© 2024 WMKY
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

New Report Shows Benefits of Kentuckians Earning GED Diplomas

educationnews.org

A new report shows the benefits of Kentuckians earning GED diplomas, including increased enrollment in postsecondary education.

According to the Kentucky Adult Education County Profiles Report, produced by the Kentucky Center for Education and Workforce Statistics (KCEWS), of the 22,942 Kentucky GED graduates from fiscal years 2009 to 2011 (followed through fiscal year 2014), 8,455, or 37 percent, enrolled in a postsecondary institution.

“We are pleased that a substantial number of GED graduates are pursuing postsecondary education to earn certificates, associate or bachelor’s degrees,” says Reecie Stagnolia, vice president for adult education, a program of the Council on Postsecondary Education. “However, we are focused on increasing that number since it is essential in today’s economy to have some postsecondary education to earn family-sustaining wages.”

The KCEWS report indicates that 7,116, or about four out of every five, of the GED graduates who attended postsecondary institutions attended colleges in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. The most popular major was health professions and related programs. Other top majors included mechanic and repair technologies/technicians and business, management, marketing and related support services.

“Not only are our graduates pursuing further education, they are pursuing education that will help them secure employment in Kentucky’s top job sectors, as indicated in the most recent Kentucky Occupational Outlook,” says Stagnolia.

The report, which presents statistics by state, workforce region, and county, utilizes data from the Kentucky Longitudinal Data System. KCEWS collects and integrates education and workforce data so that policy makers, practitioners and the public can make better informed decisions.

“The Kentucky Adult Education County Profiles Report provides a greater and deeper understanding of how adult education students from all across the state of Kentucky are finding success in college and in the workforce,” Stagnolia says. “It underscores the need for us to continue to pave the way for our GED graduates to pursue postsecondary education. I look forward to seeing future reports and witnessing our progress in this and other areas.”

To read the report in its entirety, please visit http://kcews.ky.gov.

(story provided by the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education)

Related Content