Forming Partnerships

The Adult Workforce Development Division of The Association for Career and Technical Education provides leadership in developing an adult competitive workforce through developing partnerships with other ACTE divisions, agencies and educational and training institutions.
     URL: http://www.acteonline.org/

The National Center for ESL Literacy Education (NCLE) is a national information center focusing on the language and literacy education of adults and out-of-school youth learning English. NCLE  provides information on adult ESL literacy education to teachers, program directors, researchers, and policymakers. 
     URL: http://www.cal.org/ncle/

The National Adult Education Professional Development Consortium manages professional development programs for state adult education staff and provides information on adult education.
     URL: http://www.naepdc.org

The American Association for Career Education works to connect careers, education, and work for all ages by promoting basic employability and academic skills; supports workforce preparation, training, collaboration, partnerships and education-work relationships.
2900 Amby Place
Hermosa Beach, CA 90254-2216
Tel: (310) 376-7378

The National Council of State Directors of Adult Education provides for the sharing of adult education information, ideas, and goals across the states and territories.
     E-MAIL: chine@board.tec.wi.us

The National Council for Continuing Education and Training provides leadership for continuing education, community service, workforce development and training professionals.
     E-MAIL: almeyer@mail.aacc.cc.md.us

Partnering with a college to design training courses can earn your workers college credits that relate directly to your business. Training costs are lowered while your employees' work-related skills and your company's productivity are enhanced. 
     URL: http://www.workforce.com/archive/feature/22/18/88/index.php

As an employer, you can create your own in-house certificate program by partnering with an educational institution. It offers a flexible but results-oriented system for directing employees toward the long-term growth and development  needed for a dynamic workplace.
     URL: http://www.workforce.com/archive/feature/22/16/52/index.php

An article from the Pennsylvania ABLE handbook gives workplace literacy program managers ideas for how to develop and deliver an effective workplace literacy program.
     URL: http://www.able.state.pa.us/able/lib/able/workhow.pdf

A report from the Task Force on Workforce Development, Learning Partnerships: Strengthening American Jobs in the Global Economy, proposes "bottom-up partnerships" of government, educators, labor leaders, and employers to analyze job opportunities and workforce needs, and to develop effective training. The study offers recommendations on improving workforce preparation and retraining, including adjusting provisions in the Workforce Investment Act.
     URL: http://www.ed.gov/news/newsletters/ovaereview/orev052804.html#aepaf

Making the Connections is a guidebook designed to help employer associations serve their members in workforce development needs. This guidebook focuses on workforce development for entry-level positions.
     URL: http://www.jff.org/Documents/MakingConnect.pdf

The Manufacturing Institute (the research, education and workforce arm of the National Association of Manufacturers) has launched its first industry-focused Education Council. The Council will develop national strategies to expand and enhance the manufacturing workforce.
     URL: http://www.nam.org/AboutUs/TheManufacturingInstitute/EducationCouncil.aspx

Strong Students, Strong Workers: Models for Student Success through Workforce Development and Community College Partnerships is a review of community college and state efforts to improve enrollments and completion rates among disadvantaged youth and adults.
     URL: http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/12/pdf/strong_students.pdf

Re-imagining Community Colleges in the 21st Century is a report that discusses policies on community college-transfer, occupational and developmental activities as well as collaborations among four-year institutions, community-based organizations, business and industrial partners.
     URL: http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/12/pdf/community_colleges_reimagined.pdf

Training Tomorrow's Workforce: Community College and Apprenticeship as Collaborative Routes to Rewarding Careers is a report that shows the benefits of collaboration between community colleges and apprenticeship programs for workers, employers and community colleges.
     URL: http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/12/pdf/comm_colleges_apprenticeships.pdf

Working Together describes the many forms that business-adult education partnerships can take, the bottom line and philanthropic advantages to partnering, and practical steps for getting involved.
     URL:  http://www.c-pal.net:80/business/index.html

Working Together: A Guide to Business and Adult Education Partnerships provides information for businesses on finding and maintaining a skilled workforce and on supporting adult education in their communities. The Guide also includes resources for businesses and adult education programs that want to build or strengthen their partnerships.
     URL: http://www.c-pal.net/business/index.html

Building Tomorrow's Workforce: Promoting the Education and Advancement of Hispanic Immigrant Workers in America: This report presents promising employer/community college partnerships that expand access to higher education and benefit low-skilled, immigrant Hispanic adults.
     URL: http://www.edexcelencia.org/research/building-tomorrows-workforce-promoting-education-and-advancement-hispanic-immigrant-workers

Building Effective Green Energy Programs in Community Colleges (pdf)
In a response to the increased interest in “green jobs”, Community Colleges are taking the lead by creating initiatives to train low-income and low-skilled workers thus providing a career pathway to obtain green energy jobs. This research paper also includes informative case studies from the field.

We're Education...You're Semiconductors: Improving Worker Skills Through Employer-Community College Partnerships: this report describes how several major employers are partnering with community colleges to provide training that upgrades the skills of their workers. It offers key lessons for both employers and community colleges about how to structure their relationships for success.
     URL: http://www.ppv.org/ppv/publication.asp?search_id=20&publication_id=98&section_id=0

“Growing Their Own” Skilled Workforces: Community Health Centers Benefit from Work-Based Learning for Frontline Employees: through Jobs to Careers, four community health centers have partnered with education institutions and other community organizations to change the way frontline employees are trained, rewarded, and advanced. This report details how these partnerships have developed career paths and made them easily available to frontline employees.
     URL: http://www.jff.org/publications/workforce/growing-their-own-skilled-workforces-com/1151

The Milestone Tool: Planning a Work-Based Learning Project: by mapping out key elements and activities, this tool guides partners to create a shared vision for work-based learning and acknowledge the supports needed for successful implementation. The tool was created for Jobs to Careers, which supports partnerships to advance and reward the skill and career development of incumbent workers providing care and services on the front lines of the health and health care systems.
     URL: http://www.jff.org/publications/workforce/milestone-tool-planning-work-based-learn/915

Meeting the Workforce Needs of the Milwaukee Construction Industry: this case study looks at the Center of Excellence, a model which demonstrates how consolidating employment and training services can effectively meet the workforce needs of a particular industry.
     URL: http://www.jff.org/publications/workforce/meeting-workforce-needs-milwaukee-constr/366

Northwest Michigan WORKS!: provides a wide variety of services for youth, job seekers, employers and businesses. It consists of partnerships bringing together governmental and educational agencies, and accesses a multitude of publicly-funded programs.
    URL: http://nwm.org/miworks.asp

Mentoring Formerly Incarcerated Adults: Insights from the Ready4Work Reentry Initiative: this report explores “mentoring” as a tool for supporting the successful reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals helping them find and retain employment. The Ready4Work program provides newly released inmates with traditional employment and training services; as well as mentoring and other “wraparound” social services which are offered through partnerships among community and faith-based organizations.    
     URL: http://www.ppv.org/ppv/publication.asp?section_id=22&search_id=&publication_id=265

Partnering with Employers to Promote Job Advancement for Low-Skill Individuals: this paper explores the reasons why employer partnerships are important for improving economic outcomes for both low-skill workers and businesses.
     URL: http://lincs.ed.gov/lincs/resourcecollections/abstracts/workforce/RC_work_abs107

State

Many state education systems provide employers with advice about basic skills development resources and educational partner organizations who can help them.  

Through these state programs, employers can contact many local and regional experts and service providers for advice about program options for content and for program delivery to their employees - in the workplace or outside. 

Colorado

Exemplary workplace education programs from the 7th Workplace Learning Conference are featured on this site. One example is a partnership between a business, the Colorado state government and a community college ( # 7 slide set: Colorado's Workplace...).  
    URL: http://www.amerisys.org/kc/main/kc_frame2.asp?kc_ident=kc0002&intID=32

Iowa

Iowa's principal state-wide websites for adult education are:
    URL: http://www.readiowa.org;
    URL: http://www.state.ia.us

Missouri

Employers seeking information and contacts about worker skills development resources, recruiting, training, outplacement assistance throughout Missouri, see:
      URL: http://www.ecodev.state.mo.us/wfd

Access detailed information and local contacts for Missouri's One-Stop Career Center System on the Division of Workforce Development's website:  
    URL: http://www.ecodev.state.mo.us/wfd/locations/contacts.htm

Rhode Island

Rhode Island Department of Employment and Training offers information on jobs, training opportunities and links to "one-stop" providers:
    URL: http://www.dlt.state.ri.us/

Employers interested in workplace literacy can access information about adult education and literacy programs, and funding availability, at the Rhode Island Department of Education's website:
    URL: http://www.ridoe.net

Texas

The state's principal literacy resource website is at the Texas Center For Adult Literacy and Learning:
    URL: http://www-tcall.tamu.edu