Impact
Lessons Gathered From State Leaders in Adult Education
Objective
To learn about how the new Workforce Pell program will meet the needs of adult learners looking to earn credentials and launch careers in approved career fields.
Approach
We talked with state-level leaders in adult education whose experience with existing workforce programs and with non-traditional students gives them perspective on the promise of Workforce Pell.
Impact
Our interviews point to five priorities for Workforce Pell implementation: cross-agency coordination, pathway design, student navigation, resource alignment, and continuous improvement.
The launch of Workforce Pell represents a major federal investment in short-term workforce training and an opportunity for states to expand access to in-demand careers. Workforce Pell expands Pell Grant eligibility to state-approved short-term workforce credential programs aligned with high-skills, high-wage, or in-demand occupations. Much of the current policy conversation has focused on governance, program approval, accountability, data infrastructure, and labor market alignment. While these issues are critical, state adult education leaders point to a complementary challenge: ensuring that adult learners can successfully navigate pathways, access academic and career guidance, connect with employers, and receive the supports needed to achieve their education and career goals.
Adult education programs have long helped learners build the skills they need to pursue further education, training, and employment. As a result, adult educators bring valuable insight into how Workforce Pell can be implemented in ways that meet learners’ needs. To better understand these perspectives, we interviewed state adult education leaders who are deciding how Workforce Pell will fit within existing workforce programs, partnerships, and pathways. Their experiences offer several lessons for centering learners in implementation decisions.
What We Learned
Engage adult education early in Workforce Pell planning
Adult education programs, as defined under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), already serve many of the learners Workforce Pell is designed to reach, including working adults, low-income learners, English language learners, and individuals who may not identify as traditional college students. Through adult basic education, high school equivalency preparation, English language instruction, and integrated education and training, these programs help learners build the skills needed to transition into postsecondary education, workforce training, and employment.
Interviewees consistently emphasized that this experience gives adult education leaders valuable insight into learner needs and barriers that can inform Workforce Pell implementation and continuous improvement. They also noted that adult education can help align workforce, higher education, and community partners around a shared strategy for serving learners. However, the extent of their engagement with Workforce Pell planning and implementation varies across states. While some states include adult education leaders in formal Workforce Pell committees, others rely on more informal relationships and partnerships. Because WIOA-established Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) oversee workforce strategies and approve Workforce Pell programs, ensuring adult education is represented in WIB discussions and decisions is critical to incorporating learner-centered perspectives into implementation.
Leverage adult education as an important on-ramp to Workforce Pell
Interviewees emphasized that adult education programs can help prepare individuals for Workforce Pell-eligible programs. Bridge programs, integrated education and training, and foundational skills instruction are common adult education strategies that help learners build the academic, digital, and employability skills needed to succeed in accelerated training programs. When connected to Workforce Pell opportunities, these services can help learners enter programs better prepared, increasing their likelihood of completing training, earning credentials, and progressing toward longer-term education and career goals.
Interviewees also emphasized that Workforce Pell should be part of a broader career pathway strategy. Although short-term credentials can help learners quickly gain workforce-relevant skills, most individuals will need additional education and credentials over time to achieve economic mobility and meet evolving workforce demands.
Recognize that Workforce Pell creates opportunity but funding alone will not ensure success
Interviewees emphasized that adult learners often need more than financial aid to complete training and achieve their goals. Many face challenges that extend beyond tuition, such as work schedules, childcare responsibilities, transportation barriers, limited technology access, and uncertainty about career options. Career navigation, advising, and other support services can help learners select the right programs, understand how credentials build on one another, access available resources, and persist through completion. Several interviewees recommended pathway navigators and career coaches as effective ways to help learners succeed.
Coordinate Workforce Pell across existing systems, partners, and funding sources
Interviewees emphasized that Workforce Pell should be integrated into existing education and workforce systems rather than implemented as a stand-alone initiative. While the addition of federal funding may expand access to short-term training, it will not by itself create high-quality programs, align stakeholders, strengthen employer engagement, address data-sharing challenges, or provide the supports learners need to succeed. Several leaders noted that Workforce Pell is being layered onto state workforce strategies, partnerships, and funding streams, making coordination across agencies and organizations essential. Some interviewees also stressed that Workforce Pell expands access to existing Pell Grants rather than creating entirely new funding steams, underscoring the importance of strategically leveraging all available resources. In one state, for example, Workforce Pell is being viewed as a "last-dollar" resource rather than a first option, reflecting a desire to preserve learners' limited Pell Grants when other funding sources can support the same training opportunity. These perspectives suggest that states should focus not only on implementing Workforce Pell but also on how it aligns with broader efforts to expand opportunities for learners while maximizing the value of available resources.
Use data and learner feedback to continuously assess Workforce Pell implementation
Workforce Pell implementation should be viewed as an ongoing learning process. Labor market information and accountability metrics can help identify high-demand programs and measure outcomes, but they provide only part of the picture. Several interviewees stressed the importance of understanding how learners experience programs, including what attracts them to particular opportunities, where they encounter obstacles, and which supports contribute to success.
One state noted that participation data sometimes told a different story than labor market data. For example, although the state’s integrated education and training programs were linked to high-demand occupations, enrollment and attrition patterns suggested they were not fully meeting learner interests or needs. State leaders used these findings to refine program offerings and better align them with learner interests and goals. As Workforce Pell rolls out, states may benefit from adopting similar continuous improvement approaches that combine outcome data with learner feedback to strengthen recruitment, advising, pathway design, and program quality. Stronger learner outcomes across pathway programs may not only better prepare students for Workforce Pell-funded training but also help demonstrate the results needed to support approval and long-term success of Workforce Pell-eligible programs.
Implications for States
The experiences of adult education leaders point to five priorities for Workforce Pell implementation:
- Cross-Agency Coordination: Align workforce, higher education, adult education, labor, and employer partners around shared goals.
- Pathway Design: Ensure Workforce Pell programs connect to broader education and career pathways.
- Student Navigation: Provide the information and guidance learners need to make informed choices.
- Resource Alignment: Coordinate existing programs, funding streams, and support services to support learner success.
- Continuous Improvement: Use data to understand where learners encounter barriers and where pathways can be strengthened.
Workforce Pell has the potential to expand access to career-focused training and strengthen workforce development efforts nationwide. The lessons shared by adult education leaders suggest that success will depend not only on program eligibility and accountability requirements but also on whether learners can access the guidance, services, and supports they need to reach their goals. As implementation moves forward, an important question remains: How do adult learners experience Workforce Pell, and where can states strengthen transitions from interest to enrollment, completion, employment, and continued education? Answering that question can help ensure that Workforce Pell fulfills its promise as a strategy that advances both workforce success and learner success.
Learn More
Our partner organization, COABE, produced Workforce Pell Is Here: What the Field of Adult Education Needs to Know, a webinar offering additional information and examples from the field.
