Impact of Adult Education
Adult Education Impacts the Economy, Businesses, and Communities
Adult Education provides essential education services to individuals to enhance literacy and numeracy skills, English language proficiency, and workforce readiness. They serve as a bridge to high school equivalency, postsecondary education, and employment opportunities.
%
of adults in the United States struggle with low reading, writing, and basic math skills.
%
of GED recipients go on to higher education and have a 90% persistence rate.
Student Success Stories
Alexandra
Former IU13 Community Education Student
Programs like this change lives. They provide a bridge between incarceration and employment, giving people like me the chance to rebuild and contribute to our communities. Everyone deserves a second chance, and I hope more individuals get the same opportunity to turn their lives around.
Patricia, a Colombia, South America native, understood no English other than her name and country when she moved to the United States. She enrolled in English as a Second Language (ESL) as well as High School Equivalency (HSE/GED) classes. Patricia points out that language skills are necessary not only to survive but also to be able to function well within the community.
“My wish is for the government to support adult education and look at it as an investment…. Also, for them to create other programs that provide additional support to those of us who try to succeed in our endeavors and professions that bring support to the community.”
- Student success stories used with permission from Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 (IU13).
- Statistics compiled from:
- OECD, “Time for the U.S. to Reskill?: What the Survey of Adult Skills Says,” OECD Skills Studies, OECD Publishing, 2013
- National Center for Education Statistics [NCES]. (2019). Data Point: Adult Literacy in the United States. U.S.Department of Education.
- The Case for Investment in Adult Basic Education by Kevin Morgan, Dr. Peter Waite, Michele Diecuch, ProLiteracy
- Adult Education Strengthens Workforce Development in Pennsylvania by Literacy Pittsburgh, Delco Literacy, Literacy & Learning Success Centers, and Beyond Literacy (2025)