The South Central Coast Center of Excellence for Labor Market Research (SCC COE) has released a new report that examines opportunities and strategies to support adult learner success across the SCC Region. The SCC COE presented findings from this study during a regional webinar on Friday, April 10 via Zoom. Stakeholders from community colleges, K12 schools, and the workforce development community in Northern Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties were encouraged to attend.

As California community colleges face a projected decline in the population of traditional college-age students, institutional sustainability will increasingly depend on their ability to engage and support adult learners. At the same time, rapid technological change, including the growing use of artificial intelligence, is reshaping labor markets and accelerating the need for reskilling and career transitions. Key findings from the Opportunities and Strategies to Support Adult Learner Success report include:

• Adults represent 66% of the SCC Region population, with approximately 530,000 adults holding a high school diploma or less and approximately 325,000 that have completed some college but not a degree.
• Approximately 14% of adult workers are employed in Low-Quality occupations. These jobs are concentrated in the Retail, Hospitality and Tourism, and Advanced Manufacturing sectors.
• SCC community colleges currently offer programs aligned with 45 “advancement occupations”, creating opportunities to leverage existing programs to enhance career mobility for adults across the region.
• Adult learners face distinct barriers related to financial aid policies, scheduling, recognition of prior learning, campus culture, and enrollment processes.
• Evidence-based strategies to address these barriers include flexible scheduling, Credit for Prior Learning, adult-centered strategic enrollment management, targeted financial aid outreach, and institutional practices that affirm adult learners’ identities and experiences.

These findings highlight the importance of intentionally engaging adult learners to expand economic mobility across the SCC Region.