Helping Adults with Foundational Skill Needs Access Pathways to Economic Mobility
Roughly 30 million adults do not have a high school diploma, and millions more do not have a postsecondary education preventing them from participating in many effective workforce training programs because of their need for deeper academic skill development.
Like justice-involved individuals and opportunity youth, adults with foundational skill needs often lack access and supports required to succeed in effective sectoral and community college workforce training programs. Providing high-quality training and supportive services to these adults is paramount for their successful participation in a thriving workforce and resilient economy.
The Integrated Education and Training Model
Based on a previous evidence review in 2021, the PROPEL Center identified an adult education model called Integrated Education and Training (IET) as the most promising to increase and expedite adult learners’ educational and career advancement. IET combines occupational skills training and foundational or academic skills instruction in a blended curriculum that allows adults to build both sets of skills simultaneously.
While promising, IET programs do not currently serve large numbers of adults, and there is little knowledge about how they are implemented, what practices are most promising, and whether these services are implemented across multiple populations.
Academy of Hope Partnership
As part of our research, PROPEL identified the Academy of Hope, an adult charter school in Washington, D.C., as showing promise in increasing their participants’ income and receipt of occupational credentials. Academy of Hope has IET-like career academy programs in health care and information technology.
PROPEL is partnering with Academy of Hope to better understand how they implement this model and research their success in promoting learners’ social-emotional well-being, retention, persistence, and eventual workforce entry or enrollment in postsecondary education. We are exploring how services and learner outcomes vary for individuals with different demographic and socioeconomic characteristics to determine how well this program is serving those who are most isolated from opportunity.
Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School Partnership
PROPEL is also partnering with the Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School, an adult charter school in Washington, D.C., that offers English as a second language (ESL) classes for adult learners with foundational skill needs, GED preparation classes, and career training programs in health care, technology, education, and culinary arts.
Through this partnership, PROPEL is identifying promising practices that address barriers to economic mobility among adult learners. By documenting how the school’s flexible pathways, support services, and industry-aligned training help learners navigate complex life circumstances—such as housing instability and childcare needs—this partnership provides actionable insights for designing community-rooted programs that foster persistence, skill development, and long-term success in education and employment.
The PROPEL Center is directly supported by the AIR Opportunity Fund.
