I am in the process of moving to a new position within The Ohio State University and it got me thinking about how I got to this point. I was thinking through some of my favorite L&D experiences and was reminded of a work experience I had a number of years ago, and the changes I saw in people’s lives as a result of the training program. That place was the Region 2 Workforce Development Board in West Virginia and that job was as an adult educator.
What is Region 2 Workforce Development Board? To provide some context, in the state of WV when you receive public assistance such as Medicare, HUD, WIC, etc you have to do something to “earn” it. The options are to maintain employment at least 20 hours a week or enroll in a job-like activity. The center I worked for provided the job-like activity. We were a one-stop shop to help folks earn their GED, create a resume, learn technology skills, enroll in university classes, and even earn college credit during the class. The tenure of each learner varied.
