When it comes to promoting social mobility for adult learners, technology is both a challenge and a solution. The Adult Learning Initiative explores the impact of digital tools and technologies on working-age adults today. We bring together researchers, learning providers, industry partners, and adult learners to reduce inequities, build stronger networks, and close the digital skills gap. We work to prioritize the inclusion of people who are most often excluded from education and career advancement opportunities.
Our Strategy
The Adult Learning Initiative develops projects in three key areas:
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- Leading and promoting equity-first research informed by, inclusive of, and relevant to the full spectrum of adult learners and workers.
- Creating and collaborating in networks of educators and industry leaders with shared goals and values.
- Expanding equitable access to the digital skills, tools, and credentials needed to succeed.
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The Adult Learning Initiative was launched with the Beacon Project, bringing together a network of programs using technology in powerful ways to support adult education and workforce development.
We expanded the Beacon Project network, and identified key challenges in adult learning, such as the digital skills gap and lack of coordination across stakeholders.
We partnered with Facebook to develop social media marketing training and micro-credentials, working with 39 providers to train approximately 3,000 learners.
We launched Tapping Data for Frontline Talent Development to outline the use of data and collaboration across the adult learning ecosystem serving frontline workers.
We published Building Networks for Frontline Advancement to promote actionable strategies for a more collaborative, data-driven, and worker-centered adult learning ecosystem.
In partnership with the Learner Variability Project, we released the Adult Learner Model, a research-based whole learner framework to support adult learning. We also launched a new research project to explore the impact of micro-credentials on social mobility for BIPOC rural learners.
