Many American adults without degrees are realizing a need to get additional education to advance their careers in the competitive market place, a new Strada Education Network report revealed.
Strada surveyed nearly 350,000 adults ages 18-65 across all education and work backgrounds and compiled the findings into the report, “Back to School? What Adults Without Degrees Say About Pursuing Additional Education and Training.”
About 33 percent of adults showed interest in participating in additional education and training from employers followed by community colleges, trade schools or programs and four-year colleges and universities.
Overall 46 percent of American adults without degrees especially those who have not finished high school or earned a GED diploma say that they need additional education to make advancement in their careers
“Despite enormous effort at both the state and federal level to boost postsecondary attainment, policymakers and practitioners have had too little insight into what actually motivates individuals to pursue additional education,” Carol D’Amico, Executive Vice President of Mission Advancement and Philanthropy at Strada Education Network said.
Adults aged between 18-24 are more inclined to get additional education than those aged 55-64. The need for additional education also varies from state to state. For instance, 57 percent of adults without degrees in California reported a need for additional education while in states like Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota, the number comes down to 33 percent.
David Clayton, Senior Vice President of Consumer Insights at Strada called for policy measures and training model that are in accordance with the requirements demographics, location, and prior educational experience of adults.