The PlugGED In curriculum was created through a partnership of educational and governmental institutions as a response to the current adult literacy crisis and the increased need to prepare adults for jobs in the technology-driven economy. The curriculum is designed to provide learners who have not completed high school with a GED course that also incorporates technical training as a means to develop the workplace skills essential for entry-level employment in knowledge-driven, technology-rich jobs. The skills taught during the PlugGED In course include both hard skills, such as the specialized technology knowledge reflected in earned Microsoft certifications, and soft skills, such as communication, workplace ethics, collaboration, and innovation.

The idea for the project was proposed to The Literacy Institute at VCU by former Virginia Secretary of Technology Aneesh Chopra who currently serves as the technology czar for the Obama administration as an innovative way to quickly prepare high-school drop-outs for available and well-paying technology sector jobs in Southwest Virginia. With funds provided through The Governor’s Productivity Investment Fund (PIF) and the Virginia Department of Education, The Literacy Institute joined with Southwest Virginia Regional Adult Education, Southwest Virginia Community College, industry partners Northrop Grumman and CGI, UVa-Wise, the Virginia Department of Education, the Center for Innovative Technology, and Microsoft, Inc., to create a new model adult education curriculum. This curriculum focuses not only on a student’s immediate and important acquisition of a GED certificate, but also on the student’s further employment and educational goals.

The PlugGED In Curriculum: Earning a GED is only the first step.

Unlike most GED-preparatory adult education courses, in which students’ enrollments end once they acquire their GED certificates, in the PlugGED In curriculum, completion of the GED credential is only the first of many targeted achievements. Students in this six-month course will also be given opportunities to prepare for the world of work by developing professional soft skills, earning technology certifications through the Microsoft IT Academy, and learning 21st Century Skills by completing several team-based capstone projects. The program is divided into two distinct phases, each approximately three months in length, that focus on four content areas:

• GED Curriculum and Career Readiness Certificate
• Professional Soft Skills
• Digital Literacy Skills
• 21st Century Skills

Students engage in activities in all four content areas from the beginning of the program in order to maximize their interest and their motivation to learn. As they develop increased skill levels, they move from Phase One to Phase Two, focusing less on GED-related content and more on professional soft skills and allowing instructors to individualize instruction for each participant depending on his or her experience and beginning skill levels.

While the pilot PlugGED In curriculum was originally created to help address the significant challenges facing adult learners in Southwest Virginia, the knowledge and skills incorporated into the curriculum are ideal for adult learners statewide. It is the goal of The Literacy Institute to replicate this curriculum in other localities in the state.