Sullivan County is putting real resources into helping adults return to college. The next step should be to measure what those students can do with AI on a normal workday.

SUNY announced in February that Sullivan County Community College joined a 10-campus project to understand adult learners’ needs. In May, SUNY described funding that helped the college expand adult advising, evening and weekend support, and the use of its ATTAIN Lab for digital-skills access.

These investments create an opportunity to offer short, practical AI exercises when working adults can attend. Participants could use an approved tool to prepare a customer email, compare two work schedules, or summarize a service policy. Each exercise should include a deliberate mistake. Students would have to find it, consult the original information, and explain what they would change before using the result.

Track how many participants complete the exercise correctly after feedback, including those studying evenings or online. Ask local employers which tasks mirror actual jobs.

Flexible access gets adults into training. Demonstrated judgment helps them use those skills after graduation.

Gleb Tsipursky, Ph.D
Columbus, OH