oesch to adapt the “Integrating Career Awareness” curriculum guide (ICA) more for counselors and in counseling. Martha has been presenting this as a workshop in each of the SABES regions across the state. It can work across many levels of ESOL. SABES is documenting how it’s being used. SABES is using it in its program-based work this year.
Greater Boston SABES is presenting a “Next Steps for ABE/ESOL Learners” workshop, facilitated by Andrea Perrault, featuring Clare Shepherd’s presentation about preparing ABE/ESOL students for job training program, and Dan Singleton of City of Boston/Jobs and Community Services. Laurie will forward a version of Clare’s chart comparing ABE, workforce development and workplace education that SABES has been using, to Advisory members.
ICA is useful in Next Steps, long-range planning. ICA is not so much about job readiness as long-range planning, e.g., what are your values and what have been the influences in your life. Kermit: What smaller steps can we take toward integrating career awareness with lower-level ABE and ESOL learners?
The SABES Workforce Development team chose new name, “Transitions Team,” to reflect the team’s and SABES’ broadened emphasis on transitions to post-secondary education as well as employment and training. Laurie emphasized that post-secondary education includes not only college, but apprenticeships, vocational education, and certificate programs. There were some concerns about “transitions” implying a one-time event. David recommended using the term “Career Pathways.” “Career and Education Pathways” was also suggested, but too long. Laurie agreed to talk with the team about revisiting the name and considering “Career Pathways.” The Advisory agreed that the important thing is the concept, more than the name, however.
Strengthening the relationships between ABE and Workforce Development
David: What explains the field’s continued discomfort with workforce development? Teachers don’t want to see students’ range limited. There have been fears that DOL has wanted to “take over” ABE. That fear blocks some opportunities. The main thing is to make this work for students. ABE teachers often fear that employers want ABE to be narrowly employment-focused (and some do); but often they understand and meet the need to accommodate other goals in students’ lives. Over time, employers often see how classes work and are won over.
Andrea has been encouraged by the workforce system. Workforce development people understand the need for more education. CommCorp has really reflected this perspective. It’s important for SABES and the ABE field to engage people from the workforce system and model collaboration and coordination.
Even in agencies with both job skills and ABE, they often don’t talk with each other. SABES should help find ways to bring them together with a common agenda. A number of the capacity building initiatives are trying to bridge the gap between ABE and workforce development within their own agency. Patricia (also Andrea and Laurie) has been working as a consultant on a SkillWorks project on a research piece around weatherization and energy efficiency with the MA CAP agencies, who do both (ABE and job training). But it’s difficult — where can we intersect?
Tim: There are real differences in the accountability systems for ABE and workforce development. There are reasons career centers need applicants with good skills. The reality is 80% of our career center customers have to be placed, and if they don’t have the basic skills they won’t make it. One system is short time frame, one (ABE) is not. Dislocated workers are eligible for 30 weeks; it doesn’t work for us to send that worker to ABE for two years to improve their skills. Laurie: There’s a large gap for low-skilled adults.
Patricia: In ARRA, we got all Merrimack Valley ABE and workforce development providers together, hoped for a regular ABE-ESOL subcommittee on the LWIB but didn’t succeed.
Tim: North Central WIB had a separate ABE subcommittee, which includes ABE directors and instructors as non-voting members, called the Literacy Committee. It has been very effective and helpful, but is no longer needed — ABE has been integrated into the work and understanding of the WIB. The relationships are now in place, and pools of resources developed. This helps to overcome the ABE-Workforce development conflict, and fears of workforce development by ABE. Their Youth council includes 57 people and 27 organizations.
SABES should propose a Network presentation on this topic (fears of the Workforce development system and how to address the commonalities). This is very important. It could be a panel, to include employers, workforce development people and a range of ABE folks.
Patricia: has heard the idea of having ABE do the lowest three levels of ABE and ESOL, and workforce development would do the higher level—and the funding would follow.
David: For career pathways, there are lots of gates. What are the keys to opening those gates? (A nice graphic might be created for this). Like it or not, tests and credentials are increasingly key for accessing both employment and post-secondary ed (and more and more jobs require some post-secondary). This puts the ABE field increasingly in the business of test preparation.
Patricia: NE is doing on-site professional development with one program, all staff, with the ICA curriculum, including developing adaptations for lower-level ESOL.
What are some other ways that SABES can help promote communication and understanding between ABE programs and workforce programs/system?
- There are 11 programs in Boston just now funded for the capacity-building grants. Maybe some dialogue among them, and/or highlighting their learning?
- SABES should do a session at Network and/or several regional SABES sessions about the intersection between ABE and workforce development.
- Green jobs is another opportunity. David suggested another Massachusetts example, Mass. Workforce Alliance (MWA)’s new Down to Earth project, which is focused on green jobs for people in basic literacy and ESOL programs, and bringing in people from the outside, is forming an advisory that includes industry people.
- How to publicize web-based resources through email lists, etc. Post resources and link but also publicize them.
- What is the role of SABES in all of this? Teaching the field and programs about what’s expected and what’s changing.
What skills do we need to help programs introduce into ABE/ESOL programs?
The two systems intersect (Kermit). There is a shift in the labor market to requiring more skills. However, many older workers have less complex skills, and need to acquire more skills like critical thinking, teamwork. These are areas that the ABE field has traditionally been good at. In his program, they initially focused on writing, but discovered that their students were not passing in reading comprehension. So they brought in Skills Tutor to help assess their reading comprehension. This helped prepare them for jobs, but also for college (a win/win). Work Keys has been really helpful. It provides occupational profiles for hundreds of jobs. Math is also really important. These skills are key not only for getting a job, but for keeping a job.
Documentation
Connie: need for increased documentation in many fields: writing, computer literacy, to document what they’ve done
Computer literacy and computer skills: Tech skills
Knowing how to use a computer is increasingly important in getting and holding a job. Required now for all kinds of jobs, e.g., medical, manufacturing/machining, Laurie’s example of farmworkers tracking inventory in the field on hand-held devices (!) Many youth know how to use technology, but not for employment purposes or not the same skills. Anne: computer skills are needed even to apply for a job. Where is the gap in the system? Computer literacy skills: key for getting youth back into the system.
STEM
Many students can’t spell any more. Tim: doctors’ offices all have computers, which require spelling, entry-level skills.
DESE has 2 RFP’s out for tech planning. There is a new ABE tech workplan. New Federal money under WIA reauthorization may provide significant funding for tech planning in a line item to states that already have a tech plan. Mass. (ACLS) has already been working on this.
Andrea: Computer skills also necessary for post-secondary; students have to submit their papers electronically.
Updates/Announcements
Lisa: Learn at Work has funded 11 new workplace education partnerships (out of 19). They have not been officially announced, pending a press conference featuring the two secretaries (DESE and Labor and Workforce Development). All are funded for three years, using all the money. CommCorp also has health care sector training grants just RFP’d. These require a community college as a partner. Also, green careers.
Kermit is the new ABE rep. to the Hampden County REB. Also, with Verizon funding his program now has purchased two Smart Boards and a fleet of laptops. These are enormously helpful as they enable them to bring the tools to the students rather than waiting for a free computer classroom.
David: In large corporation with large volunteer programs, if the volunteers do enough hours there, the corporation will make a donation to that program (e.g., 100 volunteers). For example, Nypro funds the Clinton ABE program and has donated over $20,000. This is something other programs could pursue (and SABES help publicize/organize). Verizon has volunteers, and provides classroom grants. Raytheon has a mentoring program.
David: The Learner Web now includes Boston as a region. Other states: Minnesota Fast Track is using the Learner Web. New York Literacy Zones, in which the lead agency is an ABE program, also chose the Learner Web. SABES should look at these two states.
Kermit: There is a gap between ESOL and math. David: Haitian Multiservice Center has been using ESOL students as math teachers. Some immigrants arrive with good math skills. Irene’s program got money from Ronald McNair at NECC to run a one-semester program, now a two-semester component for ESOL (those who have completed Level 6). Math is an issue getting into transitions program, as is reading comprehension. We need to address more integration of college success skills.
Laurie: is working (under World Ed hat) with English at Work (MIRA/English for New Bostonians), on capacity building for workplace ESOL, along with Rob Vitello, including training for programs to partner with employers, a brochure template for providers to use in marketing their programs to employers, and a how-to-guide on targeting and identifying potential employer partners for workplace education programs, all of which will be ready and posted on the English at Work web site soon (at www.english-works.org). Hopefully, SABES will also help make these trainings and materials accessible across the state.
The MWIB ABE-ESOL Subcommittee is discussing Transitions including statewide policy recommendations.
Connie: what is happening with the Workforce Training Fund? Tim: There are two versions, one of which won’t allow the funding for WTF to go to the general fund.
Tim: One fear with WIA reauthorization is that our allocations would be collapsed (among dislocated, youth, etc.) Health Sector Initiative is in all 16 career centers. Clean Energy Initiative is in regional partnerships.
Lisa: Workforce Development has to start where people are, even lower levels.
Patricia: NE SABES is doing a series on “21st Century Skills” which links together a lot of these issues and topics. They had a day-long session with Fernando Salas-Isnardi, Texas ABE state Director, which was very effective.
Laurie will schedule another SABES Workforce Development Advisory in May or June, after polling Advisory members via Doodle. | 
