Shifting Gears: State Innovation to Advance Adult Workers and the Economy in the Midwest

Jul 08, 2010  |  Julie Strawn

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Our country’s shift from an industrial-based economy to a knowledge-based one requires more and more workers to have at least some postsecondary education beyond high school to obtain stable employment and a family-supporting job. Currently, many Americans lack the skills and credentials to compete for these skilled jobs and know they need to pursue postsecondary education. This is especially pronounced in the Midwest, where local economies have undergone wrenching transitions that have left lower-skilled workers behind.

Through Shifting Gears, The Joyce Foundation is supporting the work of five Midwest states that are developing and scaling up innovative programs in adult education, workforce development, and postsecondary education to increase the number of low-skilled workers with a postsecondary credential. In this report, read about how Shifting Gears states (Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin) are supporting innovative educational models and addressing barriers to completion for lower-skilled adults. The report also includes program details and outcomes from local Shifting Gears pilot sites in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin.