Science and Technology Adult Education
Continuing Education Programs Designed for Nontraditional Learners
Aug 28, 2009
Science and technology education is targeting more adult learners in education programs to fill an ever increasing gap in the number of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workers. With United States (U.S.) lagging behind other countries in these career fields, states are developing programs in collaboration with colleges to encourage more nontraditional learners enter these continuing education degree programs.
Filling the gaps in the U.S. STEM science and technology education pipeline requires recruitment of more adult learners for these occupations at all levels of postsecondary education. The critical shortage or workers in these industries is primarily due to the large number of current workers reaching retirement age and fewer students in the science, technology, engineering, and math education programs. According to the “Success in STEM Fact Sheet” by Women in Government (2009):
- Only 16 percent of undergraduate degrees in the U.S. are awarded in STEM career fields, compared to 50 percent in China.
- Approximately 50 percent of U.S. undergraduate students in engineering drop out prior to completing the program.
- In 2004, graduates with engineering degrees earned greater starting salaries than any other bachelor degree program graduates.
Adult Programs
Science and technology education is specifically targeting adults who are retired from their first career, seeking pathways to a new career, military veterans, and workers displaced by other career fields. These nontraditional learners have the opportunity to take advantage of these new adult education STEM programs, which include:
Tennessee’s American Veterans to Engineers Program – adult learners attend participating colleges or universities for one term minimum to verify their academic foundation and transfer credits. Participants then complete continuing education STEM engineering programs earning a two-year degree. Then they transfer to the University of Tennessee or Tennessee Technological University to earn a bachelor degree in engineering.
Eastern Connecticut – has established a STEM education program which targets displaced workers from other career fields and young adult workers who do not have the necessary science, math, and technology skills needed for advanced industries. This continuing education program supports and counsels adult learners to successfully complete science, technology, engineering, math degrees.
Alabama’s NEW-STEM Program – targets adult learners with prior military service as non-commissioned officers (E-5 to E-9). Once these nontraditional learners are accepted in the program, they attend the University of Alabama Huntsville and work at the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL. Upon graduation from with a STEM degree, graduates are offered permanent positions at Redstone Arsenal.
Arkansas’s Career Pathways Initiative – the primary goal of Arkansas’s program is to increase the completion rate of adult students enrolled in STEM education programs by developing teaching and learning strategies that better meet the needs of nontraditional learners. Most community colleges, technical schools, colleges and universities in the state participate in the program.
Pennsylvania’s STEM Initiative – this initiative has established of a network of partners and programs designed to improve accessibility of science, technology, engineering, and math education programs for young adult workers and nontraditional students.
Purdue University’s STEM Program – this program is designed to attract and retain adult learners in their STEM education programs. They have developed an advanced support network for a positive learning environment to keep students from dropping out of critical science, technology, engineering, and math degree programs.
These are representative programs developed to fill the critical gaps in the shortage of workers in STEM career fields. One thing that potential nontraditional students must remember is that it is never too late to earn a bachelor or other advanced degree in science, technology, engineering, and math.
Making Connections with Continuing Education Programs
The declining numbers of STEM workers challenge the competitiveness of the U.S. national economy. However, with the increase in state wide initiatives around the country to prepare nontraditional learners in science, technology, engineering, and math education programs there are more opportunities for adults. Effective state policies and adult programs developed to strengthen STEM education programs recognize that a range of higher education learning opportunities is needed from bachelor degrees and beyond to fill critical labor force gaps.
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