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5 Emerging Technology Trends Higher Ed Is Watching for in 2022

Review of five tech trends that are changing the student experience in higher education.
Higher EducationNews ArticleAdult Learners
Technology
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5 New Realities to Know About College Hunger

Five realities about hunger on college campuses, and how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected food security for students.
Higher EducationReportStudent WellnessREAD

A military veteran knows why your employees are leaving

An army veteran shares the lessons she learned about reentry into society after 5 deployments, and what those lessons can teach employers about workers’ attitudes and behavior as they return to work – or not – post pandemic.
Best Practice Ideas
Workforce Development
News ArticleStudent Wellness
Workforce Development
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A New Center to Overcome Old Stigmas

Article about the barriers formerly incarcerated people face in the job market, and recent efforts to support job seekers who have criminal records.
Workforce DevelopmentNews ArticleAdult Learners
Workforce Development
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Advancing Equity through Postsecondary Education Policy and Practice

This report focuses on how considering equity can help institutions of higher education better serve students.
Best Practice IdeasReportDEIDownload

All Learning Counts Webinar

All learning counts webinar with NEBHE, featuring Laurie Ficker from UMA.
Training/Professional DevelopmentVideo/WebinarAdult Learners
Maine News
Watch Here

Apprenticeships are a path forward for Maine

Brief article on what apprenticeships are and how they can help tackle some of Maine’s workforce challenges.
Workforce DevelopmentNews ArticleMaine News
Workforce Development
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Bucknell Study: College Counseling Website LGBTQ+ ‘Friendliness’ Relates to State’s Hate Crime, Nondiscrimination Protections

A new national study by a Bucknell University student and professor has found that college counseling center website “friendliness” to students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or another identity (LGBTQ+) was significantly higher at institutions in states that offered hate crime and employment nondiscrimination protections to LGBTQ+ individuals.
Resource BinderReportDEI
LGBTQ+
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College or short-term credential? First, check your assumptions

This article explores the “false binary” of a college degree vs a short-term credential, explaining the reasons someone may opt for one or the other and the ways the two tracks overlap.
Credentials of Value
Higher Education
News ArticleAdult Learners
Microcredentials
READ

Community College Scholars Share How to Make an Equitable Classroom

Community college instructors share how they have improved their courses to create more equitable classrooms and close the performance gap between white students and students of color.
Best Practice Ideas
Higher Education
News ArticleDEIREAD

Community Colleges Helping Students Cope With Rising Inflation

Article describing ways that community colleges are supporting students struggling with inflation, from food pantries to additional emotional and educational support from professors and staff.
Best Practice Ideas
Higher Education
News ArticleAdult Learners
Student Wellness
READ

Competitive Skills Scholarship Program

The Competitive Skills Scholarship Program (CSSP) provides funding and support services for eligible Maine residents to pursue two and four-year degree programs or employer recognized credentials leading to high-wage, in-demand jobs in Maine.
Resource BinderWebsite/LinkScholarshipsVisit Site

Confronting Racism in Admissions

Article on the ways Black students and other students of color are disproportionately excluded during the college admissions process, and how what schools can do to make their admissions system more equitable.
Best Practice Ideas
Higher Education
News ArticleDEIREAD

Delivering the Experience Modern Learners Expect

In this interview the University of Central Florida’s Vice Provost of Digital Learning shares insights into what modern students expect from their learning experience, and how schools can adapt to meet students’ expectations.
Higher EducationNews ArticleStudent Wellness
Technology
READ

Demand among Black, Latino students fuels college entrepreneurship programs

Black and Latino students are driving demand for entrepreneurship programs, and schools are responding by starting and expanding programs to help people build their businesses.
Higher EducationNews ArticleAdult Learners
DEI
READ

Dropping the Degree as a Hiring Requirement

This podcast episode from Inside Higher Ed explores why some employers are no longer requiring applicants to have college degrees, and what colleges and universities can do to remain relevant and competitive in the changing world of education and employment.
Higher Education
Workforce Development
PodcastWorkforce DevelopmentLISTEN

Employers Claim to Value Alternative Credentials. Do Their Practices Match Their Promises?

Recent research finds that while many employers say they value alternative credentials in applicants, this sentiment may not translate to hiring practices.
Credentials of ValueNews ArticleMicrocredentials
Workforce Development
READ

Free College 2023 – Maine Community College System

Information on MCCS’s Free Tuition Scholarship for anyone who graduated high school between 2020 and 2023.
Higher EducationWebsite/LinkScholarshipsVISIT SITE

Grade Forgiveness Leads to More STEM Graduates

A 27-year study at Boise State University showed that having a grade-forgiveness policy encouraged enrollment and retention of students in STEM courses.
Best Practice Ideas
Higher Education
ReportStudent WellnessREAD

Help for homeowners and renters during the coronavirus national emergency

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s resource hub for homeowners, renters, and landlords affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Resource BinderWebsite/LinkFinancial ResourcesVISIT SITE

Higher Opportunity for Pathways to Employment (HOPE) Program

Program through the Maine DHHS that provides financial tools and resources to help Mainers achieve their educational goals.
Credentials of Value
Higher Education
Website/LinkFinancial ResourcesVISIT SITE

How Do Microcredentials Stack Up? Part 1

One way to do that is by building an educational system that prepares people to adapt and thrive in turbulent times. At HEQCO, we’re interested in short, affordable, and flexible programs that top up the skills and knowledge adults already have and help them advance or pivot in the labor market.
Credentials of ValueNews ArticleMicrocredentialsRead

How Students Are Navigating Changes in Career Plans

This opinion piece discusses the ways the pandemic impacted students’ career goals and timelines, and provided a couple suggestions for how schools can support students as their goals change.
Higher EducationNews ArticleNavigators
Student Wellness
READ

I’m Afraid of How Many Black Students Have Been Convinced They Are Stupid by Educators Who Lack Equity Training

A Black high schooler in Maine shares her experience of implicit bias in the classroom and the necessity of equity and anti-racism training for teachers.
Best Practice Ideas
Training/Professional Development
News ArticleDEI
Maine News
Student Wellness
READ

Increasing Student Success: A Never-Ending Process

This article pulls together nine lessons learned by administrators, faculty, and staff at Montgomery County Community College in Pennsylvania after they redesigned the processes for new-student onboarding, advising, course withdrawal, and tutoring.
Best Practice Ideas
Higher Education
ReportStudent WellnessREAD

Informing Improved Recognition of Military Learning

This report examines student veterans’ experiences with and perceptions of having their military learning recognized by a postsecondary institution.
Best Practice Ideas
Resource Binder
ReportAdult LearnersDownload

It’s OK to Not Be OK: College Students Tackle Mental Health Challenges During the Pandemic

Article exploring the ways the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated mental health challenges on college campuses, and strategies schools and students can use to respond.
Best Practice Ideas
Higher Education
News ArticleStudent WellnessREAD

Katie Nielson, Founder of EnGen: Tapping into the Hidden Workforce (Podcast)

As U.S. employers continue to struggle to find workers, they may want to turn their attention to populations who have the skills they need but lack proficiency in English. This describes many people in immigrant and refugee populations who are currently overlooked by employers and make up part of what is called the “hidden workforce.” On this episode of WorkforceRx, Katie Nielson, PhD, joins Futuro Health CEO Van Ton Quinlivan to describe how she works with employers to tap the potential of this talent pool.
Workforce DevelopmentPodcastDEI
Workforce Development
LISTEN

Less talk, more action: ‘Talent Hubs’ offer equity solutions

Article about Talent Hubs, a program that builds communities within schools and businesses that are committed to attracting and supporting marginalized people and those who face barriers to learning.
Higher EducationNews ArticleAdult Learners
DEI
READ

Live + Work in Maine Job Board

Live + Work in Maine has a dashboard of open jobs in health care, education, social services, and more. The site also provides resources to help people plan their career path and get support along the way, particularly for health professions.
Resource BinderWebsite/LinkWorkforce DevelopmentVISIT SITE

Low-Income Community College Students Most Likely to Cancel Plans

Report from 2020 exploring the pandemic’s effect on students’ plans to continue with or leave community college. Low-income students were found to be cancelling community college plans at higher rates than wealthier students.
Higher EducationNews ArticleAdult Learners
Student Wellness
READ

Lumina: Stronger Nation Tracking 60%

Stronger Nation tracks progress toward the goal of 60 percent of Americans with a credential of value.
Resource BinderReportAdult LearnersRead

Maine 2021 County Profiles

This report provides a 2-page report of the strengths and challenges of each county.
Resource BinderPDFMaine NewsDownload

Maine Adult Education Hub

Hub for online classes on business and learning skills, literacy, and personal enrichment.
Training/Professional DevelopmentWebsite/LinkAdult LearnersVISIT SITE

Maine Children’s Alliance 2022 County Data Profiles

County level data on key indicators of child health and well-being in Maine. Includes demographic data and areas of strength and challenge for each county.
Resource BinderReportMaine News
Student Wellness
READ

Maine Online Opportunities for Sustained Education (MOOSE)

Learning library of assorted project-based, self-paced learning experiences. Modules for pre-K through grade 12.
Training/Professional DevelopmentWebsite/LinkAdult LearnersVISIT SITE

Maine Youth Thriving – A Guide for Community Action

MRBN is pleased to introduce the “Maine Youth Thriving – A Guide for Community Action,” developed with the Maine CDC and Public Health Partners, LLC. The guide is a tool to support positive youth development.
Training/Professional DevelopmentPDFMaine NewsDownload

MaineSpark Navigators Welcome Aboard

Who and what is a MaineSpark Navigator?
Training/Professional DevelopmentVideo/WebinarNavigatorsWatch Now

Mapping Rural Colleges and Universities

Article on recent efforts to better define rural colleges and universities. Includes links to an interactive map and a report on rural and rural-serving institutions.
Higher EducationNews ArticleAdult LearnersREAD

Modernizing the College Transcript with Blockchain

Article about new tools being developed to help students track their coursework and credentials across institutions and formats.
Higher EducationNews ArticleTechnologyREAD

More access means more enrollment at Maine community colleges

A recent report reveals the success of Maine’s Free College Scholarship program, which has contributed to a surge in community college enrollment in the state that tops pre-pandemic levels.
Higher EducationNews ArticleMaine News
Scholarships
READ

New Mainers Resource Center Skilled Professional Program

The New Mainers Resource Center provides a range of services to help New Mainers translate their experience or degrees received in other countries into credentials and jobs in the US. Resources include credentials evaluation and support with the professional licensing process.
Credentials of Value
Resource Binder
Website/LinkDEI
Navigators
Workforce Development
VISIT SITE

Not your typical shop class: New CTE program requires lessons in social skills

Article about a new type of certificate program offered at several community colleges around the country that combines trade skills with critical thinking and relationship skills.
Credentials of ValueNews ArticleMicrocredentialsREAD

OneTen: Career Marketplace for Black Talent

OneTen is an organization on a mission to connect 1 million Black individuals with family-sustaining jobs within 10 years.
Workforce DevelopmentWebsite/LinkDEI
Workforce Development
VISIT SITE

Preventing a “Lost Generation”: Understanding Education and Work in a Time of Crisis

A report on the effects of the pandemic on students’ attitudes, beliefs, and experiences of higher education. Pulls from real-time surveys of over 50,000 students across the country.
Higher EducationReportDEI
Student Wellness
READ

Promising Practices in Creating an Equity Framework

Recommendations for creating equity frameworks in schools to better serve marginalized students. Includes case studies from several states that have used data disaggregation, targeted legislation, and cohort models to improve student outcomes.
Best Practice IdeasReportDEIREAD

Report Examines Impact of Emergency Micro-Grants

A recent report examined the impact of financial aid micro-grants on student success and graduation rates at Georgia State University and John Jay College of Criminal Justice. The results were overwhelmingly positive, with student outcomes improving considerably at a low cost to the institution.
Higher EducationNews ArticleFinancial ResourcesREAD

Resources for Adult Learners – University of Maine

Resource hub for adult students in college. Includes links to resources on childcare, housing, internet access, domestic violence, and more.
Higher Education
Resource Binder
Website/LinkAdult Learners
Student Wellness
VISIT SITE

ReThink Ready: A Diverse and Inclusive Post-pandemic Workforce

WorkingNation and LinkedIn present a roundtable discussion on improving inclusion and diversity in hiring and how to support and retain diverse talent within the workforce.
Workforce DevelopmentVideo/WebinarDEI
Workforce Development
WATCH

Single Moms Success Design Challenge

A report from two years of human-centered design work focused on supporting single mothers attending community colleges. Includes results from pilot programs at four community colleges across the country and best practices for schools and navigators to support single mother learners.
Best Practice Ideas
Higher Education
ReportAdult Learners
Navigators
Student Wellness
READ

Stackable, Trackable & Packable: Students Need Moveable Credentials That Mean Something Now

Katherine Newman, Provost and Executive VP of Academic Affairs for the University of California system, defines and explains the importance of stackable microcredentials in today’s workforce.
Credentials of ValueNews ArticleMicrocredentialsREAD

Stakeholders Work To Boost Higher Education Attainment Rates Among Native Americans

Article about the challenges Native students face in higher education and several programs that are working to support Native students in their educational journeys.
Higher EducationNews ArticleDEI
Student Wellness
READ

Stranded Credits from Students with Debt. Is a Bigger Shift Starting?

Article about the problems students face when colleges withhold their transcripts due to outstanding debt, and recent efforts at local and federal levels to end the practice.
Best Practice Ideas
Higher Education
News ArticleAdult LearnersREAD

Tear the paper ceiling. Give STARs greater economic mobility.

In this episode of Work in Progress, Byron Auguste discusses the new Tear the Paper Ceiling ad campaign launched recently. The campaign calls for employers to tear down that paper ceiling and let the 70 million STARs – workers Skilled Through Alternative Routes – shine.
Workforce DevelopmentPodcastWorkforce DevelopmentPodcast

The Degree Reclamation Playbook

A playbook for institutions and navigators to help students who stopped out of college get their degree. The two main strategies explored are Adult Reengagement and Reverse Credit Transfer.
Best Practice Ideas
Higher Education
PDFAdult Learners
Navigators
Download

The Long-Lasting Value of Workforce and Continuing Education

An interview with Enrique Infanzon, Dean of Continuing Education at Miami Dade College, on the importance of workforce and continuing education and best practices for scaling programs across complex educational systems.
Best Practice Ideas
Workforce Development
News ArticleAdult Learners
Workforce Development
READ

The Rise of Alternative Credentials in Hiring

The report outlines the use and recognition of multiple forms of credentials in hiring decisions.
Workforce DevelopmentPDFWorkforce DevelopmentDownload

Toward Ending the Monolithic View of “Underrepresented Students”

Higher education in the United States has a tendency to treat all “underrepresented” students as a monolith in ways that are counterproductive to the cause of equity. This aggregation of racially and ethnically minoritized, poverty-affected, and first-generation students obscures significant variations in admissions, course-level outcomes, persistence, graduation, and career success.
Training/Professional DevelopmentReportAdult Learners
DEI
Download

Transfer vs. Robots: A Race for an Equitable Future of Work

Transferring from community college to a 4-year program is a promising pathway for low-income students and students of color into degrees and stable, well-paying jobs. This blog post provides some tips for making the transfer process easier, with an eye towards setting students up for success in their chosen careers.
Higher EducationNews ArticleAdult LearnersREAD

Transitioning from Hospitality to Health Care Occupations

The service industry was hit particularly hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, leaving many workers un- or under-employed. This paper suggests that in-demand health care occupations could be ideal “lifeboat jobs” (jobs that can restore people’s income and benefits with little to no retraining or reskilling required) and offers potential tracks to new employment for people coming from various types of service jobs.
Workforce DevelopmentReportWorkforce DevelopmentREAD

Trends in Higher Education: Pricing, Student Aid, and Earnings

Reports from the College Board on trends in college pricing, financial aid, and earning potential.
Higher EducationNews ArticleFinancial ResourcesREAD

Turning Credit Transfer From a Black Box Into an Open Book

Article about the Articulation of Credit Transfer project, which aims to streamline the process of transferring credits between colleges.
Higher EducationNews ArticleAdult LearnersREAD

USAC Affordable Connectivity Program

Federal program for free or reduced-cost high-speed internet.
Resource BinderWebsite/LinkFinancial ResourcesVISIT SITE

Using Colleges’ Outcomes to Gauge Risk for Students

Article about recent efforts to use student outcomes to identify the riskiest colleges and universities for veterans enrolling in school.
Higher EducationNews ArticleAdult Learners
Student Wellness
READ

Want to find an affordable college? There’s a website for that

This article digs into the features of the College Scorecard, a website where users can search and compare colleges and universities by factors like fields of study offered, cost, acceptance rate, and median alumni salary.
Higher EducationWebsite/LinkFinancial ResourcesREAD

Why Are Workers Staying Out of the U.S. Labor Force?

Brief review of trends in the US labor force and the primary reasons people are not returning to work post-pandemic.
Workforce DevelopmentReportWorkforce DevelopmentREAD

With New Online Marketplace, Community Colleges Hope to Better Compete With For-Profits

2021 article exploring the opportunities and challenges of Unmudl, a new platform where community colleges can market online classes.
Higher EducationNews ArticleAdult Learners
Technology
READ

Workplace Basics: The Competencies Employers Want (2020)

Report from 2020 on the competencies that are in highest demand for people entering the workforce, both in the labor market as a whole and in particular types of occupations.
Workforce DevelopmentPDFAdult Learners
Workforce Development
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