Adult education is a vital contributor to the strength and resilience of every community. It gives participating adults opportunities to develop the literacy, numeracy, digital, English language, and employability skills they need to obtain and retain employment, ensure the health and financial security of their families, pursue further training and career opportunities, and contribute in positive ways to the life of their community.

Support for adult education is an investment that returns far more than it costs.

• Literacy and numeracy skills are linked to employment status and income level; higher skill levels correlate to higher earnings potential, resulting in higher tax revenue for the community.
• Adults with higher skill levels have better health outcomes, resulting in greater productivity in the workplace and ability to participate in community life, as well as decreased need to draw on public health care assistance.
• The children of women who participate in adult education also may develop stronger literacy and language skills.

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Here are some of the results from the Longitudinal Study of Adult Learning conducted by Dr. Stephen Reder and published in the ProLiteracy white paper The Case for Investment in Adult Basic Education.

Read more:

• Making Skills Everyone’s Business: A Call to Transform Adult Learning in the United States (U.S. Department of Education, Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education)