Phyllis Cummins

Many states are seeking to increase the number of individuals who hold sub-baccalaureate postsecondary certificates in occupational fields. Most postsecondary certificates are awarded by community colleges (CCs), but a number of states have a second system of public sub-baccalaureate institutions that award postsecondary certificates, known as career and technical centers (CTCs). Limited evidence suggests that student completion and employment rates are notably higher in CTCs than in CCs, bu...

Middle-aged and older workers represent nearly half of the U.S. labor force, yet little is known about this population's skill levels and how they interact with education, labor, and other outcomes. In this study, researchers explored associations among older U.S. adults' skill proficiencies (i.e., literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving skills), employment, labor force status, lifelong learning, educational attainment, and cohort effects on these associations. Skill proficiencies and lifelo...

The goal of this exploratory project is to identify malleable factors at the student, instructor/classroom, and institution levels that can lead to improved education and labor market outcomes for older workers. Identifying malleable factors for adult students ages 40 to 64 has the potential to help them remain competitive in the labor market as they seek to upgrade their skills and credentials in response to demands within the increasingly technological and information-based economy. This r...