SUCCESS STORIES
Gary "Buck" Mabry
Manistee
Gary "Buck" Mabry dropped out of school in the 9th grade. He eventually realized he would need to get an education if he wanted to move on with his life and get a skilled profession. Gary earned his GED at the Manistee Adult Education Learning Lab. "Without the Learning Lab I'd still be studying, too afraid to take my GED tests," said Mabry. He plans to get his Associates Degree in Behavioral Science at West Shore Community College and then go on to get his Bachelors Degree so he can become a counselor.
Adult Education Transformation
In 2009 Michigan's Council for Labor and Economic Growth (CLEG), the statewide workforce development board, commissioned a study to determine a forward-moving plan for Adult Education. A workgroup was formed to do the research and determine promising practices. Several focus groups were conducted to learn the effectiveness of Adult Education throughout the state.
The workgroup produced a report, which was presented to CLEG in early 2011. The report indicated that in order to assist Michigan workers in advancing their skills to compete in the global new economy, educational providers must collaborate. Working together, Adult Education providers, colleges, and Michigan Works! can help adult learners to transform their skills and their lives.
Click here to view the CLEG report.
In response to the CLEG report, adult educators were convened to begin the process to put the CLEG report recommendations into action. The adult education proposals can be viewed in the following report.
Click here to view the report: Michigan’s Adult Education System: A Framework for Transormation
The chart below shows the relationship between educational attainment, average annual earnings and unemployment rate.
