Beyond the Basics: Integrating Workforce and College-Readiness Training into California's Adult Basic Skills Programs

In the United States, approximately one in ten adults -- nearly 36 million people -- lack basic literacy and numeracy skills, while 27 million adults lack a high school diploma. Over the last decade, new models for adult education have emerged that integrate basic skills education with workforce and college-readiness training. These integrated programs show new promise for increasing the academic and labor market successes of low-skilled adults -- and they have been catching on across the country. With one of the nation's largest educational systems, California provides a unique environment for studying these trends. State leaders have been highly active in developing career pathway models that integrate academic and workforce training in their K-12 and workforce sectors; however, less is known about how these programs are being integrated into adult basic skills education. The Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation (MDRC) researchers conducted phone interviews and site visits with 39 adult basic skills programs and leaders throughout California to learn more about the state's programming and offerings. This report analyzes the need for adult basic skills programming across the state of California, the status of programs in high-need areas, and promising models that integrate workforce and college-readiness training with adult basic skills education. [This report was written with Osvaldo Avila.]