FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education has released a statewide plan aimed at removing barriers preventing adults from returning to college or enrolling for the first time.
Kentucky has one of the nation's lowest workforce participation rates and a big factor is the skills gap among working-age people, CPE President Aaron Thompson said.
The plan unveiled Monday focuses on accessibility, institutional change and partnerships.
To increase adult accessibility to higher education, the plan calls for a one-stop student information portal with adult-learner information, including available financial aid. The plan proposes expanding financial assistance and simplifying admissions.
Higher education programs are mostly designed around the needs, schedules and resources of traditional-age students entering from high school, the plan said. Adult learners need more flexibility and options from higher education institutions, it said.
Also, higher education programs need to engage employers to ease transitions into and out of the workforce for adult learners attending college, it said.
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