How States and Localities are Improving Employment Outcomes for Reentering Young Adults: The Center for American Progress (CAP) recently published a report highlighting how states and localities are improving employment outcomes for justice-involved 18-to-24-year old individuals. Researchers discovered that one in five young adults reported not being able to find employment within their first year of release from incarceration, while those who do find a job report working fewer weeks per year than their non-incarcerated peers.
The report notes that legal reforms aimed at improving post-incarceration outcomes have historically only applied to individuals younger than 18, leaving others in limbo. Researchers highlighted the following practices emerging across the country to support reentering young adults:
- Increasing access to identification forms so reentering young adults can secure resources like housing, public benefits, employment and banking access.
- Increasing access to the social safety net to help reentering young adults secure basic economic needs and transition toward stability.
- Investing in career exploration and workforce development programs dedicated to young adults who often do not have previous work experience or training.
- Reforming restrictive employment laws that limit access to work for young adults due to their criminal record.
The report also recommends holistic support for justice-involved young adults at all stages of the process to help them better reach their goals and build stronger communities.
Understanding the Link Between Dual Enrollment Course Characteristics and Students’ Postsecondary Enrollment Outcomes: The Community College Research Center at Columbia University (CCRC) recently published a report examining dual enrollment (DE) course participation and outcomes among recent high school students to offer policymakers, administrators and practitioners insights for the design and development of these courses. The report reinforced the importance of CTE’s effects on student outcomes, finding that individuals who participate in CTE-DE courses have an increased probability of high school graduation and postsecondary enrollment.
Researchers also found the following about the student characteristics and outcomes of CTE-DE courses:
- CTE-DE courses serve more Black and Hispanic students and individuals from low-income backgrounds than academic DE courses.
- Learners who take CTE-DE courses at a postsecondary campus are more likely to enroll in a public two-year institution upon graduation.
- Larger CTE-DE class sizes and higher credit CTE-DE classes negatively predict student outcomes.
- Taking a CTE-DE course with an instructor who holds a baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate degree increases students’ probability of enrolling in postsecondary education after high school.
Additionally, the report recommends that postsecondary institutions partner more intentionally with high schools to recruit, support and engage DE students and that educational leaders balance short- and long-term outcomes when designing evidence-based practices.
The Impacts of Quality Non-degree Credentials in Preparing Learners for the Workforce: A report recently published by the National Skills Coalition (NSC) encourages state policymakers to invest in quality non-degree credentials (NDC) and shares how NSC researchers have worked with states to define, measure and track credential quality. Researchers reported that large shares of NDC holders are women as well as individuals of color with no other postsecondary credential, reinforcing the importance of ensuring that NDCs are high quality and lead to upward mobility and family-sustaining wages.
The report includes the following recommendations for growing quality credentials:
- Ensure a strong leadership commitment that mandates action and directs resources toward quality assurance and greater cross-system collaboration.
- Engage diverse groups of stakeholders to build buy-in and trust and develop initiatives with an equity lens.
- Invest time and resources into improved data collection, capacity and reporting infrastructure.
- Prioritize funding for individuals pursuing quality NDCs, along with other access and attainment policies that support equitable credential attainment.
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