CHAPTER 17
What Do We Know About Programs to Support Lifelong Learning?
Michelle LaPointe and Jason Wingard
There is a constant refrain in all the lifelong learning programs profiled in this book: learning is dynamic and important at all stages of life and career. Within this refrain, there are myriad variations. There are both “first chance” programs intended to get young people off on a solid path in education or career, and “second chance” programs to support those who have had challenges meeting their education and training goals. Other programs target working adults to help them deepen their skills and progress on their career path.
Organizations invest in lifelong learning with a variety of goals: mentoring and leadership training for young men so they can successfully finish high school and college; employers creating programs to develop their employees’ careers; businesses supporting workforce development in their communities; as well as more traditional professional and graduate education. Across the programs, there are a few attributes that stand out as possible predictors of success. These include partnering between organizations; designating an organization to coordinate the learning program; fostering “soft” skills such as communication and collaboration; and creating learner-centric opportunities, often leveraging new technologies to individualize education.
Partnerships Strengthen Lifelong Learning
With few exceptions, these exemplary programs partner with another organization to provide a high-quality learning experience. Three very different examples come from the National Football League (NFL) Player Engagement Program, Middlesex Community College, and JP Morgan Chase’s partnership with both Syracuse University and the University of Delaware. The NFL works with universities on such projects such as leadership training at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, and secures workplace internships for players through partnerships with Microsoft, Merrill Lynch, and Cisco. Middlesex Community College partners with local universities to provide a pathway from an associate’s degree to a bachelor’s degree, and works closely with local employers to ensure that graduates with career credentials are trained to meet today’s work demands. JP Morgan Chase approached several universities to address a need for new hires with the ability to apply their technical computer skills in a large financial institution. The partnership is relational, rather than transactional, and the company, the universities, and the students have benefited from the collaboration.
These multi-sector collaborations are necessary to provide universal education and training aligned with the dynamic pace of life and work in the 21st century. Employer-provided on-the-job training can come too late or lack the depth needed to master the skills and to adapt them in new settings. Employers rely on a strong formal education system to provide employees with problem-solving skills, content knowledge, and communication skills that provide a foundation for a career. To develop those skills, education providers must offer authentic, hands-on experiences where students can apply knowledge, but these experiences can be difficult to simulate within the confines of a classroom. Educational organizations need the participation of business and community organizations that can provide real-world settings for applied learning opportunities. At all stages of life and career, organizational collaborations foster the context for dynamic, adaptive learning.
Role of Coordinating Agencies
For adult learners seeking to upgrade their job skills, it is essential that education providers work with employers to determine what skills, scenarios, and traits are critical in today’s work environment. These partnerships address complex needs, and they benefit from an additional partner to help coordinate and align programs between schools and employers. Coordinating agencies maximize the benefit to the partners by serving as a bridge in the process from formal development, to on-the-job readiness, to redevelopment. Together, the three types of organizations provide stability in a system of lifelong learning that we described in the Preface (Exhibit 17-1).
The Northern Tier Industry and Education Consortium (NTIEC), discussed in Chapter 14, is a strong example of how an intermediate organization can coordinate lifelong learning in a local economic region. The industry and education leaders who created the consortium realized that they did not have the time to devote to establishing a high-quality school-to-career program. They incorporated a separate organization, largely staffed with retirees from both the industry and the education sectors, to coordinate programing. The consortium works with employers to create opportunities for youths living in the region to learn skills that are aligned with careers available locally, and coordinates with schools to connect both students and teachers with these opportunities.
At the state level, the North Carolina Community College System, discussed in Section IV’s Executive Perspective, was created to support the state’s economic development policy. North Carolina provides job training at no cost to employers who are creating at least 12 new jobs or are upgrading facilities within the state. Local colleges find that this initial investment by the community college system develops into partnerships with employers. The employers realize they have an ally in maintaining a skilled workforce. The colleges often receive donations from their business partners, for example to upgrade training equipment. The North Carolina Community College System is a strong intermediate organization that fosters close partnerships between individual community colleges and local businesses.
On a national level, the Carnegie Center for the Advancement of Teaching, discussed in Chapter 12, recognized the need for a coordinating organization to foster collaboration and to share best practices among community colleges. As this work was well aligned with the organization’s existing mission, the center assumed the role of an intermediary organization. The Carnegie Community College Pathways program created a national network to enhance the remedial education programs available at community colleges to help learners access both post-secondary education degree programs and industry credentials.
In the United States federal investments in career development have been limited, but there notable examples from other countries. In Switzerland, a federal agency plays the coordinating role between industry and education institutions as they work together to educate and train citizens. The Swiss example that was discussed in Chapter 16 focuses on tertiary (post-secondary) education, but the highlighted programs and policies are part of an aligned system that provides work-based learning for students beginning in secondary schools and continuing through graduate professional education programs. Within a free-market economy and a federal republic, the Swiss Professional and Vocational Education and Training system facilitates the participating of federal and state-level governments with myriad employers to combine classroom and practical learning opportunities for students at every stage of life.1 In the United States, Jobs for the Future, discussed in Chapter 15, serves as a coordinating agency as it helps high schools and districts in the United States adapt career development partnership models that are common in Europe.
These coordinating agencies represent a range of organizations, focusing on different stages of life and levels of governance. Coordinating agencies are also important within an organization: Boeing created a separate office to coordinate the Business Career Foundation Program, discussed in Chapter 9. In contrast, an external agency like NTIEC is important in focusing several employers and education providers on regional efforts within a state. Nonprofit organizations can develop a national network to develop a community of practice or provide technical assistance to support local school–employer partnerships. Governmental organizations can accredit and monitor university-based credentialing systems that are aligned with professional standards. They may target “first-chance” programs for youths, remedial education, or professional credentialing. The point is that these intermediate coordinating agencies serve the goals of the lifelong learning partnership and take a variety of forms based on the needs of the system of learning.
Focus on “Soft” Skills
While some programs prioritize cutting-edge technical skills, it is increasingly common that programs seek to instill “soft” skills such as collaboration, communication, and leadership. This is highlighted in very different leadership development programs. In New York City, the JP Morgan Chase Foundation, as discussed in Chapter 3, provides mentoring and academic support for high school boys and monitors their social-emotional development. In Britain, the University of Liverpool, as discussed in Chapter 6, offers an online master’s in business administration program that instills not just an understanding of different leadership styles but when each may be appropriate. The Africa-America Institute’s Transformative Leadership Program, as discussed in Chapter 13, fosters collaborative leadership skills to enhance participants’ ability to work within their communities.
The World Economic Forum’s fellowship program, as discussed in Chapter 4, develops each Fellow’s self-awareness and systemic awareness. Boeing’s Business Career Foundation Program (BCFP), as discussed in Chapter 9, develops leadership and a leadership pipeline by fostering relationships in which program participants can both learn from their mentors, who are leaders within the company, and develop leadership skills by serving as mentors to summer interns. In addition, the Urban League’s Urban Youth Empowerment Program, as discussed in Chapter 11, helps young adults gain the interpersonal skills and formative work experiences that shape attitudes toward work and personal development. The knowledge economy, ironically, places less emphasis on content knowledge alone and more on the ability to apply and communicate knowledge.
Technology Expands Access to Lifelong Learning
Finally, we presented programs that leverage technology to allow participants to individualize their learning experience. This is particularly true for online programs, such as the MBA at the University of Liverpool, as discussed in Chapter 6, which provide the freedom to fit coursework into a busy life. A more hybrid example is the Joint Council on Thoracic Surgery Education’s online course to support residents learning thoracic surgery, as discussed in Section II’s Executive Perspective. In the past, resident education depended heavily on memorization and lectures.
While content knowledge is still vital—surgeons don’t have the luxury of stopping an operation to look up information—this new model expects residents to cover the material on their own time and at their own pace. Face-to-face sessions with faculty are devoted to applying knowledge or targeting support to better understand a complicated topic or procedure, rather than the lectures and PowerPoint presentations that have been a staple of resident education.
Factors for Success
In addition to these organizational factors, we observed several external factors that influence success. These include industry standards that define professional qualifications, creative ways to resource programs, and the importance of tailoring programs to community context. These external factors play out in different ways in each of the programs profiled.
In Switzerland (indeed, across Europe) there are professional credentials for most industries, created by employers in conjunction with education and training institutions. This model is echoed in the new model for a thoracic surgery residency: medical schools are working closely not only with the professional associations of surgeons but also with anesthesiologists and the medical device industry to ensure that resident education includes the latest techniques and information about medication technology. In Massachusetts, Middlesex Community College, as discussed in Chapter 5, has a long history of working with employers to remain relevant in the local economy. These partnerships help their students complete industry certifications while they earn college credit.
Sustainable programs find creative ways to finance their work. The programs presented in this book are funded in a variety of ways: some rely on grant writing, others are developed and directly funded by the sponsoring employer, and still others receive funding from all the partners participating in the program. Boeing’s BCFP, as an internal company program, is fully funded by Boeing. The Fellowship Initiative, fully funded by JPMorgan Chase, is an outlier. Program leaders acknowledge that without that support, they would not be able to maintain all aspects of the high-quality youth development program. In most cases, program funding is short-term and requires combining several sources of support. For example, the Joint Council on Thoracic Surgery Education is funded primarily by thoracic surgery associations but also receives in-kind contributions from the participating medical schools and raises additional money from industry. In North Carolina, the state legislature has made it easier for the community college system to combine grant funding both within the higher education system and with the state’s Department of Commerce to share resources and to better align workforce development initiatives. The NTIEC also has multiple sources of funding. The consortium receives contributions from members, and employers provide pay for participating youth apprentices. In addition, NTIEC relies heavily on fluctuating state and federal grants. But cobbling together funding can be a tenuous way to support programming.
Finally, each lifelong learning and workforce development program is shaped by its community context. NTIEC is the most obvious—the consortium was designed to develop the workforce in a rural part of northeastern Pennsylvania. Aramark, discussed in Chapter 8, also designed its workforce development program to meet the needs of various communities where it does business. Several JPMorgan Chase offices are near the University of Delaware. This proximity has increased the number of Chase employees volunteering at the university and increased collaboration and cross-pollination of ideas between the organizations and across disciplines at the university. Conversely, the Joint Council for Thoracic Surgery Education is shaped by its professional community, working closely with medical schools, professional medical societies, and cardiac device makers.
Lessons Learned from Effective Lifelong Learning Programs
Each of the programs described in this book is a complex endeavor that enhances benefits including the participation of multiple partner organizations, engaged stakeholders, and a deep understanding of the needs of stakeholders. Given the length of the development continuum and the complexity of skill needs, a multi-partner approach is important for providing high-quality, universal, lifelong education and training. In addition, as discussed in the chapter about the JPMorgan Chase university partnership, it is important for an effective partnership to develop a “relational, rather than transactional . . . partnership.” Partnerships should focus on common goals and seek to make each task a win-win. Partnerships must be structured and transparent. They should also establish collaborative relationships early on so that when issues arise everyone is comfortable with discussing problems and concerns, and developing collaborative solutions. Finally, it is important to invest early to provide a foundation that provides opportunities and allows both individuals and employers to plan and implement strategies for success.
Support of Stakeholders
Partners need the support of internal and external stakeholders. Sustainable programs have allies at all levels of each partner organization as well as in the community. Engaging stakeholders is part of the ongoing work to continue to leverage resources from multiple sources. The Joint Council on Thoracic Surgery Education, for example, has designated both program leaders and subcommittees to engage faculty at other medical schools. Businesses must also be aware of the need to engage internal and external stakeholders and be willing to use their brand to further the lifelong learning initiative. For example, United Technologies Corporation (UTC), discussed in Section III’s Executive Perspective, has created a culture that supports education at all levels. Without this organization-wide commitment, it would be difficult for individual employees to take advantage of paid time off to study or attend classes. In another example, staff at the Fellowship Initiative is thankful that JPMorgan Chase is willing to use the reputation of the organization to garner and solidify support for the youth leadership development program.
Learner-Centric Education
Education and training must become more learner-centric, which, with today’s technological advances and online programs, is easier to achieve than in the past. For example, educational providers have a variety of instructional methodologies from which to choose. With today’s diverse populations of learners and varied learning styles, there is a need to tailor programs both in content and instructional approaches. UTC is aware of this need, and allows employees to select their own degree program, even if it does not appear connected to their job. The company understands that pursuing an education will generally expand skills and develop competency. For example, some learners are likely to benefit from on-the-job training or classroom training, while others find online learning more feasible. In addition, given the importance of “soft” skills, educators should be careful to look beyond grade point average (GPA) or academic achievement; it is equally important to pay attention to leadership skills, the ability to collaborate, and the ability to adapt to dynamic situations. Mentors and advisors should monitor the holistic needs of the learner and not just progress through the program, especially with youths who may be negotiating this type of educational experience for the first time or those seeking a second chance at education or job training.
Understanding the Needs of Learners and the Community
Another lesson from these successful programs is the importance of developing a deep understanding of the target population or community. It is important to undertake a comprehensive needs assessment before developing a program to support lifelong learning and workforce development in a particular community. The community might include the population of the local region or, in the thoracic surgery example, the professional community. It is equally important to evaluate the program regularly, to identify and resolve challenges. In addition, the program partners should periodically reassess community needs in order to ensure that the program is still relevant.
Invest Early
Finally, while it is important to have “second chance” programs available, “first chance” programs can make a difference and shape an individual’s entire career. These programs, targeted to youths beginning their working life, are often less expensive, because the return on investment is high, and they mitigate the need for additional services, such as remedial education and case management for individuals who may be under the jurisdiction of the courts, and reduce the need for public assistance since people are likely to have more stable employment at an earlier life stage. The United States has limited investment in “first chance” workforce development programs; most federal initiatives are targeted to the unemployed, rather than to helping people develop skills relevant in the economy and connecting youths with early work opportunities.
This book highlighted several “first chance” programs: NTIEC’s youth apprenticeship, Jobs for the Future’s Vocation Education and Training programs, JP Morgan Chase’s partnership with universities, and Boeing’s Business Career Foundation Program. Each of these programs recruits youths finishing school (whether high school or college) and gives them authentic experiences designed to prepare them for a career with the sponsoring employer. The return on investment for these employers has been high, and participant satisfaction is reflected in the early productivity and long tenures of program participants with these companies.
Note
1. For more information, see European Commission’s Advisory Council for Vocational Training, 2013. Best Practices in Vocational Education and Training: Switzerland http://ec.europa.eu/education/opportunities/vocational/documents/swiss_en.pdf.