Office of Workforce Development

Finish Your Future Webinar

Advisory Board for Office of Workforce Development
Finish for your Future
, Webinar sponsored by Ohio Department of Higher Education
Thursday, December 13, 2018

Finish for your Future Initiative

Brett Visger, Associate Vice Chancellor, Institutional Collaboration & Completion, Ohio Department of Higher Education, facilitated the state-wide webinar introducing the Ohio Department of Higher Educations’ new initiative, Finish for your Future.  This initiative partners the Ohio Department of Higher Education and Ohio’s public postsecondary institutions with the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL).  

The attached Power point details the basis for the initiative and stresses its importance.  This initiative advances the state of Ohio’s efforts with adults students outlined in the 8th Condition of Higher Education in Ohio entitled, Student Success for Adult Learner, released in 2015. This report underscores the need for Ohio to increase the educational attainment of its adult population to meet its Big Goal 2025 of having 65% of Ohioans holdings a degree or credential (Lumina, 2009).

The ODHE (2018) states that ‘he intent of the webinar is to invite participation in the Finish for your Future initiative.  With support from Lumina Foundation and ODHE, Finish for Your Future provides an opportunity to build upon established initiatives and create a strategic framework to advance improvement of adult learner outcomes. It will utilize three major components: Engagement; Strategic Communication; and Capacity-Building.’

  • Engagement Phase is intended to purposefully launch Finish for Your Future; this would involve a convening in late 2018/early 2019 to launch the initiative by bringing together stakeholders and public institutions in Ohio to establish our goal, raise awareness of the importance of purposefully serving adults, promote successful models, and engage institutions in self-assessment in their capacity to serve adults. 
    • AL 360 - Interested institutions will be asked to invest approximately $7000 for the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning’s (CAEL) AL 360 self-assessment. 
    • Short-Term Certificate - $300,000 of the short-term certificate funding to support adults in short-term certificates will be disbursed among the institutions that participate in the AL 360 process.
    • Adult Learner Working Group – ODHE will convene a stakeholder group that is charged with identifying policy and institutional practice opportunities that can be expanded to better support adult learners.
  • Capacity-Building Phase will be a pilot process that works with five public postsecondary institutions or regional collaborative partnerships. Five Capacity-Building grantees will receive a $50,000 grant that builds on a strength or addresses a capacity gap.
    • Short-Term Certificate - $200,000 of the short-term certificate funding to support adults in short-term certificates will be disbursed among the five institutions receiving capacity-building grants.
    • College Now Adult Engagement - Collaboration with College Now Greater Cleveland will include an emphasis on re-enrolling adult students; College Now has a model program that has led to re-engagement of 7% of targeted adults, a 5% gain from historic re-engagement of the program’s partner institution.
    • Equity Training - The five pilot sites will be required to send teams to participate in an equity forum and training; the purpose of this forum will be to engage institutional representatives in equity issues to improve outcomes.
  • Strategic Communication Phase requires the development of collateral and messaging that can be promoted statewide; messaging would be targeted and strive to serve two purposes: 1) Increase the awareness of the importance of adults returning to earn postsecondary credentials; and 2) Reach adults who would be ideal to pursue postsecondary credentials.  ODHE will work with communications consultants
    • Paid Media - To reach prospective adult students, ODHE will develop collateral targeted to the population that can be branded by postsecondary partners for distribution through organic and paid social media.
    • Earned Media - To increase public awareness of the importance of adults returning to earn postsecondary credentials, ODHE will rely on a concerted earned media strategy that would focus on social media, editorial board outreach, op-eds, and features.
    • Adult Learner Working Group – ODHE will convene a stakeholder group that is charged with identifying policy and institutional practice opportunities that can be expanded to better support adult learners.

Provost Hsu has approved the University’s participation in the CAEL survey.  The Letter of Intent was sent to the Ohio Department of Higher Education on Tuesday, December 18, 2018.  The University will have representation at the January 25, 2019 meeting in Columbus on the RFP process.

Questions about the Finish for your Future initiative and/or the University’s initial involvement can be directed to Dr. Barbara Kopp Miller, Dean, University College, and Chair, Advisory Board for the Office of Workforce Development.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ The ODHE (2018) defines a technical certificate as follows:

  • One Year Technical Certificate/ Technical Certificate: Certificates awarded by a post-secondary institution for the completion of an organized program of study in at least 30 semester credit hours or 900 clock hours, with the majority of the coursework completed in a prescribed technical area. While the certificates are designed to have value a part from a degree, these certificates should serve as building blocks to an associate degree. The technical certificate is designed for an occupation or specific employment opportunities. These certificates should prepare students for a valid occupational license or third-party industry certification, if available, related to the field of study.

  • Less Than One Year Technical Certificate/ Short-Term Technical Certificate:  Certificates awarded by a post-secondary institution for the completion of an organized program of study in less than 30 semester credit hours or less than 900 clock hours that are designed for an occupation or specific employment opportunities. These certificates should prepare students for a valid occupational license or third-party industry certification, if available, related to the field of study. (OHDE website, 2018)
Last Updated: 10/27/22