2019 Annual Conference

Workforce Development, Continuing Education, and Professional Development

Roundtable (45 minutes)

The need to prepare new workers to fill talent gaps provides opportunity for workforce development strategies emphasizing outreach for underserved communities.  This presentation discusses Cleveland State University’s new strategic plan for the Division of Continuing Education that holds economic inclusion and equal access to competency-based education as its guiding principles.

University Continuing Education (CE) programs are an essential keystone in the field of adult and continuing education, and CE programs in partnership with urban communities and local organizations can provide avenues to develop lifelong learning networks.  The targeted audience for this session are those who are planning or leading university CE programs,  those who teach in CE/workforce development programs, community organizations who partner with university or other CE programs, and others who are interested in learning more about university partnerships that support CE programs.

Our session will describe the development of a new model for continuing education in urban communities. Through the presentation and discussion of our experiences planning, leading, and facilitating an urban-serving, public research university’s Continuing Education program, participants will learn the value of such programs to all stakeholders (i.e. students, faculty, urban communities, local organizations, institutions), as well as gaining an understanding of the current challenges facing public urban universities.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the number of workers leaving jobs voluntarily increased to 3.58 million in the month of July of 2018, creating talent shortages that could do serious harm to the strategic imperatives of regional, national and international businesses.

Minority and underemployed adults have not participated in continuing education and workforce development training at the same rate as other groups, which leaves this population unprepared to compete for positions in high-wage, high-growth fields that would positively influence their financial well-being.

The need to train and prepare new workers in large numbers to fill the talent gap provides opportunity for workforce development strategies emphasizing outreach and training for underserved communities, in partnership with community organizations and business sector stakeholders.

This presentation discusses Cleveland State University’s new strategic plan for the Division of Continuing Education that holds economic inclusion and equal access to competency-based education as guiding principles.  We will include in our discussion the neo-liberal policies as a deficit model that have allowed some to achieve in economic security while excluding others, continuing education models and theories, and university partnerships to promote lifelong learning in urban communities.

Our session will be facilitated by faculty members and administrators from Cleveland State University to allow multiple insights into the continuing education efforts and community partnerships that support lifelong learning and encourage the development of learning networks in urban communities.  We will provide session objectives and intended outcomes to participants, discuss Cleveland State University’s Continuing Education program, and facilitate discussion with participants about their own continuing education experiences.  Through sharing methods and experiences, participants and presenters will learn together and begin to develop new models for continuing education in their universities and communities.