Project Success - GED Completers Transitioning to Postsecondary Education to Prepare for Employment in High Growth Industries

Sep 14, 2026

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Project Success proposes a pilot comprehensive college preparation program for GED completers, primarily ages 18–30, who want to pursue postsecondary education aligned with high-growth employment. The program aims to enroll at least 40 students in two cohorts and deliver blended, computer-supported credit courses plus case management. Key elements include ACT/WorkKeys readiness, CLEP-based additional credits, financial literacy, service learning, mentor support, and ICDL certification, targeting strong persistence, associate-degree attainment, and transfer or family-sustaining employment outcomes.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

Applicant Information and Proposal Summary

Program Name

Organizational Background

Partnership Members/Collaborators

Proposal Summary

Proposal Narrative

Project Need

Part I: Applicant Information and Proposal Summary Program Name: Project Success: GED Completers Transitioning to Postsecondary Education to Prepare for Employment in High Growth Industries (Focus on Financial Services and IT) Start Date: June 1, 2008 End Date: December 31, 2009 Project Director: Dr. Peter Balsamo, VP Workforce and Community Development; Chief GED Examiner. Phone: 570-740-0601; [pbalsamo@luzerne.edu](pbalsamo@luzerne.edu) Organizational Background: Luzerne County Community College (LCCC) is Northeastern Pennsylvania’s largest college. From its 167-acre Nanticoke campus and branch campuses throughout the region, LCCC serves 16,000 students each year. It offers over one hundred academic, career and technical programs, most on an open admissions basis, to high school and GED program graduates. Over 84% of all LCCC graduates live and work in the region. The college is recognized as a leading resource for workforce development and continuing education. Its programs meet a growing demand for health science, business and information management professionals, with courses and instructional resources that reflect industry standards. In a recent survey, fully 100% of the employers of LCCC alumni expressed an interest in hiring future LCCC graduates. And 95% of graduates rated the preparation they received as “good to excellent.” LCCC is committed to the individual needs of its students by offering opportunities for academic and personal growth with a focus on positive and educational experiences. Individual learning styles are taken into account when planning programs and varied options of instruction are offered. As part of Luzerne County Community College’s strategic planning, the programs and courses at LCCCare designed to enhance student success related to credit and non-credit programs by meeting the changing needs of students, improving transfer and career programs that lead to job placement and by creating new opportunities for credit and non-credit courses and program research, development and implementation. Partnership Members/Collaborators: Keystone Job Corps, Drums, PA CareerLink, Wilkes-Barre, PA Educational Opportunity Center, Kingston, PA Proposal Summary: The Luzerne County Community College’s Division of Workforce and Community Development proposes to develop a pilot project for GED completers (principally between the ages of 18-30) who desire to focus on pursuing postsecondary education since the majority of new jobs (90%) will require a degree or some level of college education. In partnership with the aforementioned three agencies, Luzerne County Community College proposes to develop a model comprehensive college preparation program for GED completers called Project Success that can easily be replicated by other community colleges. The goal of the proposed program is for GED completers to pursue an associate's degree (preferably focusing on Financial Services and IT related degree programs) that includes components of targeted case management, ACT/WorkKeys Career Readiness Certificate, two courses of three credits each (i.e., College Readiness and Career Development/Assessment), earning additional college credit through CLEP exams, financial literacy instruction, service learning, and computer applications certification (ICDL) . The credit courses would be delivered in a blended learning format with each student having their own computer and tuition/book expenses paid for the initial two 3 sh courses. (The e-learning delivery format is based on research conducted by the Sloan Center on Innovative Training and Workforce Development at Rutgers University) . Each participating student would be assigned a mentor who will have consistent contact to provide support, encouragement, and advice. In addition, college professional staff members from the Counseling Center and Financial Aid Office will be assigned to work with the participants. The core component of the program i

FAQs

Who is the Project Success program intended for?

Project Success targets GED completers, primarily between ages 18 and 30, who want to pursue postsecondary education.

What are the main components of the program?

The program includes targeted case management, ACT/WorkKeys Career Readiness Certificate, two three-credit courses, CLEP exam credit opportunities, financial literacy instruction, service learning, ICDL computer applications certification, and assigned mentors with counseling and financial aid support.

What outcomes does the proposal target over time?

Short-term targets include limiting enrollment in developmental courses and high semester-to-semester persistence, while long-term goals within three years include 70% earning an associate’s degree, with follow-on outcomes of transfer to bachelor’s study and job attainment with family-sustaining wages and benefits.

Sep 14, 2026

Uploaded by Cart