In the state of Kentucky, there are over 1 million adults without a postsecondary credential. The majority of these learners never enrolled in college, while some started but never finished their education. The state is making efforts to support adult learners to close gaps in the workforce and increase the percentage of the population with a liveable wage. Kentucky is currently in the top 10 for states with high job vacancy rates, and those living in poverty are most commonly those with less than a high school degree. There is a pressing need to increase the number of adults in college, however, this is a number that has displayed a steady decline.
Several factors are stopping adults from enrolling in college. Family obligations, financial hardship, work commitments, and academic readiness are just the start. Additionally, these factors impact older adults harder than those directly out of high school. Despite these roadblocks, adult learner success is essential to Kentucky’s educational attainment goal. To achieve these goals, Kentuckians must buy into the opportunities available to get engaged. Although early in its development, there is promise for these efforts to increase the educated population in the state of Kentucky.
