Lifelong learning. It’s a phrase spoken often at CAEL and for good reason. The World Economic Forum projects that almost six in ten workers will need to upskill or reskill by 2030.[1] The accelerating trend is reflected in the fact that almost half of students enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities are 22 or older.[2]
Outside the actively enrolled, more than 40 million Americans belong to the some-college-no-degree subpopulation of adult learners. (At CAEL, we prefer to call them comebackers.) Another 84 million have never been to college.[3]
Meanwhile, the number of high school graduates is expected to peak this year at approximately 3.9 million, followed by a 15-year decline. By 2041, the number of traditional-age college students (18-year-olds) is projected to decrease by about 13%.[4]
While many highlights have characterized CAEL’s five-decade legacy, I don’t think there has ever been a more important moment for CAEL’s mission and no better opportunity for us to realize our vision. There is no time like the present to meet adult learners where they are.
Putting that principle into practice requires two key traits: empathy and expertise. CAEL’s professional development courses deliver both. What better way is there to embrace the adult learner within each of us than to sharpen our skills in areas critical to adult learning? After all, “Who dares to teach must never cease to learn.”
Each of our professional development courses is designed to advance competencies and careers for adult learner advocates. Their online, asynchronous format offers on-demand learning experiences complemented by interaction with dedicated instructors. The courses feature presentations, readings, hands-on activities, projects and collaborative discussions with fellow students in community forums.
For example, our newest course, Adult Learners Are Not Unicorns! Create a Disciplined and Successful Adult Learner Recruitment Strategy, is geared for marketing and enrollment professionals. It is tailored to help improve their understanding of the complex and continually changing landscape of digital advertising to adult learners and workers.
The course, whose first cohort began July 21, is produced in partnership with CollegeAPP, a data analytics service company specializing in the higher ed sector and the leading adult learner recruitment strategy service in the U.S. The course is informed by findings from a survey of more than 300,000 potential adult learners—the largest study of its kind. Drawing upon this insight, it uncovers the motivations and barriers that influence decisions about enrollment, modality and institution type for adult learners. Material is presented in a six-week set of asynchronous modules designed to simplify and demystify digital marketing.
Those who complete the course receive a Credly digital badge. The next cohort, and the final offering of this course in 2025, begins Sept. 22. As a CAEL member, you receive a discount of up to 40% when registering for a CAEL professional development course. An additional 15% discount is available for groups of five or more individuals from the same institution who simultaneously register and attend a course.
We also recently launched The Workforce Ecosystem: Building Partnerships for Community Growth. This four-week asynchronous online course explores how employers, postsecondary education, community-based organizations and workforce development entities can—and must—collaborate to provide high-quality job training to connect adult learners to family-sustaining careers. This course will next be offered with a cohort beginning in February.
Our professional development courses also include the following programs, which each offer cohorts beginning Sept. 22:
Career And Education Advising (twelve weeks)
Designed specifically for those who provide career and education advice to adults, this course will help participants apply career development theory to their work and assess the value of education and training related to career choices. Successful completion of this course will count as 24 hours of professional development in competencies 1,2,3 when applying for NAWDP’s CWDP recertification.
From the Ground up: Building the Foundations of a CPL Program (four weeks)
This course is designed to cover all the questions you have about credit for prior learning but were afraid to ask! Designed as an introduction to credit for prior learning, the workshop will begin by laying a foundation by exploring the different opportunities students have to demonstrate their knowledge and learning, and the impact CPL has on organizational practices and student success. Successful completion of this course will count as eight hours of professional development in competencies 1,2,3 when applying for NAWDP’s CWDP recertification.
Assessing Prior Learning (four weeks)
CPL (credit for prior learning) is of increasing interest to institutions seeking ways to attract and retain the growing audience of adult learners. This course provides an overview of all forms of institutional-based prior learning assessment and discusses approaches to awarding college credit for learning that occurs from previous life/work experiences—in lieu of taking certain courses. Successful completion of this course will count as six hours of professional development in competencies 1,2,3 when applying for NAWDP’s CWDP recertification.
CAEL also offers free microcourses to members. Members who complete all nine microcourses earn the Adult Learner Advocate badge. This badge allows you to showcase your dedication to adult learners by promoting your achievement on LinkedIn, email signatures, websites and more. The microcourses include:
- Roadmaps to Success: Understanding and Serving Your Adult Learners
- Improving Programs with Labor Market Data
- Engaging Adult Learners as Consumers
- Attracting Adults to Your Institution
- Building Blocks for Effective CPL Programs
- Strengthening Employer Partnerships
- Designing Stackable Credentials
- Embedding Experiential Learning in Your Programs
- The Workforce Ecosystem: Building Partnerships for Community Growth NEW
Our annual conference, which will be held Nov. 11 to 14 in Memphis, also offers numerous timely and relevant professional development opportunities. A few examples from our preconference workshops include adult learner enrollment, fostering workforce ecosystems and building CPL programs, plus many more topics throughout the week, from keynote events to the continual opportunity to network with peers who share your interest and commitment to helping adult learners succeed in education and employment.
I’m sure you’ll agree that we can enhance our ability to serve lifelong learners when we can walk in their shoes by doing some learning of our own. I hope these opportunities help you take a few more steps along the never-ending journey of meeting adult learners where they are while getting you closer to your own professional goals.
[1] https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2025/digest/
[2] https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d22/tables/dt22_303.40.asp. A more conservative number of~37% is calculated from undergrad only bases see https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/datacenter/CDSPreview.aspx?sid=13a0c342-0613-4984-93d1-f76121951bb4&rtid=5 or https://nscresearchcenter.org/current-term-enrollment-estimates/
[3] 84.398M; see Table A-1. Years of School Completed by People 25 Years and Over, by Age and Sex: Selected Years 1940 to 2022 at https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/educational-attainment/cps-historical-time-series.html.
[4] https://www.wiche.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2024-Knocking-at-the-College-Door-final.pdf
You Might Also Like
