What's New?
Maricopa CARES Overview
MS PowerPoint (862KB)
What people say...
"It was beneficial hearing reports on programs outside college resources."
2002 Lifelong Learning Dialogue Day participant
CARES: Feature Articles
The CARES Feature Articles include recent articles focusing on current issues and activities related to lifelong learning in Maricopa. The current feature article focuses on the mature worker.
Educating Arizona Boomers for Today's Workforce
Recent research and information has created a noticeable interest in the workforce age demographics. According to recent research information, it is projected that by the year 2010, one in three workers in Arizona will be at least at the age of 50. Some predictions indicate that many of these workers will need to retrain for new jobs as they retire and establish new careers and explore the next chapter of their lives. Our workforce projections are unique to any other time in our history. It is projected that by the year 2010, one in three workers in Arizona will be at least at the age of 50. This represents the largest number of possible retirements in our workforce than ever before in our history. By the year 2030, experts predict our state will be home to as many seniors over the age of 60 as children under the age of 17. As Arizona's baby boomers reach retirement age, and as more head for retirement, our state will not have enough younger workers to meet employers' demands in our rapidly growing economy. What this means to our workforce is that we must begin to act now to understand the needs of mature workers to better manage our aging workforce and provide necessary training for mature workers to remain employed with the necessary technological skills needed in today's workplace.
Within the Maricopa Community College District, mature workers are seeking to enhance their workforce skills, and computer proficiency seems to be the top training need. The reason for this makes perfect sense if you think about it. This generation did not grow up with the technology that even our youngest school aged children experience today. Electric typewriters were considered "high tech" and essential only a few decades ago. Programming a VCR was a huge task for many of us who considered ourselves "technically challenged," but look at us now! Adults over the age of 55 are the fastest growing consumer group of new computer purchases. Senior and Boomer computer clubs are popping up all over Arizona, especially in the Phoenix area to teach each other the skills needed to keep up in today's workforce and to keep up with the grandchildren!
Maricopa Community Colleges are responding to this need by offering Mature Worker education programs and specialty courses, including those that build computer skills. At Glendale Community College and Gateway Community College, mature workers in need of financial assistance, can receive funding for their tuition, books and fees to attend a six week block of courses through funds provided by AARP's Senior Community Service Employment Program and the Department of Economic Security (Title V). These programs are designed for adults to learn with their peers and prepare themselves for today's workforce. This cohort of students typically attends classes four days per week for five to six hours each day for six to seven weeks. The courses within the six (or seven) week block include keyboarding, computer skill building, customer service, job exploration, resume writing, and interviewing skills. At colleges such as Chandler-Gilbert's Sun Lakes Education Center, Rio Salado in Sun City, Paradise Valley Community College, Scottsdale Community College, Phoenix College and Mesa Community College adult learning programs and courses provide the ideal learning environments for adults to learn together. Next Chapter Initiatives within Maricopa County that are funded by The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust have allowed Mesa Community College, Chandler/Gilbert Community College and Scottsdale Community College the opportunity to partner with libraries and other entities to provide an additional resource for the mature worker to connect with community for employment.
Since the Fall of 2001, Paradise Valley Community College's Senior College has had nearly 5000 enrollments in workforce appropriate programs such as computer training, Social Security Benefits and Spanish courses. These students also have complete access to other Continuing Education courses such as business planning, grant writing and quality management training. Although our colleges each have their own unique demographics to serve, those who have established programs and courses for this age group are certainly beginning to see an increase in the need for workforce enhancement type courses for mature adults, even when that course is simply a business planning course.
The fact is that adults are living longer and working longer than ever before in our workforce history. This unique situation in our history is providing opportunities for our colleges to serve a demographic in a way that we haven't had to strongly consider in the past. We have always had some type of presence of mature adults (as students) on our campuses in the years past, but their needs are changing. We as a community college district are making exceptional efforts to respond to these changes and needs. By serving our students well, no matter what their age, and continuing to focus on quality education and customer service, we can always assume that we will see them again as their needs change in their lives.
Forum Articles
Learn more about Maricopa CARES from our regular updates in the mcli Forum:
