American education is witnessing the perfect storm. The economy is stalled. Americans are out of work. Most of the jobs that are available require college degrees, and college degrees cost money.
Financial aid opportunities do exist, but these are largely earmarked for “traditional” high school graduates, in other words: 18 year-olds. Meanwhile, 150 million adults over the age of 24 do not have a college degree. That number equals half of the country’s total population.
The solution? Educate. Empower. Employ. That’s the mantra behind eLearners’ Career Stimulus Package, which was created to address the lack of resources available to undereducated adults. Specifically, the Package will award scholarships and internships to Americans who’ve been hit hardest by the current recession. Indirectly, the effort aims to expose an educational climate that hasn’t caught pace with the rest of our society.
Educate
In the 1900’s, students were bound to a strict social clock. College was viewed as a milestone, a marker of adulthood, and it was intended to fit the narrow window between high school and marriage. Decades later, the American way of life has dramatically evolved. We are citizens of an age that is, at once, freer and more complex. Our cues to marry, or to start a family, are no longer rigidly prescribed.
What’s more, today’s careers are not the careers our grandfathers knew. Whole industries have gone extinct, while brand new technologies continue to change the workforce landscape. Life spans have increased. Career change at age 40 or 50 is not uncommon. And yet, that narrow space for a college education remains rigid in its availability. Students who bypass college at age 18 are hard-pressed to reclaim the opportunity at age 25, 35 or beyond.
With over 100 full-ride scholarships to offer, the Career Stimulus Package will give 100 Americans – students in their 20’s, 30’s, 40’s and 50’s –a chance to reclaim the college opportunity.
Empower
Not long ago, the United States led the world in postsecondary credentials. Today, the U.S. has fallen to 20th place. As college costs mount, and nontraditional students struggle to balance grades, work and home life, it’s little wonder that so many adult students fail to complete their degrees, or give up before even trying.
In order to reclaim a top spot among the international elite, American higher education needs to follow the example of other successful industries. Nearly every major sector has incorporated technology – via streamlined operations or digital capacity – to counteract inflation’s toll on salaries and raw material costs. Higher education, on the other hand, maintains its old, unwieldy model. Traditional colleges continue to up their price tags, and to elude most American adults.
Online education is uniquely suited to help bridge the gap between undereducated Americans and college accessibility. In the online sector, students can learn from home, without generating construction costs for larger classrooms or bigger parking lots. eLearners’ Career Stimulus Package aims to highlight this potential, and encourage more American employers to support distance learning degrees.
Employ
Degrees are important, but they aren’t enough. Securing a stable, well-paying job requires poise, confidence, and most importantly – experience. Traditional college graduates may have the time it takes to test drive a few jobs before settling down, but underemployed adults – with families and mortgages – need immediate prospects.
Accordingly, the Career Stimulus Package is matching every scholarship award with a relevant internship experience. Thanks to the participation of several major corporate sponsors, CSP recipients will benefit from college studies and hands on learning. The soft skills and networking opportunities they gain will bolster their employability and set the stage for long-term job security.
More expressly, eLearners hopes that government, corporate America, and individual citizens will begin to revision the space we can create for higher education. With combined effort, Americans can untangle college’s logistical impossibilities, lower its costs, and broaden its reach.
Elizabeth O'Neill is earning an MFA in Creative Writing. She is a contributing writer at eLearners.com and GradSchools.com.
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