| Publications | What Works: BridgeConnect Stories from the Field August 2011 |
Why Bridge Programs? Next: What Is a Bridge Program? Previous: Introduction |
WHY BRIDGE PROGRAMS?
Today’s economy demands that more Americans possess postsecondary credentials. The literature is filled with data calling for a renewed emphasis on having a cadre of “middle skill” workers who attain more than a high school diploma but less than a four-year degree.(1) In fact, some predict that by 2018, two-thirds of the jobs in the American economy will require postsecondary credentialing.(2) At the same time, according to the National Commission on Adult Literacy, 80 million to 90 million adult workers have only low basic skills and are not prepared for 21st-century jobs—they lack a high school degree or its equivalent.(3)
Low-skilled adults represent a huge potential reservoir of workers to meet the workforce needs of employers—almost one-half of our workforce in 2030 will be composed of today’s working adults.(4) To address this need, a new way of educating and training adults is gaining momentum. Over the past decade, bridge programs have emerged and become an attainable first step on the way to career path employment in high-demand, middle- and high-skill occupations.
Individual policy efforts at the federal and state levels have spurred the development of bridge programs. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Vocational and Adult Education and the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration, as well as Illinois, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin, and many other states, have played a key role in advancing this work. The Obama administration’s focus on increasing the number of Americans who attain a postsecondary credential will continue to foster the development of these efforts.
Additionally, private funders such as The Annie E. Casey Foundation, The Ford Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The Joyce Foundation, Lumina Foundation for Education, and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation have been supporting bridge programs over the past decade through funding pilot programs, sharing lessons learned, and advocating for continued program development.
Next: What Is a Bridge Program?
Previous: Introduction