Published: 17 minutes agoOur new mayor has made it clear that staffing is one of her main priorities. We are dealing with serious shortages all across the board, including snow plowing and bus services. After working in adult education for three years supporting students to earn their GEDs, I believe the Municipality of Anchorage may be missing out on highly skilled and qualified job seekers who do not have a high school diploma or GED.
There are many reasons outside of an adult’s control that they may not have earned a high school diploma or GED. Many of the students that I work with had to drop out to take care of kids or get a job to support their family. Others could not finish their education due to political turmoil or war in their home country. Others have lost their diploma while moving from a different country and cannot reach their high school to retrieve documents.
The time it takes to study for the GED can vary greatly from person to person, with some adults spending years of dedicated study in order to pass. Completing the GED can be a monumental task for students who are learning English as a second language and students who have learning disabilities such as dyslexia. The skills needed to pass the GED are not necessarily the skills that many jobs require.