Later this month GED Testing Service will be attending the National Association of Workforce Boards 2018 Forum. This event is a convening of leaders from the business, government, labor and education fields to discuss key issues related to U.S. workforce development.

During the event we will have the opportunity to showcase the positive connection between the GED program and career readiness, while exploring additional ways to help bridge adult learners from adult ed to employment and further education. It will also provide an opportunity to showcase some of the changes to adult education and the GED program, and share some of the latest outcomes. It is important for us to educate this audience about the power of adult education and how essential it is in helping move adults from high school dropout into the local workforce.

Some of the information we’ll be sharing, and you can share with local policymakers and business leaders, include:

Changes to the GED program

The GED test itself is aligned with national college and career readiness standards for adult education, and the GED program as a whole was updated to help adult learners be more successful in their journey from high school dropout to the workforce. The program allows adult learners to enter the workforce immediately, and also prepared them for higher-level career and college training programs that help them compete with high school grads for jobs that pay family-sustaining wages. The program helps students take the first step of walking into a local prep program to career pathway planning after earning a GED credential.

Positive postsecondary outcomes

Since the launch of the test we have continued to track how GED graduates are performing once they earn their credential. We recently released new statistics about GED graduates and postsecondary education and the positive correlation to the GED College Ready score levels.

GED graduates are enrolling in college programs at a higher rate than ever and remaining enrolled from semester-to-semester. In addition, more colleges around the country are implementing policies related to the College Ready score levels.

WIOA and career readiness

WIOA places a strong focus on preparing learners for in-demand jobs by equipping them with academic, technical, and employability skills necessary for employment.

The GED credential prepares test takers for career and technical training that helps accelerate entering the workforce.

Middle skill jobs

The demand to fill middle skill jobs—those that require more than a high school diploma but less than a four-year degree—continues to grow. GED graduates are excellent candidates for meeting this need that accounts for 40 percent of all job growth.

The Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce states that there are 30 million “good jobs” in the United States that pay without a bachelor’s degree—with median earnings of $55,000 annually.

GED Testing Service has also continued to explore ways to help adult learners in the workforce earn their GED credential with the financial support of their current employer.

GEDWorks

The GEDWorks program recently celebrated 2,000 graduates earning their GED credential. The program was designed to be flexible around busy work schedules and gives participants the resources they need to earn their GED credential with no financial commitment.

As more employers join the GEDWorks family it creates additional opportunities to upskill adult learners while giving them the credential they need to pursue further education and career advancement.

If you’re looking for additional resources, COABE’s Educate and Elevate campaign toolkit has talking points for you to use with local media and policymakers. The kit has downloadable fact sheets, templates to send letters and emails to your state legislators, webinars and more.