Pima Community College, Adult Basic Education for College & Career

Adult Basic Education for College & Career (ABECC) builds partnerships in education with students and the community that acknowledges and utilizes the experience, wisdom, and needs of adult learners. Classes include career-focused, contextualized instruction for college and career readiness.

Free classes are provided in the following areas:

• Adult Basic Education: Basic math, reading, and writing
• Advanced Skills for High School Equivalency (HSE) and GED test preparation
• English Language Acquisition for Adults (ELAA): Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced levels.
• Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship
• Math Bridge Classes
• Refugee Education Program
• Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (IBEST)

The IBEST program is a nationally recognized instructional model that helps students prepare for their HSE by boosting students’ basic skills in reading, writing and math while pursuing an industry-related credential or certificate in a career/technical program. Through IBEST, students are able to enroll in Pima College credit classes and work simultaneously towards attaining their career/technical certificate and pass their High School Equivalency. IBEST also supports learners that have their High School Equivalency, if extra support would be helpful. In Pima’s IBEST programs, the basic skills instruction is contextualized into the career/technical content, with Adult Education and technical instructors co-planning and co-teaching. This allows students to achieve education and employment goals faster.