The Role of Community Colleges in Career Transitions for Older Workers

Despite the desire of many older adults to remain in the workforce, those without jobs face unprecedented durations of unemployment. Many of the unemployed lack current skills for jobs in demand and need to either upgrade their skills or be trained for a new occupation to become reemployed. An aging workforce, combined with the negative effects of the recent economic downturn, has increased the importance of identifying strategies to encourage working at older ages. In recent years there has been increased focus on training that results in a credential; much of this training takes place at community colleges. The present study examined community college involvement in outreach and support programs for older displaced workers. This involved interviews with 27 key informants at 14 community colleges to gain an understanding of the role community colleges play in linking older students to credential or certificate programs. Effective strategies for community college involvement in workforce training were identified and include outreach programs for older students, providing advice for specific programs of study, support during the program to ensure completion, job placement services, and continuing education for skill upgrading.