Preparing Adults for Further Education, Training, and Careers

This chapter describes bridge and career pathways approaches that have been implemented to support adult foundational education (AFE) learners' advancement to postsecondary education, training, and employment. The focus of this chapter is career pathways activities for adults with AFE skills below the postsecondary education level. These adult learners have participated in services funded by the U.S. federal government, state governments, local governments, and philanthropic organizations. Discussed in this chapter are the types of activities at the state and local levels that have been implemented to develop and expand career pathways for AFE learners. Those activities include an early effort in family literacy to deliver AFE that prepared adults for further education and work; the types of bridge programs that have been implemented with AFE learners to prepare them for enrollment in academic or occupational postsecondary education and training; and various career pathways approaches that have involved AFE learners, including integrated education and training models. The chapter closes with a discussion of the features of bridge and career pathways services that are thought to be critical to successful implementation, what has been learned thus far about the effects of career pathways, and considerations going forward.