Preemptive Adult Education

A recent study by the McGraw-Hill Research Foundation emphasizes that preemptive adult education saves society money by reducing costs of health care, welfare, and potential costs of incarceration. Yet the current economic climate has required states to cut budgets for adult education initiatives. The cost to the U.S. economy is significant. While the current unemployment rate is 9.1%, the unemployment rate for workers without a high school diploma is 14.7%. An estimated 74% of these dropouts will spend one or more years in poverty thus requiring public assistance, at a cost to the U.S. economy of $260,000 per recipient. Currently one million students drop out of high school before earning a diploma each year. Additionally, estimates indicate that 88 million adults in the U.S. lack either an adequate education or language skills, which both serve as a barrier to employment. Much of the at risk youth and young-adult population between the ages of 13-24 such as foster children, juvenile offenders, or teenage mothers will become one of these adult statistics lacking critical job skills. These individuals face a higher rate of unemployment or lower lifetime earning potential.There has to be a better way to reach these individuals and provide them with the education they need to succeed in life. share your thoughts.