54. 7
weeks
AVERAGE DURATION OF UNEMPLOYMENT
FOR 55+ WORKERS AS OF MAY 2011
College System, allows individuals
with bachelor’s degrees to become
provisionally licensed in 16 weeks
to teach math or science in middle
schools and high schools. “
Traditional teaching programs typically take a
minimum of two years,” says Rebecca
Waters, one of the program’s developers. “Not only do we fast-track, but
it costs students only about $4,000.”
EducateVA boasts an almost 80 percent placement rate, with entry-level
teacher’s salaries averaging $42,000.
The boomer + community college +
retraining = jobs equation is as much
a win for employers as it is for new
employees. Before teaming with
Nicolet College, HyPro’s plant manager, Mike Sutton, struggled to fill
critical positions. “Rhinelander is
more of a vacation destination, and
even during the recession, when our
company was going through a growth
spurt, we were lucky to find even
Back of the Envelope
one skilled worker a year,” he says.
In early 2010, HyPro joined with
12 other manufacturing businesses
to develop a curriculum at Nicolet,
going so far as to provide instructors and opening their facilities for
site visits. “We each pledged that if
someone graduated from the Manufacturing Fundamentals program, we
would interview them,” Sutton says.
So far, HyPro has hired six graduates.
Although community colleges can
help land you a job in as little as four
weeks, many of those positions pay
barely a few bucks more than minimum wage. Those that pay better
require more class time and, perhaps,
more money out of your pocket. One
strategy, says Holstein, is to enroll
in a relatively quick and inexpensive program just to get a new job,
then continue to study at night or
on weekends to qualify for a higher-paying position.
That’s the plan for both Flores
and Kieffer. “If it wasn’t for JJC, I
wouldn’t have gotten my job,” says
Flores, who hopes to continue her
schooling to become a certified
nursing assistant. “They taught me
you are never too old to go back to
school.” Kieffer has his eye on more
advanced Nicolet programs, including the Manufacturing Essentials
certificate, so he can move up the
HyPro ladder. “I’ve had so many jobs
in so many places,” he says. “
Hopefully this will be the last place I work.
That would be sweet!” ;
Laura Daily is a contributing editor for
AARP THE MAGAZINE.
To locate a community college in your
area, check out the website of the
American Association of Community
Colleges at
aacc.nche.edu or
aacc.nche.edu/pages/ccfinder.aspx.
ILLUSTRATION BY STEVE SANFORD; PHOTO BY NICHOLAS EVELEIGH; UNEMPLOYMENT SOURCE:
AARP PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE; ENVELOPE SOURCES: AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY
COLLEGES, BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, CIVIC VENTURES, MANUFACTURING INSTITUTE
AARP.ORG/MAGAZINE 33
