Workforce Development

Implementation Of Accelerating Opportunity

May 1, 2016  • Maureen Conway, Theresa Anderson, Lauren Eyster, Robert I. Lerman, Marcela Montes & Ranita Jain

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Implementation of Accelerating Opportunity is the latest of a series of evaluation reports on the Accelerating Opportunity (AO) initiative.

This final implementation report was published in partnership with the Urban Institute, and documents activities and outcomes for AO states and colleges in Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, and Louisiana. The AO initiative aims to help students with low basic skills earn occupational credentials, obtain well-paying jobs, and sustain rewarding careers. Ingredients for successful implementation included receiving state leadership support, remedying policy barriers, considering college institutional factors, investing in team teaching and contextualized instruction, utilizing partnerships within and outside the colleges, and providing student supports.

These findings may be of particular interest to state policymakers and colleges planning for the implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which provides new opportunities for integrated career pathway development within states and colleges.

We invite all those interested in improving workforce development for low- and moderate-income workers, to download Implementation of Accelerating Opportunity.