Breaking Barriers, Building Futures for Adult Learners
Posted on September 18, 2025
Across the country, adult learners are being recognized as one of the most important keys to our economic future. More than 40 million Americans 25 or older who are college-ready but have not pursued or completed a degree or credential are looking for ways to upskill or reskill to keep up with a changing workforce.
Employers, meanwhile, are facing a shortage of people ready to step into middle-skill jobs, or positions that require more than a high school diploma but not a four-year degree. These jobs make up more than half of the U.S. labor market, but only 43% of workers are trained at that level.
Ohio feels this challenge acutely. Experts estimate that 65% of working-age Ohioans will need a postsecondary degree or credential for our state to remain competitive. Adult learners are a big part of that equation. When they succeed, they strengthen families, fill essential jobs and help drive economic growth.
That’s why Owens partnered with the City of Toledo, JobsOhio and Trellis Strategies to present the findings from its City of Toledo feasibility study last year. The study confirmed what many already suspected: there are significant education attainment gaps in the city, transportation and access remain major barriers, and Owens’ presence is needed now more than ever. It also underscored that partnerships, with schools, employers and community organizations, are critical to preparing tomorrow’s workforce.
We’re taking those findings seriously, and we are building on one of the most promising models we’ve found: microsites. These smaller, flexible education hubs are designed with partners to respond quickly to workforce needs and, most importantly, to bring education to people where they are. This fall, for example, we’re launching a microsite in Early Childhood Education at Learning Ladder Child Care & Development Center, where employees from three partner sites will be able to earn their associate degree in early childhood education.
At the same time, Owens knows that persistence isn’t only about classrooms and credentials. It’s about creating a true sense of belonging and making sure life’s challenges don’t derail education. That’s why we intentionally foster an inclusive campus culture where people from all walks of life feel they belong, and connect students to wraparound supports such as childcare, transportation and emergency assistance. These resources meet students where they are, ensuring that high-quality education remains within reach even when life gets complicated.
Owens is continuing to expand options for adult learners in other ways. Just last month, we announced approval of our first bachelor’s degree: a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), completely online, for those who already hold an associate degree in nursing. This program offers working RNs an affordable and accessible way to advance their careers while helping to meet a critical workforce demand in healthcare.
Our Workforce & Community Services (WCS) area is also thriving. In fiscal year 2025, WCS trained more than 4,100 people through contract training, continuing education, CDL, and CPR—a 44% increase over the prior year. We’ve developed customized training for 41 regional companies, launched a new CDL simulator and driving pads in Findlay and Perrysburg, and partnered with organizations like Goodwill Industries, Wood County Adult Probation and Hancock County’s WorkAdvance program to expand opportunities.
We’re also helping employers prepare for the future, whether that’s training TARTA employees for electric bus maintenance or assisting companies with their TechCred applications. Ohio’s TechCred program provides funding to businesses to help workers access training that builds the skills needed in today’s technology-infused economy.
Just as importantly, Owens supports apprenticeships and earn-and-learn opportunities. Many employers now value work experience as highly as formal education, and apprenticeships provide adult learners with exactly that—paid, hands-on pathways to new careers. Whether in skilled trades, business management or healthcare, earn-and-learn opportunities, such as “externships,” allow learners to gain skills, earn a paycheck, and advance their education without putting their lives on hold.
These initiatives reflect a step-ladder approach to education: learners can start with individual classes or earn short-term credentials, gain work experience and return for more education when they are ready. Success isn’t always a degree; it might be a certificate, an apprenticeship or a skill-building program that opens the next door.
That’s why Owens measures outcomes broadly: from retention and completion rates to employment outcomes and workforce alignment, every signal of progress matters. That’s how education becomes truly boundary-spanning and flexible, and how it meets the realities of modern learners’ lives.
Adult learners are workers reskilling for new opportunities, parents balancing school and family, and professionals advancing their careers. They are the backbone of Ohio’s workforce and central to our region’s economic growth.
Owens’ institutional health is inseparable from the health of Northwest Ohio. When we help adult learners persist, we aren’t just changing individual lives—we are strengthening families, employers and the entire community.
Dione D. Somerville, Ed.D.
President