A new report touts the economic benefits of the state's Career Pathways Initiative based on improved attainment and employment rates, which are surpassed by the local program housed at National Park College.
More than 67 percent of Career Pathways students at the college in 2008 completed a degree or certificate by 2013. The state Career Pathways average was 62 percent, compared to only 39 percent of students at public two-year colleges across the country.
The program's employment rate during the five-year period, which is being analyzed for the state "College Count$" evaluation, is 90 percent. Career Pathways graduates earned $2,600 more in their first year and saw a wage increase of $3,100 more per year than their matched Temporary Assistance for Needy Families recipients.
"It's not so much a welfare program as it is a mentoring program," said La Taschya Harris, director of Career Pathways at National Park College. "Students who have encountered the program gain more certificates than average college students and have a higher graduation rate, which is how we are funded. That is why it is a big deal."
The Arkansas Department of Higher Education has administered the Career Pathways Initiative for low-income Arkansans since 2006. College of the Ouachitas was one of 11 community colleges to house sites within the first two years.
National Park College's program began in 2008 in the third and final phase when the remaining sites launched. Career Pathways programs have since been in place at all 22 of the state's two-year colleges and three technical centers affiliated with four-year universities.
The initiative is intended to help low-income parents earn credentials and degrees leading into selected high-demand and high-wage fields. Participants must be custodial parents to children younger than 21 years old, be eligible for public assistance through TANF and earn 250 percent or less of the federal poverty level.
College Count$ is a joint research project established in April 2015 by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation and Annie E. Casey Foundation. The study is being conducted by Metis Associates, which is analyzing outcomes of more than 30,000 Career Pathways participants.
The first phase of the study was published in March 2016 to demonstrate the initiative's potential to break the cycle of poverty. A third phase to be published in October will evaluate which components of the program contribute most to its success.
The recently released second phase studied the state's return on investment and determined every dollar invested in Career Pathways resulted in a return of $1.79 to taxpayers during the five-year period. The Return on Investment model focused on state tax revenues, likely to increase when participants achieve greater earnings, and public assistance spending by state and federal government, which decrease as a program's participants work and become less dependent on TANF Cash, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Medical Assistance benefits.
"The results of the study are outstanding," said Gov. Asa Hutchinson. "This is another great example of how investments in our community colleges pay dividends in both the short and the long term. Investments like the Career Pathways Initiative improve the education and career readiness of Arkansans and are a vital step toward achieving our economic development goals."
"The ROI results clearly demonstrate that the Arkansas CPI program is worthy of additional state and philanthropic investment," said Sherece West-Scantlebury, CEO and president of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. "Other states are now looking to Arkansas as a model for serving economically disadvantaged students."
Harris began in a community outreach role when the college's Career Pathways program enrollment was 421 students in 2008 with five employees on staff. Enrollment has decreased, but the funding remains based on the number of degrees and certificates earned by participants.
About 52 percent of Career Pathways students at NPC and throughout the state graduated with a degree or certificate between 2006 and 2013, compared to only 24 percent of non-Career Pathways students. Another 47 percent of NPC participants earn Career Readiness Certificates.
"It shows a different side of Arkansas than the postsecondary educational rates," Harris said. "It breaks my heart to know Arkansas is so low, but it fuels my passion for teaching. I think National Park College can help us move up a couple of notches."
Career Pathways staff provides full-service assistance in the form of transportation and child care vouchers, case management, career coaching, tutoring and other services. Funding is provided from federal appropriations for TANF and the appropriations are administered through the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services.
Program graduate Nadia Gonzalez has been the intake coordinator for NPC's Career Pathways for three years. She continued her education at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia and plans to graduate with a Bachelor of Integrated Studies in December.
"Nadia does all of the paperwork," Harris said. "Everything. She pays all of the child care, she pays all of the gas, she buys all of the supplies, she buys all of the inventory and then we squeeze in time to go shopping to buy student supplies."
The former five-person staff has decreased to only Harris and Gonzalez. Harris added duties of director, counseling, advising and teaching, in addition to her original outreach role.
Gonzalez obtained backpacks and filled them with supplies to provide to students on Thursday for their orientation. She also secured books and schedules for students who need them.
"I don't mind staying over," Gonzalez said. "I don't mind taking more time on a weekend, just so I know they are not stressed out. They are already stressed out enough coming to school. Making it here, they are already stressed. Actually having this be smooth for them is less stress."
The program at National Park College lost funding for this school year after Harris missed four months during the previous school year after a medical procedure and no other staff members were available to fulfill her recruitment role and other duties. All child care funds have been designated for the year for the 75 active students in the fall semester. Harris said she hopes to increase enrollment to more than 125 to secure additional funding for next academic year.
"The hardest part of our job is getting them to believe they can actually do it," Harris said.
The program hosts its own graduation ceremony each May and recognizes a student of the year. Spring graduate Sarah Prince received this year's award and now works for Healthy Connections.
"Some days they come here, they are just so upset and they don't think they are going to make it," Gonzalez said. "At graduation, they made it. They are so excited, their family is there and they always want to introduce us to their family and their kids. I love that part about it, knowing they made it."
The average Career Pathways participant is a 31-year-old single parent and 89 percent are female. The study also showed attainment rates three times higher for African-American participants and four times more for Hispanic participants compared to non-Career Pathways students.
"The results for minority students are particularly impressive," said Arkansas Department of Higher Education Director Maria Markham.
"This is clear evidence that investing in programs like CPI that serve nontraditional students is good for Arkansas as a whole. This achievement demonstrates the impact that student success can have on the lives of Arkansans."
Local on 08/18/2017