Leveraging workforce development and postsecondary education for low-skilled, low-income workers: Lessons from the shifting gears initiative

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 (157) ◽  
pp. 53-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debra Bragg ◽  
Laura Dresser ◽  
Whitney Smith
Keyword(s):  
Postsecondary Education ◽  
Workforce Development ◽  
Low Income

The significance of grit from social support and health determinants

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-62
Author(s):  
Whitney Key ◽  
Jang Ho Park ◽  
Philip Young P Hong
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Workforce Development ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Health Determinants ◽  
School Age ◽  
Job Seeking ◽  
Employment Goals

Non-cognitive skills are known to be influenced by the environment, especially regarding health and social support. One emerging non-cognitive skill is grit that can be defined as a success measure among low-income adults. It has been studied mostly among school-age children as it relates to academic success however little attention has paid to grit in workforce development. This is important to recognize as two identifiers for workforce success are social support and health. This paper aims to investigate the effects of health and social support on grit. Regression analysis was completed on 520 low-income, job seeking adults. A series of multiple regression results indicate that social support and health—physical, emotional, and general—have statistically significant independently and combined effects on grit. This finding is important for workforce development practitioners to understand when working with job seeking clients who are having difficulty in demonstrating the necessary tenacity to continue the path to achieve employment goals. 

Campus of Opportunity: A Qualitative Analysis of Homeless Students in Community College

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 190-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jarrett T. Gupton
Keyword(s):  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
Postsecondary Education ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Homeless Youth ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Underrepresented Students ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Access To Higher Education ◽  
Homeless Students

Objective: Community colleges are gateways of access to higher education for many underrepresented students. One group that has received little attention in the community college research literature is homeless youth. The objective of this research is to address the following research questions: (a) What might be learned from the narratives of homeless youth and their experiences in postsecondary education? and (b) How might community colleges promote interpersonal and institutional resilience for homeless students? Method: Utilizing qualitative research techniques, this article reviews the experiences’ of homeless youth attending community college and explores the ways in which community colleges might serve as sites for fostering resilience and stability in the lives of homeless students. Results: The results of this empirical work suggest that although homeless students do benefit from enrolling in community college, some of the benefits are not salient to them and they are unable to take full advantage of institutional resources. Contributions: The findings from this study contribute to the literature on low-income students’ experiences in community college and add the voices and experiences of homeless youth.

College Freshmen's Perceptions of Their High School Experiences

2009 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 438-471 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia Hudley ◽  
Roxanne Moschetti ◽  
Amber Gonzalez ◽  
Su-Je Cho ◽  
Leasha Barry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
High School ◽  
Postsecondary Education ◽  
Low Income ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Peer Group ◽  
First Generation Students ◽  
Strong Argument ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Talented Students

Among academically talented students, SES and racial group membership predict both college expectations and matriculation, and youth less often attend and complete postsecondary education if their parents did not go to college. For successful adjustment to college, significant adults during high school matter more than they might imagine. Talking to teachers and counselors had strong relationships with social and academic adjustment as well as with positive attitudes for all students. Interestingly, the more participants talked to teachers in high school, the more academically competent they felt in college, and this relationship was especially strong for first-generation students. Such findings suggest that “getting ready” experiences may prepare students to more effectively balance the multiple developmental tasks they face as college students on the threshold of adulthood. This preparation may be especially important for persistence among vulnerable populations, including first-generation students, who spend the least time of any group talking to teachers outside class. Students in low-income, urban communities may be in reasonable proximity to a community, vocational, or 4-year college; students in rural schools may more often see relatively few opportunities for higher education. An academically oriented high school peer group also may prepare students to become socially engaged on the college campus. These preliminary findings are a strong argument for policies and practices that bring all new college students together in personalized social interactions as quickly as possible rather than focusing on groups perceived to be “at risk.”

Mapping the Terrain: The State of Knowledge Regarding Low-Income Youth Access to Postsecondary Education

2010 ◽  
Vol 15 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Datnow ◽  
Daniel G. Solorzano ◽  
Tara Watford ◽  
Vicki Park
Keyword(s):  
Postsecondary Education ◽  
Low Income ◽  
The State

scholarly journals “Hey, I’ve Got a Voice Too!” Narratives of Adversity, Growth and Empowerment

2011 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 104-128
Author(s):  
David J. Jefferson ◽  
Debra A. Harkins
Keyword(s):  
Workforce Development ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Policy Reform ◽  
Economic Justice ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Underserved Communities ◽  
Societal Context

The present study explored meanings of “empowerment” from bottom-up perspectives. Sixteen low-income individuals experiencing homelessness and related forms of economic adversity participated. Participants reported experiencing empowerment, but also adversity, for example discrimination and ongoing poverty. Results are discussed in a broader societal context, with recommendations made for professionals interested in social and economic justice. Suggestions include enhanced inter-agency partnerships for underserved communities, investment in concepts such as workforce development, and increased opportunities for change through policy reform.

The Impact of Wyman’s Teen Leadership Program on College Achievement and Retention

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Postsecondary Education ◽  
Low Income ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Retention Rates ◽  
Leadership Program ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Teen Leadership ◽  
Postsecondary Access ◽  
The Impact

Low-income, first-generation college students face a host of obstacles on their journeys toward degree completion. Providing effective supports for these students as they navigate their postsecondary experiences is an important determinant of success, the implications of which can be far-reaching. The purpose of the current study discussed in this article was to examine the impact of Wyman’s Teen Leadership Program (TLP) on positive college outcomes for low-income, first-generation students pursuing higher education at Missouri State University (MSU). TLP is a community-based, postsecondary access and success program comprising three developmentally progressive phases that begin when teens are ninth graders and ends after their second year of postsecondary education. During the postsecondary phase of the program, TLP works in close partnership with higher education institutions like MSU to effectively support students through caring relationships and coordinated services. Using a mixed-methods approach, the authors analyzed the college retention rates and grade point averages (GPAs) of 39 TLP participants attending MSU and 82 comparison students with similar background characteristics. Findings revealed statistically higher retention rates and GPAs for TLP participants compared to non-participants. Focus groups were also conducted to better understand the perceptions of TLP participants (n = 15) and TLP staff members (n = 6). Using Schlossberg’s (1989) theory of marginality and mattering as a framework, the authors analyzed focus group responses, from which three overarching themes emerged: relationships, intentional experiences, and self-efficacy. The study findings suggest that postsecondary access and success programs are most effective when their curricula and program experiences are supported by strong and consistent student-adult relationships.

An Integrative Framework for Evaluating the Impact of Career Pathways

2020 ◽  
pp. 15-35
Author(s):  
Debra D. Bragg
Keyword(s):  
Postsecondary Education ◽  
Workforce Development ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
Career Pathways ◽  
Workforce Training ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Integrative Framework ◽  
Education Community ◽  
Future Policy ◽  
The Impact

During the past several years, career pathway systems have expanded to prepare adults for the workforce. Although career pathways are not new, numerous states, the federal government, and philanthropic foundations continue to advance the idea to offer more postsecondary education and workforce training opportunities for adults. Coordinated policies, programs, and services involving adult basic education, community colleges, and workforce development are viewed as vital to creating highly functioning career pathways systems. This chapter describes three core functions of career pathways systems—pathway entry, integrated training, and career progression—and advances the notion that evaluations should be aligned to these functions to inform future policy and practice. Recognizing the value that these functions play independently and collectively in implementation and evaluation is key to supporting continuing efforts to scale career pathways systems nationwide.

Addressing the needs of adolescent mothers and their offspring in Nigeria: a community-based study

2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 307-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bolajoko O. Olusanya ◽  
Olufunke M. Ebuehi
Keyword(s):  
Postsecondary Education ◽  
Adolescent Mothers ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Childhood Immunization ◽  
Health Seeking ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Poor Countries ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
Obstetric Services

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine the perinatal profile of adolescent mothers with surviving offspring against the backdrop of limited community-based data on the outcomes of adolescent pregnancy in low-income countries. Methods: A case-control study of adolescent mothers (13–19 years) attending four community-based clinics for routine childhood immunization from July 2005 to March 2008 in Lagos, Nigeria, matched for infant age and sex. Maternal and infant factors associated with adolescent mothers were determined using unconditional and conditional multivariable logistic regression analyses. Results: A total of 241 adolescent mothers (mean age, 18.2±1.2 years) were consecutively recruited over the study period and matched with 1205 controls (mean age, 27.3±3.9 years). Adolescent mothers in this population were significantly more likely to be unmarried, of the Hausa ethnic tribe, without postsecondary education, unemployed, and primiparous. Although all received antenatal care, they were also more likely to deliver outside hospital without skilled attendants, and their offspring were likely to be undernourished. Conclusions: Socio-demographic profile of adolescent girls who become pregnant is likely to have a significant influence on their health-seeking behavior for obstetric services. Teenagers especially from the most vulnerable ethnic groups in resource-poor countries should be educated on the developmental risks of early childbearing in their surviving offspring.

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