Module Six: Delivering Instruction Responsive to Identified Needs
Understanding the Basics of Bridge Programs….
Increasingly, jobs that pay more than subsistence wages and offer opportunities for career advancement require at least some training beyond high school, even at the entry level. Many already in the workforce or joining the workforce lack the basic skills to succeed in post secondary education and training without a safety net of support.
Bridge training programs prepare adults who lack adequate basic skills to enter and succeed in post secondary education and training, which in turn lead to employment and career path opportunities. Designed to enable learners to advance both to better jobs and to further education and training, bridge programs are suited for adults who have reading and math skills below the ninth grade level and for individuals with limited English proficiency. These individuals often lack a high school diploma or GED as well.
Bridge training programs can be designed for individuals/groups who have generally not been successful in traditional education settings or have been out of school for some time. These include:
Key Features of Successful Bridge Programs
Successful bridge programs are offered through partnerships that can involve both credit and non-credit divisions within colleges, adult education providers, employers, one-stop career centers, and social service and community agencies - all actively cooperating to recruit and provide the support students need to advance to post secondary education, training and career path employment.
Unfortunately, few existing education and workforce development initiatives ensure a continuum of services leading to both job advancement and further education. Incongruent public policies regarding eligibility and funding often inadvertently result in gaps in services, creating additional barriers for adults in low wage jobs as well as first generation college students. But existing programs can often be reconfigured to ensure the critical connections, provided partners are committed to helping these individuals realize their economic, career, and education potential. Current, healthy dialogue among partners could result in one of several scenarios. For example:
Workforce-related bridge programs are unique in that each is developed for a specific target population and invested employers, and generally involve adapting already existing program elements. Bridge programs fall into two categories:
Lower level programs are generally designed for English language learners at the low intermediate ESL level (as defined by the National Reporting System) or for native English speakers functioning at fifth to sixth grade reading levels. Although participants may be far from qualifying for career path employment or post secondary education and training, the bridge experience encourages them to begin exploring post secondary and career opportunities. Programs emphasize basic skills reading, communication, and applied math in contexts such as customer service, computer operations, and job-specific skills that will improve learners’ job prospects. Like VESL (vocational ESL) or VABE (vocational adult basic education), bridge programs focus on skills needed for specific jobs, aim to improve learners’ job prospects, increase career awareness, and provide a foundation for continued education and training. Some lower level bridge programs target a specific career in a particular industry sector. The variations enable local providers to match the needs of the groups being served.
Higher level programs can be offered by post secondary education/training providers in the workplace when occupational training and workplace literacy funds are linked to develop programs for advancing employees within a company.
Higher level bridge programs most often prepare participants for community college occupational certificates and degree programs. In most cases, they are developed to connect students to post secondary credit programs as quickly as possible, enabling them to draw on student financial aid and to access career path employment.
Lower and higher level bridge programs can be linked to enable individuals to complete one level and advance to the next. Some lower level bridge programs are designed as “feeder programs” for high tech manufacturing and skilled trades education and training.
Additional Information about Bridge Programs…
Bridges to Careers for Low Skilled Adults: A Program Development Guide (2005) from Women Employed describes models for lower and higher level bridge programs, offers suggestions for designing programs, building bridge partnerships, building and sustaining employer relationships, developing curricula, and identifying costs and funding options for core components of bridge programs. Also included is a profile of career pathways vocational training for non-native English speakers. A CD-ROM of the program curricula (healthcare, institutional food services, direct care, office skills, high tech manufacturing, and welding) can be requested for a shipping and handling fee. The website http://www.womenemployed.org links the reader to this valuable resource.
Another promising effort is that of Washington State’s adult and post secondary education providers. The I-BEST (Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training) brings adult basic education and post secondary technical skills training together. “Integrated” here means that the curriculum addresses both skills sets, and at least 50% of class time involves both teachers in the room working with students.
Texas LEARNS continues to review bridge program initiatives launched successfully by other states. In addition, the Texas Education Agency and Texas LEARNS are actively engaged in the statewide P-16 dialogue being lead by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, which focuses on fostering a culture that supports learners’ successful transition into post secondary education and training.