1. Adult Basic
Education
Pat Thomas
SW ABE Program Manager
pthomas@starpoint.net
(507) 537-7046

2. ABE:
Changing
in response
to the needs
of today’s workforce

3. ABE Learner Eligibility
Adult Basic Education provides services or instruction below
the postsecondary level for individuals:
A) Who are at least 16 years old
B) Who are not enrolled in secondary school
C) Who qualify under one or more of the following:
a. Lack mastery of basic educational skills
b. Do not have a high school diploma or it’s equivalent
c. Are unable to speak, read or write the English
language

4. Programs in ABE
GED
High School diploma
Reading Comprehension & Fluency
Citizenship
Basic math and computation skills
Basic computer skills
Assessment testing
Family Literacy

5. Sample ABE Learner Goals
 Attain employment and/or better their current
employment
 Achieve high school equivalency (GED or H.S. Diploma)
 Attain skills necessary to enter post-secondary education
and training
 Exit public welfare and become self-sufficient;
 Learn to speak and write the English Language;
 Master basic academic skills to help their children
succeed in school
 Become U.S. citizens and participate in democratic
society
 Gain self-esteem, personal confidence and sense of
personal and civic responsibility

6. Why focus on
Workforce Education?

7. 2005 Skills Gap Report
“In addition to shortages of various types of employees,
manufacturers surveyed reported they are also
dissatisfied with the skills of their current
employees. Among respondents to this national survey,
nearly half indicated their current employees have
inadequate basic employability skills, such as
attendance, timeliness and work ethic while 46%
reported inadequate problem solving skills among
employees and 36% indicated insufficient reading,
writing and communications skills.”
Full report is available at: www.nam.org/2005skillsgap

8. NEED:
 40% Of the people in the United States lack the basic
skills necessary to obtain or retain employment
 42% of Welfare to Work (MFIP) caseloads do not have a
high school degree or equivalent (DHS TANF Report)
 12% of Minnesotans over 25 years old lack a high school
degree or its equivalency. The average high school
graduate earns $7,000 more than a high school dropout.
(2000 Census)
 Major MN employers report large costs to train and
retrain employees whose lack of basic skills or ability to
speak English are liabilities to the profit line. (MN Bus. Partnership.)
 36% of job applicants tested by major U.S. firms in 1998
lacked the reading and math skills to do the job they
sought. (Amer. Mgt. Assoc.)

9. ABE Serves
Did you know…
 That over 75,000 individuals participate annually to
upgrade their basic academic skills such as reading,
writing, mathematics and English?
 Over 4,000 individuals are referred to ABE classes each
year by employers?
 We serve adults with virtually no skills in English or math
and have the ability to stay with them and teach them
until they reach a 12th-grade level?
 We’re able to come to the workplace to offer short-term
classes OR we’re able to host classes at local ABE
classrooms?

10. ABE Workforce Education
Goals
 To Provide quality workforce education training
 To provide quality curriculum development
 To establish an appropriate array of
recommended on-site assessments
 To develop and identify model programs and
best practices
 To collaborate with other government/private
initiatives to share information and avoid
duplication of services

11. What can we offer to businesses?
 A Workforce Education coordinator
 Experienced and licensed instructors
 Full pre-assessment of learners and site
 Full post-assessments of learners’ goals and objectives
 Customized curriculum and training
 Quality English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction
 Reading and writing skills
 Flexibility
 Workforce Education Program plan including training
agreement, schedules, curriculum summary and goals and
objectives
 Final report, written assessment of learners’ progress and future
recommendations.

12. What does a typical Workforce
Education Program look like?
There is no typical Workforce Education Program.
Each of our programs is uniquely tailored to the
needs and specifications of the business.
This includes identifying and teaching the basic
skills the employer wishes to reinforce in the
workplace. Examples include: teacher and/or
improving English skills, math skills for retail, or
identifying and discussing cultural differences
that may be interfering with expectations and
communication.

13. How are individual business needs
met?
 ABE is experienced in creating specialized
curriculum
 State-wide pool of information and experience
 We provide a customized curriculum that is
intensive, well-paced and benefits the
employees’ both professionally and personally.
 We understand that productivity is hinged on an
employee’s ability to communicate with their
supervisor and co-workers effectively.

14. Are we going to steal your clients?
MN Policies Regarding Workforce Education in ABE:
Workforce Education may include any of the
basic skills curricula associated with
typical ABE programs (GED, Basic Skills
Brush-up, ESL, Family Literacy,
Civics/Citizenship), and the content level of
the curricula must not extend beyond the
high school level. Technical and vocational
credit-based content that is normally
associated with a postsecondary institution
is not acceptable content for using ABE
funds.

15. Why does it pay?
PAYOFFS OF FINANCIAL
COLLABORATION CONSIDERATIONS
 Expansion of clientele  Ability to subcontract ABE
 ESL instruction
services
 Basic Computer Training
 Potential to reduce your
costs
 On-site instruction
 Potential to make money off
 Cost savings
of ABE services
 Limiting business contacts
 ABE generates future
by ABE funding

16. WEBSITE
www.southwestabe.org
www.marshalladulteducation.org

17. Marshall ABE What's New
...provides educational opportunities to area adults
wishing to acquire or enhance their basic education. Welcome to the Marshall Adult
The Marshall ABE plays an important role in improving
the overall quality of life for families and children in
Education website.
Minnesota communities. Click here for new items
Currently, the Marshall ABE offers the following services:
CLICK THE LINKS BELOW to read about each.
GED, Adult Diploma, ESL,
Family Literacy, Basic Skills Reading Skills for Today's Adults
Enhancement, Workforce Southwest ABE Website
Education, Driver's Education, Visit the Family Literacy Page
Citizenship Classes, and Scope and Sequence
Computer Classes, MN West Community & Technical
READ HERE: What are the benefits of College
Citizenship? Weekly Staff Announcements
The three sites available in Marshall include two
apartment complexes and the Lyon County Government
Center ABE office site. In addition, 12 member district
sites are available.
Lyon County Government Center
607 W. Main St.
Marshall, MN 56258
(507) 537-7046
FAX: 537-7047

18. READING SKILLS STORIES
The goal of this project is to build fluency and comprehension skills in adult readers through the
use of relevant readings specific to an adult audience. The focus of these reading selections will
be on topics such us: Civics, Employment, Housing, Health, School, Money, and Government.
This project is funded in part through an EL/Civics Grant from the MN Dept. of Ed - ABE Division.
Your comments, questions and feedback are invited. Click on the Feedback link at the bottom of
the page.
ORIGINAL STORIES BY LEVEL
LEVEL 1.5 Joe's Workday
LEVEL 2.0 Looking for a Job
Save Money on Your Telephone Bill
This Land Is Our Land
LEVEL 2.5 Flag Day
What Can One Person Do?
LEVEL 3.0 Dogs - Friend or Foe
Mike Gets Ready For Work

20. TECH TIPS
Tech Tips are now on-line! Read weekly technology tips to help you with your computing.
Each week a new Tech Tip is posted.
CLICK HERE FOR TECH TIPS
HOT POTATOES EXERCISES
On this page are some Hot Potatoes Exercises. Try your hand at some of these.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO HOT POTATOES EXERCISES
MARSHALL ABE TEACHER TRAINING MATERIALS
These are training materials which have been used in previous Marshall ABE technology training sessions.
Hyperstudio Tutorial
Download Acrobat Reader file (.pdf)
Hot Potatoes Tutorial
Download Acrobat Reader file (.pdf)
Hot Potatoes Resources
Download Acrobat Reader File (.pdf)
Using Email with Microsoft Word
(Download Word File)
Microsoft Word (Download Word File)

22. “We cannot do everything at
once, but we can do
something at once."
- Calvin Coolidge