Over 50 and back in college, preparing for a new career — from nytimes.com by Kerry Hannon
Excerpt:
For many, a retirement of babysitting grandchildren, golfing and relaxing on the beach is passé. Older people today approach work as a pillar of a retirement lifestyle, planning ahead and adding skills even before leaving their current jobs.
As demand for more adult learning opportunities accelerates, colleges and universities are trying to figure out how to tap into the market for second careers to bolster their revenue and perhaps build alumni loyalty. The potential audience is huge.
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“It makes no sense, however, to have an educational system that ends in the 20s when people are likely to be working into their 80s,” said Laura L. Carstensen, founding director of the Stanford Center on Longevity. “We need to rethink these things.”
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Some of those reluctant retirees want, or need, to keep working in some fashion, but to get hired, they must first expand their skill set.
The need to offer more educational options that can lead to jobs for older adults is gaining traction.
From DSC, along these lines:
One last thought here…it seems like competency-based education and nano-degrees will likely continue to pick up steam in this environment, as many people may not have the time or the funding to go back to school for 2-4+ years.