POMPANO BEACH, FL, Sept. 21, 2023 (AP NEWS) — The Alliance for Adult Education Foundation (AAEF) launched its “Upskilling Pathways for the Underserved and Those Who Serve” Commitment to Action this week at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) 2023 Meeting. The Commitment, part of CGI’s Inclusive Economic Recovery and Growth focus area, will build educational and career pathways for the millions of American adults who lack a high school diploma.
The 2023 Commitment to Action builds upon a 2014 Commitment to Action launched by AAEF member Smart Horizons Career Online Education (SHCOE) that led to dozens of major corporations offering employees high school education options as an employee benefit and thousands of public libraries offering a high school diploma option to their patrons.
“We are thrilled to be working with CGI to resume SHCOE’s important work,” said Ron J. Stefanski, AAEF’s chief community affairs officer. “Through CGI, SHCOE was able to launch effective career-based high school programs for frontline workers at McDonald’s, Taco Bell, and other companies, as well as through public libraries across the country. Now SHCOE joins us as we expand our focus on the workforce system, military, and community college system.”
The Commitment to Action will focus on the following legislative priority areas at the federal level:
- Improving the Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL) process to enable secondary education programs offered concurrently with entry-level occupational skills training to be eligible for Title 1 Department of Labor funding.
- Partnering with the U.S Military across all branches as part of the Deferred Enlistment Program (DEP) to assist addressing the recruiting shortage.
- Partnering with community colleges to host adult high school completion programs that allow students to move directly into postsecondary programs as they are completing their high school diploma.
About the Alliance for Adult Education Foundation
The Alliance for Adult Education Foundation was formed to unite industry and public leaders to expand career and education pathways for the millions of American adults without a high school diploma. AAEF emphasizes coalition-building across the education, business, nonprofit, workforce, library, and military sectors to increase access to high-quality education, training, and job opportunities.
About the Clinton Global Initiative
Founded by President Bill Clinton in 2005, the Clinton Global Initiative is a community of doers representing a broad cross section of society and dedicated to the idea that we can accomplish more together than we can apart. Through CGI’s unique model, more than 9,000 organizations have launched more than 3,900 Commitments to Action — new, specific, and measurable projects and programs.