Boomers Going Back to School
Posted On January 12, 2012
Whether to retrain for a new career or to make the most of retirement, Baby Boomers are headed back to school, specifically local and community colleges, in large numbers.
According to the American Association of Community Colleges, nearly 400,000 Boomers are enrolled in their member institutions nationwide. Those figures are up 6% from 2007 and 12% from 2005.
To accommodate the onslaught of Boomers, a number of colleges have joined the Plus 50 Initiative. The initiative is a collection of programs designed to make campus life more user friendly for an aging population. The programs also aim to shorten the timetable for completion.
“What we’re trying to offer them is accelerated programs that will not take them long periods of time to complete,” said a program coordinator at one of the Plus 50 schools, “We know there’s a need out there. And it’s conducive in that age category.”