Educational Attainment - Low-Income Individuals

Of individuals age 25 and older in Idaho for whom poverty status could be determined, approximately 12% have income levels below poverty. As might be expected, educational attainment is skewed lower for those below poverty and higher for those above poverty. Individuals with less than a high school diploma represent 20% of those below poverty and only 11% of those at or above poverty. While individuals with Bachelor’s degrees or higher represent only 12% of those below poverty and 27% of those at or above poverty. This data, available in Table 2.o on the following page, reinforces the assumption that obtaining a high school credential is an important first step towards escaping poverty, while continuing on to post-secondary education provides important additional opportunities.

Table 16: Educational Attainment by Poverty Status

Source: Poverty Status in the Past 12 months of individuals by sex by educational attainment, Population 25 years and over for whom poverty status is determined (Idaho - ACS 5yr 2012-2016)

*Sum of percents may not equal 100% due to rounding.

Educational Attainment - English Language Learners

Of those in Idaho’s workforce, approximately 89 percent speak only English, while 11 percent speak some other language in the home. Additionally, those who speak a language other than English participate in the workforce at a rate of approximately 74 percent, compared to 62 percent for English-only speakers.

The most significant difference between these two populations, in terms of Educational Attainment, is with regard to high school graduation. For those in the workforce who speak only English in the home, just 5 percent have less than a high school diploma. For those in the workforce who speak another language at home, 35 percent have less than a high school diploma.

When the data is broken down further by specific languages (including Asian/Pacific Island, Indo-European, Spanish, and Other), an even greater discrepancy emerges. Specifically, for those in the workforce who speak Spanish in the home, 43% have less than a high school diploma. This is especially significant in that Spanish speakers represent a large majority (69%) of Idaho’s non-English workforce population.

When taken in combination, this data would indicate a significant skills gap for non-English speakers in Idaho’s workforce, especially for those who speak Spanish in the home.

Table 17: Educational Attainment by Language Spoken at Home for those in the Workforce

Source: Educational Attainment and Employment Status by Language Spoken at Home for the population 25 and over, in the labor force (Idaho - ACS 5yr 2012-2016)

*Includes native English speakers who also speak another language at home, and other bi-lingual speakers

**Sum of percents may not equal 100% due to rounding

Educational Attainment - Individuals with Low Literacy

Literacy Level is differentiated from Educational Attainment in that Literacy Level describes a person’s demonstrated competency, while Educational Attainment describes the highest level of education that an individual has completed. For example, a student may have graduated from High School, but only demonstrate a literacy level equivalent to the 7^th grade.

The American Community Survey does not break data down by literacy levels. In order to understand the Education and Employment trends of individuals with low levels of literacy, we have examined data provided by Idaho’s Adult Education and Literacy Program (funded under Title II of WIOA, known as AEFLA). All students enrolled in the program have demonstrated literacy levels below the secondary (12^th grade) level. The highest grade completed for Idaho’s Adult Education population is available for Program Years 15-16 and 16-17 at this time. These figures include Adult Education students as well as English Language Learners. For these two years, the program served an average of 5,077 participants annually.

On average for the two-year period where data is available, about 20 percent of Title II participants had less than a 9^th grade education upon enrollment in the program, 41.5 percent had a 9-12^th grade education with no diploma, 19.5 percent had a high school credential or equivalent, 12.5 percent had some college or a post-secondary degree, and 6.5 percent did not report a highest level of education at intake.

The data suggests that the largest group of Adult Education students in Idaho have completed some high school but have not graduated. The second largest at 20 percent, is the group of students whose highest level of formal education is at 9^th grade or below. 19.5 percent of participants have either a high-school credential or its equivalent. This data indicates that the majority of participants in the of Adult Education program do not hold a high school credential, or its equivalent. The adult education program is committed to serving adult learners with low literacy skills through program and policy alignment, career pathways, integrated education and training, and high quality professional development for adult educators.

(iv) Skills Gaps

Describe apparent “skill gaps.”

Idaho’s workforce development system seeks to prioritize its efforts around those industries and occupations that balance good wages with existing or projected demand for workers, as well as those industries which can have a larger overall effect on Idaho’s economy. Such industries and occupations have been identified in Idaho’s Target Sectors and Hot Jobs List.

However, as described in Section (II)(a)(1)(A) of this plan, a combined 20% of Idaho’s jobs in 2014 were in the industries of food service and retail. Many of these jobs pay relatively low wages, require relatively little training or education, and lack a significant multiplier effect on Idaho’s economy. As a result, many of Idaho’s workers are in jobs which may not sufficiently prepare them to move into the types of careers that require additional skills and pay better wages. As such, these workers will need to access training and education outside of their current workplace if they want to advance their skills or careers.

The analysis in Section (II)(a)(1)(A), coupled with education data and direct input from industry lend strong support to the state’s goals to increase educational attainment beyond high school. It is vital that Idaho’s labor force seek educational opportunities to qualify for the Hot Jobs that will be available over the next 10 years. Of the 50 Hot Jobs, 35 require some type of training beyond high school. Within the top 10 Hot Jobs, eight require some form of post-secondary education or training:

• Pharmacists - Doctoral or Professional Degree
• Registered Nurses - Associate Degree
• Physical Therapists - Doctoral or Professional Degree
• Software Developers, Applications - Bachelor’s Degree
• Physician Assistants - Master’s Degree
• Dental Hygienists - Associate Degree
• Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists - Bachelor’s Degree
• Nurse Practitioners - Master’s Degree

There is a high probability that not enough workers can be trained for these in-demand occupations within the next ten years. For example, as the health care sector continues to expand, Idaho’s colleges and universities are experiencing near record enrollments. Already some programs in nursing and medical technical jobs cannot expand to meet the demand due to lack of available instructors.

In addition to adequate availability of such programs, cost is one of the biggest challenges for Idaho workers in obtaining the training and education they need to meet the skill demands of the evolving job market. Wages in Idaho rank low in the country. In 2010, Idaho’s average wage per employee was 76% of the national average and ranked 48^th in the nation. Wages have not improved. In 2016, the average annual wage at 39,637 dropped to 74 percent of the national average and 50th in the country, just above Mississippi.

Idaho workers’ educational credentials will need to increase in order to obtain higher-paying jobs. And yet, pervasive low wages can make it difficult for Idaho workers to access the training and education needed to upgrade their skills. Addressing the affordability of college education, expanding the “learn while you earn,” model, and expanding registered apprenticeships may help address this opportunity gap, especially for populations with significant barriers to employment and education.

An enhanced focus on career pathways and stackable credentials may also help address this gap. Many jobs on the Hot Jobs list can be part of a career ladder and lend themselves to stackable credentials in education. A nurse could start as a certified nursing assistant or licensed practical nurse. A pharmacist technician could work while going to school to be a pharmacist and have inside knowledge of the job. Idaho’s work on career ladders and stackable credentials is addressed in Section (II)(c)(1).

Finally, the analysis in Section (II)(B)(i) shows that youth ages 16-24 have a much higher unemployment rate than other age groups. As teens and young adults are finding it harder to get jobs in the current labor market, fewer are learning the basics of how to hold on to a job or getting the opportunity to learn about various occupations and industries by working or interning in them. The strategies identified above may also be appropriate to address this cohort of workers.