As we move into the home stretch of the 2016 election season, the discussion of how we can improve life for millions of Americans through economic opportunity has taken center stage. And for good reason: Since the close of the Great Recession, the economic divide between those with a college education and those without one has increased significantly.
But in Detroit, a city that’s become a symbol of how the 21st century economy has left many behind, there’s a new model for helping Americans get the education they need – and make a better life for themselves and their families.
A tale of two workforces
For Americans with a college degree, the job market remains bright. But for the 40 million adults without a high school diploma, the recovery is only a rumor. More than 70% of the jobs lost in the recession required a high school diploma or less. Since the recession, there has been no growth in well-paying jobs with benefits for those without a diploma.
Perhaps most frustrating is the fact that many U.S. employers are creating jobs, but these positions often fall just beyond the grasp of those without a diploma. More than 81% of employers are finding it difficult to fill open positions because they can’t find applicants with the skills required for the job.
It’s clear that we need to do more to help those without a college degree – and in particular, adults without a high school diploma – advance in their education. So what’s Detroit – a city where a quarter of residents aged 25 and older lack a diploma – doing to close this gap, and what can we learn from it?
Developing our workforce through affordable, accessible education
A collaborative effort to provide online learning opportunities called the Detroit Collective Impact is making it easier for residents who have not finished high school to earn a diploma and go on to college or secure employment. Through Cengage’s Career Online High School, the program helps adults earn an accredited diploma and career credentials for industries that can’t find workers fast enough, such as food service, child care, retail and transportation.
Detroit Collective Impact, which kicked off last year with 20 students, has the potential to transform the lives of the 80,000 people in Detroit without a diploma. The most important statistic of all: 70% of students who have completed the program have gone on to post-secondary education, where they’ll prepare for a degree that can dramatically improve their lifetime earning potential.
One key to the program’s success: It provides graduates with an actual high school diploma, not just a high school equivalency certificate. This may seem like a small distinction, but it means a lot to employers when they’re making hiring decisions.
Detroit Collective Impact also overcomes some of the hurdles of online education by offering mentoring services to its participants. For adults without a high school diploma, the experience of continuing their education while balancing the demands of work and family isn’t easy. The program’s mentors provide personalized guidance to build the confidence of learners and help them complete the program. It’s that confidence that propels them not only to earn a high school diploma but to go on to college or advancement at their current employer, or to get a new job.
Building on the success of Detroit Collective Impact
By providing affordable access to an accredited high school diploma and career certificate, we can open doors to employment opportunities and put more Americans on a pathway to success. Detroit Collective Impact is one example of how we can fulfill the promise of education for everyone, but replicating it – or designing similar initiatives – requires collaboration and commitment.
First, to make any online education program successful, we need to improve our digital infrastructure. Detroit has the worst rate of Internet access of any big American city, with 40% of its residents lacking broadband. Providing affordable education to all requires a continued push by policymakers for increased broadband availability. In the meantime, we must partner with libraries and other community institutions to provide access for learners.
Second, corporate partners must see the upside in capitalizing on the potential of the American workforce. Detroit Collective Impact depends on the financial support of companies like McDonald’s, which sees the program not just as a way of giving back to the community but as a strategic way of developing and acquiring talent. Our partnerships with other organizations, like Walmart and Goodwill, are also opening doors for the American workforce. If you represent an organization that wants to contribute to the development of our workforce – public or private, please reach out to me to find ways that we can work together to take on this challenge.
Finally, we must understand that our goal isn’t simply to provide learners with a diploma or credential but to give them the confidence they need to persist – and to realize that the career and life they want is still within their reach. For programs like Detroit Collective Impact to be successful, they must incorporate a holistic understanding of what it’s like for adults to continue their education.
If we want to remain competitive as a country, we need to develop more pathways to education opportunities for learners of all ages and backgrounds. By working together, we can make the economic recovery a reality for everyone.