No matter what lies ahead for Alabama’s economy, a high school diploma is no longer a ticket for employment. We emphasize this point with students, but we leave underprepared adults in the lurch. And it will require more than just each year’s crop of high school graduates to meet the new economy’s demands. Effective workforce development policies for adults in their most productive years are vital for equipping the current generation of workers with the skills and flexibility to support their families and command a living wage.