New CAEL-Strada Partnership Will Expand Credential Pathways for Working Adults

"This partnership is about increasing equitable access to higher education and careers, increasing completion of credentials, and improving career prospects for underserved populations, including the more than 80 million U.S. adults who have a high school diploma but lack a postsecondary degree," said CAEL President and CEO Pamela Tate. "Our affiliation with Strada will enable us to have even greater impact on our mission to link learning and work for every adult."

As a growing number of employers demand post-secondary credentials as evidence of skills and knowledge required to succeed in today's labor market, access to higher education opportunities has become a top national priority for educators, employers and community leaders alike. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), nearly 40 percent of degree-seeking students are 25 or older.

With a 43-year history of successful partnerships with employers, education institutions, workforce and economic development leaders, CAEL brings deep expertise and unique capacity to support adult and working learners on their path to and through higher education as well as to meet the critical talent needs of employers.

As part of Strada Education Network, CAEL will continue to offer valued solutions and services across the education-to-workforce pipeline, including:

• Employer-Education Partnerships: Providing employers with talent management, career development and education solutions that enable employees to pursue career pathways and educational experiences at the same time.
• Learning in Context: Helping higher education institutions and systems support and graduate adults, veterans and other underserved populations of students.
• New Pathways: Research and advocacy to eliminate barriers to education access and success for all individuals.
• Economic Development: Delivering expert insights that help community leaders drive economic growth by fostering conditions that support a robust and talented workforce.

CAEL will continue to engage the wide range of partners and funders who share CAEL's commitment to these efforts and provide support to make these programs possible.

Through its affiliation with Strada, CAEL will have access to additional research and insights to benefit its work on behalf of members and partners, increased support for innovation and technology-enabled solutions, and enhanced operational capacity through shared administrative services provided by Strada that will help CAEL scale and sustain its mission impact.

"As higher education becomes a prerequisite for success in our dynamic modern economy, addressing the needs of working adults is both a moral and economic imperative," said William D. Hansen, President and CEO of Strada Education Network and former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education. "We welcome CAEL's talented team of experts to our network bringing decades of experience, collaborating with employers, individuals, and communities to unlock the promise of higher education."

ABOUT THE COUNCIL FOR ADULT AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
Founded in 1974, the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) is a national nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization based in Chicago that assists adults with their educational endeavors, finding practical ways to help them earn college credit for learning acquired through life and work experiences toward the completion of a postsecondary degree. CAEL works with the public sector, private sector industries and higher education institutions to ensure that adult students receive the most efficient training and education to occupy a meaningful professional place in a 21st century economy. For more information, visit www.cael.org or follow us on Twitter @CAELNews.

ABOUT STRADA EDUCATION NETWORK
Strada Education Network is a new national nonprofit dedicated to catalyzing more direct and promising pathways between education and employment. Strada engages education, nonprofit, business and government partners to focus relentlessly on students' success throughout all phases of their working lives. Together with its partners, Strada addresses critical postsecondary education and workforce challenges through a combination of strategic philanthropy, research and insights, and mission-aligned member organizations – all focused on advancing the universal right to realized potential, which Strada calls Completion With a Purpose. For more information, visit www.stradaeducation.org and follow us on Twitter @StradaEducation.

SOURCE Strada Education Network