Mainers without a high school diploma do not fare well in the economy. They are stuck in low-paying jobs with little opportunity for advancement. They are the first to be laid off in a recession and the last to be re-hired in a recovering economy. Low-income Mainers have poorer health, they are unable to afford quality daycare, and their children do worse in school –all of which cause their productivity at work to suffer.
For many, successful completion of General Educational Development (GED) testing is the first step on the ladder toward a good job and a better shot at prosperity for themselves and their families. Maine is in the process of reconstituting its GED program. This report addresses the challenges and opportunities the state faces in assuring that low-income Mainers continue to have access to “free educational support and free access for adults to earn an equivalency diploma.”
