The income of 1 in 4 of Ohio's working families doesn't meet their basic needs, creating serious hardships, yet when these working adults try to improve their lifestyles they're often met with resistance.

If we don't help these families improve their lives through higher education and training, we're accepting the fact that many Ohioans will not be able to meet their basic living needs, a fact that is simply unacceptable to the majority of our state's citizens.

Here are just a few of the barriers keeping our over one million low-wage workers from getting the education they need:

• Among other states, ours ranks 40th in the number of citizens with associate's degrees, and 41st in the number with bachelor's degrees. One of the many reasons for this shortfall is that Ohio also ranks 40th in the amount of aid we provide to low-income students to support their higher education. As a result, the cost of college to students and their families is well above the national average.
  
• Ohio lacks a system-wide approach to postsecondary workforce education. The many options offered by community colleges, technical schools, and community-based organizations are separated, and students don't know where to go for the education and training need.

• With good intentions, Ohio's community colleges and adult career centers sometimes cause unintended barriers for low-income students. For example, students sometimes struggle through developmental education courses that could be improved, and often cannot take advantage of support services due to evening course schedules. All of these conditions combine to delay progress.
  
• Support can also be improved among faculty and student support staff who often don't communicate on the progress of individual students that could strengthen their involvement with school

• Adults entering community colleges and career centers have their own challenges, including balancing the responsibilities of other life roles, and managing the cost of attending college.
  
• Often they imagine this cost will be too high, even when options are available. Most importantly, students don't even try to attend because they believe they cannot afford it. For instance, even though several thousand low-wage students qualify for financial aid, research shows they often don't apply.

• Employers sometimes aren't able to commit to the training and education needs of employees, particularly less highly trained staff members.

Career Pathways, an extension of the Ohio Bridges to Opportunities Initiative, is seeking to change all that with a plan to create partnerships between many providers of assistance to low-wage workers, including community colleges and adult career centers, workforce development systems, social service providers, and government agencies, to meet the needs of both low-wage workers and their employers.