COMMENTARY: Shining a spotlight on adult education and literacy

September 16, 2024  |  By Brian Kravitz 

Last year Vermont’s four Adult Education and Literacy providers served over 2,000 students, covering every town and city in the state. Central Vermont Adult Education served 454 people in Washington, Orange, and Lamoille counties. This week, September 16–21 is National Adult Education and Literacy Week, a time to celebrate the accomplishments of our students past and present, and to welcome new learners into our community. 

Many people are surprised to learn of the variety of programming at Central Vermont Adult Education. We do all the things that people associate with classic adult education, like GED, basic literacy, and English Language Learning, and we do so much more. We can serve any out-of-school adult age 16+ and help them get the assets they need to get ahead.

What are those assets? Many are tangible, those things our learners can hold in their pocket or put on a resume, like a high school credential, computer skills, English learning, and specific skills necessary for jobs and further education. We even have a workforce development program that has helped students become school paraprofessionals, gain customer service certifications, and prepare for careers in medical coding. All of this is free to our students.

Another set of assets we work on are the intangibles, things like organization, time management, and self-advocacy. These are the assets that virtually EVERY employer in Vermont is seeking. Perhaps the most important intangible asset we provide is self-confidence. As around 70% of our students come to us without a high school diploma and struggled greatly in school, their self-confidence tends to be a bit underdeveloped. Our students go from the “I can’t” mentality to “I CAN!”

Just a year ago our student Liz said, “I really started enjoying my schooling at CVAE. I’d never even considered college. I said to myself, ‘If I can do it at CVAE, I can try anything!’ I wanted to see what else was out there, and because of CVAE I felt like I could do college. I may go for a bachelor’s degree after this. I never thought I’d be able to do any college, but at CVAE I learned that I can.”

Liz now has a wonderful job in a sector she once would never have considered and is in fact enrolled in a bachelor’s program and doing extremely well. These same opportunities are open to all Vermonters, and we are here to help open those doors.

During this Adult Education and Literacy Week, we thank and honor our students for allowing us the opportunity to provide those assets. We thank our volunteers for their thousands of hours of service. We thank our donors for supporting our students’ efforts. Finally, we invite our community in Washington, Orange, and Lamoille counties to reach out and find out how we can help you get ahead.

All of our services are free and confidential. More information, visit cvae.net, call 802-476-4588 or email info@cvae.net

Brian Kravitz is the Director of Outreach and Workforce Development at Central Vermont Adult Education which has six locations including at 31 N. Main St. in Waterbury.