In Attendance: Sylvia Beville, Cathy Gannon, Richard Goldberg, Maria Grace, Kathleen Howell, Priscilla Golding, Todd Lee, Connie Nelson, David Rosen, Jerry Rubin, Laurie Sheridan, Tim Sappington, Rob Vitello.

Announcements:

• MWIB ABE-ESOL Subcommittee report submitted to the governor on Sept. 10 was well received. The report is downloadable from www.mass.gov/mwib. Jerry summarized the recommendations, which include, among other things, a coordinated fund for workplace education that could be located at DESE, the Workforce Training Fund, or a combination, utilizing funding from both. The subcommittee will meet again to discuss follow-up on Wednesday, October 29, at the Harbor One Credit Union, 770 Oak St., Brockton.
• There was a recent article in the Worcester Business Journal about workplace ESOL – by workers.
• There is an article about the Tufts Medical Center/AACA workplace education program on the AACA web site-and a TV show.
• MCAE's Network conference is next week (Oct. 22-23) in Marlboro, with several workshops of interest. The keynote speaker will be Ed. Secretary Paul Reville.
• Governor Patrick will announce his 9C cuts to the state budget at 5:00 today.
• Michael Taylor has been appointed the new MA Director of Workforce Development, replacing David Mackley; he is the former CEO of Benjamin Franklin Institute.
• The Workforce Training Fund is accepting applications every other month. Technical assistance grants function much like DOE planning grants. The Workforce Training Fund addresses many of the issues raised by the MWIB subcommittee, including planning time. English Works should push for this.
• Laurie presented the summary of the ACLS strategic plan, and highlighted its priorities.

The SABES Directors have recommended that the SABES Workforce Development Advisory become a committee of the main SABES Advisory. That will expedite communication within SABES, and integrate the work of the Workforce Development Advisory better into the overall work of SABES. Members of the WFD Advisory will represent it at the SABES Advisory meetings. Is there a downside to doing this? Not really. The Advisory concurred with this plan.

The Advisory would prefer to meet in the future via videoconferencing, to save on travel time and expenses. Laurie will try to set that up for the next Advisory meeting (January 14). Advisory members can attend the meeting by traveling to a SABES regional office. Laurie will assess which three regions have the most participants, and connect them via videoconference, as it's technically difficult to connect more than three SABES regions.

SABES FY09 Workplan Priorities
Laurie presented a summary of the SABES workplan for FY09, and a "report card" update on which of the Advisory's recommendations were included in the workplan, and those that were not. After reviewing the workplan highlights, the Advisory focused on areas for focus and expansion: workplace education, ICA curriculum, and "next steps"/transitions for ABE learners.

Building Capacity for Workplace Education
The Advisory Committee focused on how SABES can help the field build capacity to provide workplace education. There are not much professional development or resources available for workplace educators. The Advisory Committee recommends SABES post a list of its video library on the SABES website. It would be helpful for teachers to be able to observe a workplace ed class. Could SABES make some videos to provide this?

Does SABES have a strategy for increasing teacher skills in workplace education? No. SABES provides some training, principally through Roundtable, on Workplace Needs Assessment, Planning and Evaluation Teams, and marketing to/partnering with businesses, but not professional development for workplace ed teachers. It would be good for SABES to have a goal for skill development in workplace ed, e.g., "increase by X," how many instructors will be trained, etc. SABES should map it out for the field. What other resources are out there for this? JCS is in the process of training its workplace ed instructors internally The ECCLI library (www.commcorp.org/ECCLI) has good information, web-based resources, and a video about the Marina Bay site which illustrates residents as tutors. Greg McCutcheon can provide information.

Does SABES have a sense of how many workplace education teachers or programs there are? Or a sense of the need for professional development? This would be a good role for SABES. SABES could mine the field with staff surveying. We don't know how many workplace ed teachers there are. Many are affiliated with programs, work multiple jobs. Other workplace ed teachers are on their own. They could have high visibility within a region. How could SABES help build a greater workforce of providers? We could reach out to existing teachers in programs — or do it the other way, develop a good professional development program for teachers in workplace education. Current offerings don't include online instruction, though SABES does occasionally offer online sharing groups for workplace ed teachers. A blended model would be best. SABES should offer an online course for workplace educators.

It's not just a question of getting teachers trained. Programs are often reluctant to get involved in workplace education. What's the incentive for them? We would need a different delivery system. Workplace education programs are hard to do, and some programs won't do it. It's very hard without outside funding. It provides an alternative to program-based education. Not every provider needs or wants to get involved in delivering workplace education. A program or two could specialize in workplace education, within their region. There are two issues:

1. Is there an organization in an area that is interested?
2. Are there instructors equipped to provide it?

It would be helpful for SABES to develop a list of skills or competencies needed for workplace education. These lists exist. McDonald's is offering a very effective ESOL course online, though not in all states (and not in Mass.). SABES could find and train entrepreneurs to start their own workplace education classes. The barrier for business is their fragmentation-they have less knowledge of how to find and train instructors, or find the desired quantity and quality of instructors. Sometimes the Board can serve as an intermediary. Some areas of the state have greater capacity for programs offering workplace education, e.g., the Boston area, QCC in Central Mass. It would make sense to offer an online component, e.g., SE SABES has offered online instruction for teachers in other areas. There are practicalities to consider: Who pays teachers to be trained? What's needed is a 15-hour training for workplace education teachers — and a creative plan to deliver it.

Are there additional resources on the street? Business will follow the money. English Works is trying to leverage public and private resources, the MWIB Subcommittee recommended pooling existing resources and adding state dollars when it becomes possible. There are two models:

1. One or two times/year offer a blended course, based on best practices, and include some updates.
2. Offer new teachers a "just-in-time" (JIT) course, using a model like the Learner Web, that can be used for teacher training.

SABES could build an asynchronous model, develop a Learning Plan along the lines of World Education's transition model. Look at the work of Union county college in NJ, St. Paul MN. Could SABES develop a credential for workplace education teachers-a workplace ed certificate? SABES could look into the colleges that teach adult educators, e.g., Northeastern, U. Mass., other four-year colleges, to develop a certificate program. The Northeastern coop model would work-students could actually teach in a workplace, as an internship. But it would also be good for SABES to develop and "own" it. Companies would pay for workplace education teacher training. SABES should look at the old curriculum that was developed in Mass. for workplace ed. Sylvia, Connie and Rob were part of it. So many Advisory members agreed to join a committee to explore this, that it was decided to make it the agenda for the next meeting!

SABES should develop and pilot something, bring it back for discussion and refinement. There are many barriers. We should include some key players, get others at the table, build a system for it. Advisory members should bring resources to the next meeting, look at Pennsylvania, Canada, past Massachusetts projects, new efforts (e.g., the Learner Web), the old literature search, ask Lisa Soricone what she remembers, and find info on teachers and directors' interest in workplace ed. SABES could develop materials on how to do workplace ed, help ABE programs focus on business (and unions). It will be important to address directors' fears. When two SABES Workforce Development coordinators (Kathleen Howell and Patricia Pelletier) provide the workshop on "Identifying Business for Partnerships" at the recent ABE Directors meeting, participants wanted SABES not only to tell them how to approach businesses, they wanted SABES to make the approach, tell them the baby steps to take. Look at what was done by TLC, WEC, help this group learn what that model was. Does SABES want to focus on developing PD programs or developing collaborations? There are lessons to learn from the past around PD and coordination of workplace programs.

Don't focus on getting all ABE programs to join in (in workplace education)-focus on those with an interest, and focus on underserved regions of the state. Go beyond the ABE system-to community colleges, proprietary organizations. Employers will choose quality vendors. Focus on the customer-not the provider. Is this focus beyond the capacity of SABES? Does it lead somewhere? How can SABES help expand the number of people able to provide workplace education? We don't know what the market is. The goal should be to develop and deliver once:

• a statewide blended course
• raise regional issues and concerns – homework
• end in a certificate
• let all providers know about it

SABES could do this this year! What resources will be used by businesses for this out of their own pocket? They will buy it from whoever does it best. How market it to business?

• MIRA will help market it through their English Works campaign-marketing ABE in general as good for your business
• A piece of Workforce Training Fund marketing? This should be pursued
• Community colleges have access-but some don't do it
• Private marketing sector-training organizations

This is a good time-the stars seem to be aligning. Link this to the MWIB ABE/ESOL subcommittee recommendations, English Works' marketing to employers and unions. MCAE is involved in a marketing campaign, submitting a proposal to Nellie Mae Education foundation to promote ABE – can it be marketed to businesses? SABES should conduct a survey of workplace educators, including independent contractors.

Next Steps to Employment, Post-Secondary Education, and Training
SABES continues to support teachers and programs in helping students go to the next step. What balance should SABES try to strike among these three areas? High school is not the end; a GED does not prepare a student for college, or a family-sustaining-wage job. It's not a question of either/or (employment or PSE), but both. We know the GED is not enough. Many need a job, any job, for survival. Decent jobs require additional training and education-at least some college. It's good to incorporate into ABE classes, how to get jobs in companies. One class at SCALE learned about the need for math at the local career center. In one Roundtable project, the math class uses deductions from a paycheck to learn math. There are paths other than college-vocational training, certificate programs, apprenticeships. For laid-off and unemployed, further education is a good option. AACA has always presented both further education and employment as a continuum, to see the entire pathway. They illustrate the pathway from ESOL level 1 all the way to level 7, with career options and training, on a regional level. It's good to refer to opportunities at other agencies, draw out the entire pathway. The SABES "Integrating Career Awareness" curriculum is written at a high level of ESOL, but can be adapted for lower-level ESOL.

JVS's bridge program is an example of how to push down college readiness to lower levels, which is a big need. Combine work and education, e.g., college transitions related to health care, pathway is occupational. What material is useful at the lower levels? People are not ready to go into a bridge program, so prepare a pipeline, help students set goals, especially initially. Develop an ed plan, interweave it with career plans. When AACA and JVS were involved in the Power One project, students said they "want a job, any job" so it was important to develop individual plans. They need to be realistic-about what it takes to get there.

A next step for the "Integrating Career Awareness" curriculum might be to adapt it so individual students can use it. As an online course: provide a continuum into higher education. Portland State has a project called "Students First" for first-generation college students: not an academic program, but teaching college readiness skills and survival skills. For example, students indicated they knew what office hours were-but didn't go to faculty office hours. It turned out they thought they should only go if they were in trouble – like going to the principal's office in K-12. The Welcome Project in Somerville also addresses first generation high school students.

It's important to combine work and learning. People need support and thought, to make it to and through college. Doing post-secondary education is a luxury. The system needs to push down further, e.g., credit repair, CORI's, counseling. AACA has a counselor from TERI come in, and teach about financial literacy. Citizenship education is important, too. What about jobs and post-secondary education for undocumented workers? That is a big issue facing most programs. There is a huge need for reality in the community colleges [as] few who start end up graduating. Many students use up their financial aid on development classes, and many need a counseling approach. There are large barriers, and the need for real skills. GED readiness is not enough, doesn't ready them for college. What's needed is a bridge, not to be ready for developmental education, but ready for higher education-college readiness. The new Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund RFP from CommCorp includes post-secondary education. Will it support improving or accelerating developmental education? SABES should use the ICA curriculum to integrate into classrooms the pathways into higher education, employment, training.

How can SABES prepare programs to move students into employment? AACA does mapping for students, of pathways -these are community driven, by local businesses. How can ABE programs learn what employers need? You can't expect businesses to give all that info. Often ABE programs don't even know what questions to ask. It's not easy to know this, can take many years. You have to have the conversation with many employers, to know what employers need from students. "We need people who can do, e.g., algebra, x level of technical skills." And you have to develop a comfort level, in being able to ask an employer. It requires building a relationship, and relationships can take years to develop. It's not for everybody! It would help to get businesses and ABE in the same room, model some good programs. A program needs to develop a separate business line. It all goes back to the program director. Relationships and information are all sector-specific. For example, to get into hospitality, you don't need college. In health care, where everything is regulated and certified, you do, e.g., to go from long-term care CNA to LPN, you need college.

SABES needs to look at the transition to post-secondary education, look at the research numbers, identify the barriers (algebra is big). SABES should talk with TIAN, develop a STEM approach for ABE? Tricia Donovan and the SABES math team are addressing this, trying to use SABES to prepare ABE teachers better to do math education. It's a big step.

Next Advisory Meeting
The next meeting of the SABES WFD Advisory Committee will be on Wednesday, January 14, 2009. The main agenda items will be the next year's SABES workplan, and assessment of progress to date this year. Laurie will explore whether to hold it via videoconference at the SABES offices, or via web conference through phone and internet, and will notify Advisory members ASAP.

Send comments to: Laurie Sheridan

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