Abstract
 
This chapter looks at the future prospects of employment for older workers who have either been displaced due to layoffs, downsizing, etc. or who wish to continue working after retirement or reaching the traditional retirement age (around 62-65) but will be switching "careers" or type of job.  We begin by investigating the supply and demand issues relevant to older workers.

On the supply side we look at the numbers of older workers that will potentially be reentering the job market post-retirement/displacement.  We arrived at these numbers by combining data from the BLS and a study done by the AARP in 2003 that projects the likelihood of older workers continuing to work into retirement.  Also in the AARP report is data about the types of jobs that older worker would consider.

On the demand side we look at the types of jobs that are projected to be created in the future and the willingness of employers to hire older workers.  We use BLS data for the job categories that are projected to grow at the fastest rate and by the largest number for the period between 2002 and 2012.  We consider the characteristics of these jobs and consider the factors affecting older workers from a job requirements perspective.  To gage employer's attitudes for hiring older workers we examine trends in the marketplace (e.g. the Home Depot/AARP collaboration) and studies that have been done.  For example, according to a survey done by the Society for Human Resource Management, two thirds of organizations do not actively target older workers (Collison, 2003).

We will also consider how the supply and demand can be brought together by examining the training requirements and availability for the growth job categories that we have identified.  We will also look at specific problems that older workers face when seeking training (e.g. youth bias at institutes of higher education) and programs that are available to assist in training.

We conclude by making recommendations on how older workers (and their current employers) can better prepare now for reentry in to the job market in the future.

Supply:

Demographics

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the labor force in the US to add 10.2 million workers aged 55 and over between 2002 and 2012.  This is nearly 59% of the total number of workers entering the job force by 2012, which is projected to be 17.4 million.  This is a 49.3% increase over that period for the 55 and older age group.  This change represents an increase from 14.3% of the total workforce to 19.1%.  (Toossi, 2004)

When Retirement will begin

According to a survey done by the AARP, 79% of older workers plan on retiring before the age of 70.  Another 14% plan on retiring before the age of 80 and 5% say they will either retire after the age of 80 or never plan to retire.  About 64% say they will continue to work after they retire.  The results are detailed in the table below (Brown, 2003).

Plans for Retirement

The AARP survey also found that 29% of workers who had not yet retired did not plan on working for pay after retirement.  Another 46% plan to work part-time while 10% plan on starting their own business.  Those planning on working full-time totaled 7% and 5% did not plan on ever retiring.  The table below breaks the number further (Brown, 2003)

Types of jobs they will be taking

Another component of the AARP survey concerned the types of jobs older workers would be willing to take after they retire.  The table below shows the responses for all occupations that were listed by at least 1% of respondents (Brown, 2003).

The next table shows the willingness to accept jobs that are likely to have a high number of new jobs added in the future.  It also shows the current occupations of those most likely to accept each job type (Brown, 2003).

Desired Job Characteristics

This next table shows the importance of job characteristics in retirement work (Brown, 2003).  The majority (57%) identify amount of stress as a major concern and 36% were very concerned about the level of physical demands in a job.  The highest rated factors were that the job be fun, keep them mentally active and make them feel useful.

Characteristics of Unemployed vs. Employed Job Searchers

It has been shown that older individuals inhibited from searching for higher paying jobs because they have less time to makeup the losses of time and money involved with the search.  Although individuals do continue job searching during their life, the amount of time and effort put in decreases with age (Benitez-Silva, 2002).

Unemployed job searchers are more likely to be women, unmarried and non-white, and much less likely to hold a bachelor degree or higher.  They also have fewer financial resources and lower income levels that employed job searchers.  Additionally, unemployed job searchers are more likely to have health problems and limitations, no health insurance and depend on Medicare and Medicaid (Benitez-Silva, 2003).

Economic Effect of Late Career Displacement

There is evidence that shows that when older workers are displaced from their jobs there is a large and lasing effect on wages, assets employment expectations and actual employment (Chan and Stevens, 1999).

The following table was obtained by combining data from the BLS and the AARP study (Brown, 2003) of who is likely to be working between the ages of 65 and 85 and whether they are likely to work part time or full time.

This table shows, for example, that the increase in 65 to 75 year olds in the workforce from 2000 to 2010 will be 700,000 part-time and 300,000 full-time (based on the AARP survey findings).  Likewise the increase from 2000 to 2030 will be 7 million part-time and 3.4 million full-time.  This assumes that the ratio of projected part-time to full time older workers will stay constant at about 2 to 1.  Economic conditions, pension and social security availability, older worker recruitment efforts and other factors over the projected timeframe could alter this ratio.

Demand:

Overview

More than half of organizations do not actively recruit older workers and two-thirds do not actively attempt to retain older workers (Collison, 2003).

According to Hirsch, Macpherson and Hardy (2000), the occupations that have the oldest men tend to be those that have the fewest physical demands, flexible hours and schedules, and mostly low skill and training requirements.  Occupations with large numbers of older workers also hire a hirer proportion of older workers.  Occupations with low training requirements and high physical demands tend not to hire older workers.  Well-paid jobs that have high cost training are not likely to hire older workers. 

Many occupations, such as sales occupations and cashiers hire large numbers of older women.  Jobs with substantial of shift work (nights and evenings) are less likely to hire older women.

Older workers are thought to possess high levels of skills but not strong quantitative skills.  They are unlikely to apply for or be hired for jobs having substantial computer-based skills.

The findings show that older workers working part-time are doing so out of choice rather than being driven by demand.

Flex-time programs are most closely associated with older women.  Fewer younger women have jobs with flex-time and it is not an important covariate for men.

Working conditions are, with few exceptions, not a factor in choosing older workers.  The exceptions include occupations that have extreme environmental conditions, which are less likely to hire older men.  Older women typically do not apply for such jobs.  Jobs that require large amounts of computer work are more difficult for older worker to obtain (Hirsch, Macpherson and Hardy, 2000).

The following are some quotes from an unemployment survey that was done by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and relate specifically to market demand issues for high tech jobs like computer engineers:

"In 1995 and 1998, it appeared that older engineers have significantly fewer re-employment opportunities than younger engineers. Similar patterns appear in 2002." (Langbein, 2002, 4)

"We have already seen that national economic conditions and age were the most frequently selected among the nine possible barriers listed. More importantly, older engineers were significantly more likely to cite age as a barrier than younger engineers. Those who cited age as a barrier averaged 52 years, compared to a mean of 40 years for those who did not regard age as a barrier (p<0.0001). Further, those who report age as a barrier face longer spells of unemployment (55 weeks) than those who do not (30 weeks). This difference is significant (p<0.0001)."  (Langbein, 2002, 5)

"Overall, age appears to have a persistent effect on the duration of unemployment, but it cannot be determined from these surveys whether that is attributable to productivity differences, price differences, the supply of engineers, age discrimination, or some other factor." (Langbein, 2002, 9)

Job Growth by Occupational area

Total number of new jobs is expected to increase by 21.3 million jobs over the 2002-12 period according to the latest projections of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  The break down by occupational group is listed in the table below.

"The economy will continue generating jobs for workers at all levels of education and training, although growth rates are projected to be faster, on average, for occupations generally requiring a postsecondary award (a vocational certificate or other award or an associate or higher degree), than for occupations requiring less education or training. Most new jobs, however, will arise in occupations that require only work-related training (on-the-job training or work experience in a related occupation), even though these occupations are projected to grow more slowly, on average. This reflects the fact that these occupations accounted for about 7 out of 10 jobs in 2000." (BLS)

Fastest growing jobs

In the first chart below are the jobs that the BLS projects will show the fastest growth from in the 2002-12 period.  The second chart shows the jobs that will have the largest job growth during this period.

Characteristics of jobs by type and education/training requirement

The ten occupations with the projected fastest job growth and the ten with the projected largest job growth are grouped together below by level of educational requirement.  Highlights of comments from the 2004-05 BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook that relate to issues affecting older workers are included for each occupation (some of the occupations have overlapping information).  Median salary information from the BLS-OOH is also included for each occupation.

Postsecondary

Doctorial degree

Postsecondary teachers

• About 3 out of 10 college and university faculty worked part time in 2002
• Some part-timers--have primary jobs outside of academia—teach "on the side."
• Others prefer to work part-time hours or seek full-time jobs but are unable to obtain them due to intense competition for available openings
• Some work part time in more than one institution
• Many adjunct faculty are not qualified for tenure-track positions because they lack a doctoral degree
• Median annual earnings of all postsecondary teachers in 2002 were $49,040

Bachelor's degree

Network systems and data communications analysts

• They usually work about 40 hours a week
• Evening or weekend work may be necessary
• Spend long periods in front of a computer terminal typing on a keyboard
• Susceptible to eyestrain, back discomfort, and hand and wrist problems such as carpal tunnel syndrome or cumulative trauma disorder
• Median annual earnings of network systems and data communication analysts were $58,420 in 2002

Physician assistants

• Often stand for long periods, and others do considerable walking
• Workweek of hospital-based PAs may include weekends, nights, or early morning hospital rounds to visit patients
• May be on call
• Median annual earnings of physician assistants were $64,670 in 2002

Computer Software engineers, applications

• May have to work evenings or weekends to meet deadlines or solve unexpected technical problems
• Like other workers who sit for hours at a computer, typing on a keyboard, software engineers are susceptible to eyestrain, back discomfort, and hand and wrist problems such as carpal tunnel syndrome
• An increasing number of computer software engineers are employed on a temporary or contract basis
• About 21,000 computer software engineers were self-employed in 2002
• Median annual earnings of computer applications software engineers who worked full time in 2002 were about $70,900

Computer Software engineers, systems software

• Working conditions are the same as Computer software engineers, applications
• Median annual earnings of computer systems software engineers who worked full time in 2002 were about $74,040

General and operations mangers

• Many top managers have been promoted from within the organization
• Many companies prefer that their top executives have specialized backgrounds and, therefore, hire individuals who have been managers in other organizations
• Median annual earnings of general and operations managers in 2002 were $68,210

Associate degree

Physical therapist assistants

• Full- or part-time employees
• Have evening and weekend hours
• Need a moderate degree of strength because of the physical exertion required in assisting patients with their treatment
• Constant kneeling, stooping, and standing for long periods also are part of the job
• Median annual earnings of physical therapist assistants were $36,080 in 2002

Medical records and health information technicians

• Usually work a 40-hour week
• Technicians may work day, evening, and night shifts
• Because accuracy is essential in their jobs, technicians must pay close attention to detail
• Technicians who work at computer monitors for prolonged periods must guard against eyestrain and muscle pain
• Median annual earnings of medical records and health information technicians were $23,890 in 2002

Registered nurses

• Nurses may spend considerable time walking and standing
• May work nights, weekends, and holidays
• More than 1 in 5 RNs worked part time in 2002
• They are vulnerable to back injury when moving patients
• Median annual earnings of registered nurses were $48,090 in 2002

Moderate-term training

Social and human service assistants

• Many spend their time in the field visiting clients
• Most work a 40-hour week, although some work in the evening and on weekends
• The work, while satisfying, can be emotionally draining
• Understaffing and relatively low pay may add to the pressure
• Turnover is reported to be high, especially among workers without academic preparation for this field
• Median annual earnings of social and human service assistants were $23,370 in 2002

Medical assistants

• They constantly interact with other people and may have to handle several responsibilities at once
• Most full-time medical assistants work a regular 40-hour week. Some work part time, evenings, or weekends
• Median annual earnings of medical assistants were $23,940 in 2002

Customer service representatives

• These positions may require workers to take on early morning, evening, or late night shifts
• Weekend or holiday work also may be necessary
• The occupation is well-suited to flexible work schedules
• About 1 out of 7 customer service representatives work part time
• Call centers may be crowded and noisy, and work may be repetitious and stressful, with little time in between calls
• To ensure that these procedures are followed, conversations may be monitored by supervisors, which can be stressful
• Long periods spent sitting, typing, or looking at a computer screen may cause eye and muscle strain, backaches, headaches, and repetitive motion injuries
• Dealing with difficult or irate customers can be a trying task; however, the ability to directly help and resolve customers' problems has the potential to be very rewarding
• In 2002, median annual earnings for wage and salary customer service representatives were $26,240

OJT

Physical therapist aids

• Same characteristics as physical therapist assistant
• Median annual earnings of physical therapist aides were $20,670 in 2002

Home health aides

• Most full-time aides work about 40 hours a week, but because patients need care 24 hours a day, some aides work evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays
• Many work part time
• Aides spend many hours standing and walking, and they often face heavy workloads
• Because they may have to move patients in and out of bed or help them stand or walk, aides must guard against back injury
• While their work can be emotionally demanding, many aides gain satisfaction from assisting those in need
• Are particularly susceptible to injuries resulting from overexertion when they assist patients
• Spend a good portion of the working day traveling from one patient to another
• Aides must be in good health
• Opportunities for advancement within these occupations are limited
• Median hourly earnings of home health aides were $8.70 in 2002

Retail salespersons

• They often stand for long periods and may need supervisory approval to leave the sales floor
• This occupation offers many opportunities for part-time work and is especially appealing to students, retirees, and others seeking to supplement their income
• Because retail stores are found in every city and town, employment is distributed geographically in much the same way as the population
• Median hourly earnings of retail salespersons, including commission, were $8.51 in 2002

Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food

• Food and beverage service workers are on their feet most of the time and often carry heavy trays of food, dishes, and glassware
• During busy dining periods, they are under pressure to serve customers quickly and efficiently
• Care must be taken to avoid slips, falls, and burns
• Part-time work is more common among food and beverage serving and related workers than among workers in almost any other occupation
• Food service and drinking establishments typically maintain long dining hours and offer flexible and varied work opportunities
• Many food and beverage serving and related workers work evenings, weekends, and holidays
• Around one-fourth of food and beverage serving and related workers were 16 to 19 years old—about 5 times the proportion for all workers
• Median hourly earnings of combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food, were $6.97 in 2002

Cashiers, except gaming

• Nearly one-half of all cashiers work part time
• Generally, cashiers are expected to work weekends, evenings, and holidays
• Many employers offer flexible schedules
• Many employers restrict the use of vacation time from Thanksgiving through the beginning of January
• They often are unable to leave their workstations without supervisory approval because they are responsible for large sums of money
• Improvements in workstation design are being made to combat problems caused by repetitive motion
• The work can sometimes be dangerous; cashiers' risk from workplace homicides is much higher than that of the total workforce
• Median hourly earnings of cashiers, except gaming in 2002 were $7.41

Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners

• When there is a need for 24-hour maintenance, janitors may be assigned to shifts
• Part-time cleaners usually work in the evenings and on weekends
• They sometimes work outdoors, sweeping walkways, mowing lawns, or shoveling snow
• Janitors may suffer cuts, bruises, and burns from machines, hand tools, and chemicals
• They spend most of their time on their feet, sometimes lifting or pushing heavy furniture or equipment
• Many tasks, such as dusting or sweeping, require constant bending, stooping, and stretching. As a result, janitors also may suffer back injuries and sprains
• Median annual earnings of janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners, were $18,250 in 2002

Waiters and waitresses

• Same characteristics as combined food preparation and serving workers
• In 2002, median hourly earnings (including tips) of waiters and waitresses were $6.80

Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants

• Same characteristics as home health aide
• Median hourly earnings of nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants were $9.59 in 2002

Attitude of employers

Training Costs

Some studies show a reluctance to hire older workers who require large amounts of training because of the perceived shorter period with which to realize a return on the training investment.  This leads older workers to either stay in the same occupation or change to an occupation that has a low cost of training.  Employers usually avoid hiring older workers when the training required is high cost (Hirsch, Macpherson and Hardy, 2000).

Advantages and Disadvantages of Hiring Older Workers

The following are some charts that were created by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) in a report titled "Older Workers Survey" (Collison, 2003). 

The first two charts show employers perceptions regarding the advantages and disadvantages of hiring older workers.  It is interesting to note that one of the biggest advantages employers see is that older workers are more willing to work different schedules.  Many of the jobs that were listed above have multiple shifts as a characteristic.   The third chart shows employers hesitance to hire older workers.

Another interesting observation is that the number one disadvantage listed is that older workers don't keep up with technology.  At least four of the fastest growing occupations require current technology skills.

This next table shows to what extent employers are beginning to change their recruiting, retention and management policies as a result of the aging workforce.  Leading the willingness to change is government, education and health fields.  These are the same industries that are shown in the second table to be most concerned about the potential loss of talent as the baby boom generation retires.

Finally, this next table shows the percent of organizations, by industry, that have older workers who have retired from other organizations or industries.  Again, education and government are highest with the other industries showing high percentages as well.

Preparing for a Second Career

There are several issues facing members of our aging population who intend to continue participating in the workforce.  As mentioned previously, projected changes in several industries show that many currently employed laborers will be displaced, due to obsolete practices and/or products and global competition.  Conversely, there is also a purported shortage in the labor force due to the significant population cohort approaching retirement age, otherwise known as the "Baby Boomers".  The challenge facing human resource departments, displaced pre-retirees and more importantly, global economies will be to retrain the population of displaced workers to fill the potential shortages in other industries.  Retraining the workforce of tomorrow will primarily be accomplished through further investment in an academic education and On-the-job training  

Adult Academic Training

As much of the population ages, life spans increase and birth rates fall; the economy will depend on an older workforce.  With this pattern expected to continue for 40 years, the impact on the labor force and economies of the world could be significant.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that only 40% of US working adults had a post-secondary degree (2or 4 year), compared to 85% of today's jobs require college training. (BLS, 2000)

Many potential non-traditional students face barriers, both situational (time, family responsibilities) and institutional (cost, course location and schedules).  Adult learners typically work and /or have families and need flexible class schedules, financial aid and other social support to be able to attend universities.

Some education experts feel these needs aren't given the attention required and that the current focus for undergraduate academic institutions is too narrow and do not adequately target non-traditional students, defined as 25 years old and higher. (Utley, 2003) 

The National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) has defined non-traditional students as having at least one of the following characteristics:

• Delays enrollment (does not enter college in the same calendar that he/she finishes high school);
• Attends part-time for at least part of the year;
• Works full-time while enrolled;
• Is considered financially independent in terms of financial aid eligibility
• Is a single parent
• Does not have a high school diploma or GED equivalent. (Horn, 1996)

On simply the age basis, US census bureau information shows that a significant segment of college students are of the non-traditional cohorts.

Internet Release date:  January 9, 2004

The facts are even more significant when using the NCES definition, with 73% of undergraduate students qualifying as non-traditional. (Choy, 2002) Traditional class schedules have been designed for daytime classes, typical at most undergraduate institutions and not a problem for young full time students with little responsibility other than school.  Non-traditional students are forced by their conditions to cope with limited class schedules, childcare issues and doubts about reentering the academic arena after being out of it for potentially many years.

Scheduling

Traditional class schedules have been designed for daytime classes, typical at most undergraduate institutions and not a problem for young full time students with little responsibility other than school.  Many non-traditional students consider themselves to be primarily an employee and require a smaller class workload than traditional students.

Percentage distribution of undergraduates according to their primary role, by student status: 1999-2000

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, NCES. National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:2000).

The other choices in this study were 'student who works' or 'student who does not work'.  The category of "highly non-traditional student" is someone who has 4 or more of the characteristics as defined by the NCES.

Non-traditional students who work find that their job can interfere with class schedules, library access, and types of classes they can take as well as the number of classes that they could take.  In addition, administration access is also a problem for working students.  Without access to the registrar's office, counselors and other student services, non-traditional students will have a difficult time getting advised on courses, enrolling and applying for financial aid.  With such a high proportion of students falling under the category of non-traditional student, it will be important for academic institutions to address class and resource schedules to fit their needs.

Financial Aid

The figures from the NCES show us that a significant population of non-traditional students is working a job while attending classes.  We can assume that this is because these students need the income to support themselves and possibly family members and thus, would be in need of financial aid for tuition and other educational costs.  A simple comparison of federal training aid shows a tremendous discrepancy between traditional student aid and job training/displaced worker programs.  In 2001, the federal government appropriated $2.5 billion dollars towards job training programs, while allocating more than $50 billion to student financial aid. (FutureWorks, 2002) Most non-traditional students encounter barriers to financial aid that don't affect traditional students and thus don't have the same access to the larger chuck of aid.  Students typically apply for financial aid from federal and state government programs using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  The information given on this application includes income of the family and is used to compute the amount that they family is expected to pay for education, known as the "expected family contribution" (EFC).   This is subtracted from the 'price of admission' (POA) and the end result is the amount of aid the student is eligible for.  There are several problems with the formula and rules for this process.

• Assumes a 9 month academic year for POA - This is not much of an issue with traditional students as they are usually attend two semesters per year and take the summer to work for a part time job.  This does not hold true for lower income non-traditional students who work full through the school year, and thus feel less of a need to take the summer off.  This calculation doesn't cover summer school tuition.
• Additional earnings/awards penalty - Schools use Federal Pell Grant money to cover the gap between the POA and EFC.  However, the Pell Grant is limited based on enrollment status; any amount needed over the Pell Grant is met with other programs like work-study.  The issue is that programs like work-study can count against the student in the following year by increasing the EFC.
• Pell Grant also assumes 9-month school year - Again; many non-traditional students would prefer year-round classes.  The Pell Grant doesn't cover summer courses.
• Pell Grant is under funded - Because the Pell Grant is discretionary money, the amount decided by congress is fixed and thus, when it runs out, those students who were late in line get nothing.
• Individual institutions can decide rules - Individual institutions can decide what is counted as an educational expense for a non-traditional student taking less-than-half-time classes.  So some institutions might count books and supplies, transportation and dependant care cost and some might not include these items.  Without them, some adults taking only 1 course might not meet the minimum specified by Pell Grant rules.
• EIC and Child Tax Credit is income - Currently, FAFSA counts the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Care credit as income, penalizing families who are obviously not earning a large income.  The EIC is for low-income adults and the Child tax credit is intended to give a financial break to parents.  The FAFSA doesn't seem to understand this logic and assumes this money is income.

Childcare

Non-traditional students with children must arrange for childcare in order to pursue their education.  As stated earlier, many non-traditional students need financial help for school and thus, don't have much financial resources to pay out of pocket for childcare.  This problem especially affects women, as they are often responsible for their children.  As was pointed out earlier in this chapter, women are more likely to be looking for work and they will be lacking both education and financial resources.  Many of these female students express feelings of stress in relation to providing care for their children while attending classes. (White, 2001) In order for these women to take courses and be successful in them, they need support in the form of childcare.

General Support

Many adult students have feelings of anxiety when preparing to re-enter the academic arena.  They are worried about keeping up with younger students who are fresh, using unfamiliar technology such as computers and handling the workload of courses.  Generally, these fears are the result of the non-traditional student being out of an educational track for an extended period of time.  Many adult learners have trouble because they haven't used study skills and an assortment of other academic skills such as math, writing and test taking. 

Adult learners also tend to learn at a slower pace than younger traditional students, but it is important to note that they are capable of learning well into old adulthood.  Also, the ability to learn was influenced significantly by the speed at which the trainee was given new material to assimilate. (Rix, 1996)

On The Job Training

Some of the general issues with academic learning for older adults also impact success of on-the-job training with older adults, namely the speed at which they learn new tasks. (Rix, 1996)  Also, many older adults haven't had much training and/or experience with computer technology.

A recent development involving The Home Depot (THD) and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Foundation shows a promising change of direction for employers and older workers.  THD and AARP Foundation, a charity affiliated with the AARP, will work together to recruit people older than 50 years to fill positions within their stores.  THD recognizes that older workers are dedicated and tend to stay with the company longer than younger workers.  THD has simplified its application process and asks for interests and hobbies of its applicants.  This allows the company to match skills with departments within the stores.  They also offer an extensive training program for employees prior to putting them on the retail floor.  Employees interested in particular subjects are even put through specific training. (http://storecareers.homedepot.com/aarp_newsrelease, viewed 2004)

The AARP Foundation's Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) provides temporary employment to people over 55 whose income falls at or below the poverty line.  The goal of the program is to give qualified candidates an opportunity to hone skills that will enable them to find work outside of the program.  In addition to paid work experience and training, this program allows workers to add to work experience, paid sick leave, health check-ups, worker's compensation insurance and a 1-year complimentary AARP membership. (www.aarp.org/foundation, viewed 2004)

Solutions for Non-traditional Students

Scheduling

One way to alleviate both the inflexible class schedules and the issues of childcare is to persuade more academic institutions to offer on-line courses.  The ability of non-traditional students to take classes and study at any time of any day is crucial to many older learners who are multi-tasking with family and career.  Besides being a convenience, online courses also cater to different learning speeds and styles of older non-traditional students.  There is thought that online education teaches students to be strong communicators, due to the vital use of email and chat groups in the 'cyber classroom'. (Business Wire, 2004)

Some also think that students can perform better with distance learning when compared to classroom learning.  Taylor and Mohr suggested that some students when presented with a math question in class become anxious and pressured to perform.  When presented with the same information via an online classroom, the students have time to ponder the question and craft more thoughtful response.  Without pressure of an instructor, the reflection on classroom material and fellow student responses becomes more developed with greater depth. (Taylor, 2001)

Financial Aid

Much of the financial aid help should come from congress in the form of Federal Aid Application reform and increases in grants like the Pell.  Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Bob Graham have recently co-sponsored a bill that aims to achieve this and more in support of the non-traditional student.  The bill is being called the Non-Traditional Student Success Act and it intends to correct several shortcomings in current policy. (Financial Times Information, 2004)  Several highlights that will attend to issues mentioned earlier in the chapter:

• Increase income protection allowance to allow working students to keep most of their money.
• Exclude the EIC and Child Tax credit from financial aid determination.
• Create a pilot program to offer more grants to less-than half time students, students with compressed or alternative schedules and /or students in distance learning programs.
• Increase the percentage of expenses that can be counted towards the Lifetime Learning Credit form 20% to 50%, capped at $2000.
• Make Pell Grants available year round to help students complete programs more quickly.
• Increase the maximum Pell Grant to $11,600 over the next five years.
• Create an incentive for institutions to customize their courses to help students' successfully complete remedial work and graduate into academic programs.
• Increase funding for on-campus childcare.

Training conclusion

Youth Bias is addressed by Academia

It appears that the Youth Bias from academic institutions is eroding.  Many colleges and universities have developed adult student service offices in recognition of the trend of older students.  These offices help students with financial aid forms, housing, networking, and commuting problems.  They also handle questions about courses, programs and instructors.  Some colleges are starting re-entry centers, which can offer assistance to older students who have been out of a learning environment for some time and childcare centers are becoming more common on campuses.  Many institutions are now offering night classes, weekend classes and distance classes via the Internet. (www.adulted.about.com, 2004)

Financial help

Federal aid application reform is badly needed and congressional support for the Clinton Graham bill would be a positive move for non-traditional students.  Non-traditional students need to have the financial freedom to pursue an education without worry of supporting themselves and/or family.

Conclusions

Demographic changes in the workforce will dramatically increase the number of workers over 55 by 2012.  Economic conditions and rapidly changing technology may cause displacement of some older worker before they retire.  Also, many of the potential retirees indicated a desire to continue working after retirement.  These workers will be faced with reentering the workforce in jobs that may or may not be related to their previous work and are very likely to not offer the same level of financial rewards as their previous career(s). 

Many employers will have to change their attitudes about hiring older workers if the government projections are accurate.  With a growth of 21.3 million jobs being projected by 2012 and a growth of only 17.4 million workers (59% of which will be 55 or over), employers will have to develop practices to attract and retain older workers.

Older adults looking to reenter the workforce will need to upgrade their skills, mostly through education.  In this process, they will be facing both financial barriers and support barriers in terms of help with family care.  On a positive note, it appears that change is taking place in the academic arena.  Schools have realized that a large segment of their customer base is comprised of older, non-traditional students and they are changing the organizational design to accommodate these students.

The AARP Foundation SCSEP initiative is a good example of on-the-job training and appears to be a potential solution for retirees in need of training resources and employment opportunities.  Their relationship with a large company like The Home Depot can aid in the effort to show that older workers are viable options for filling employment positions.

Recommendations

Older workers who are seeking to reenter the job market, either after retirement or displacement, need to be aware of the characteristics of the labor market they face.  The types of jobs they will be able to get may be limited by their work experience, salary requirements, competition from other cohorts and the attitudes of employers in a specific industry.

Employers need to be aware of the shifting demographics that may require them to put more effort into recruitment and retention of older workers.  They also need to understand what older workers are looking for in employment and be willing to modify their work environment to increase flexibility of schedules, minimize stress and find ways to make jobs less physically demanding.

The federal government needs to invest more capital in financial aid for non-traditional students and make changes in the application process that doesn't penalize students for working.  Additional incentives for institutions should be appropriated to help with starting childcare centers on campus.  Institutions also need to be aware of the emotional needs and keep adequate support centers in place for older students.

AARP should continue to fund and support programs like SCSEP.  They need to ensure success as the visibility of relationships like the Home Depot program will influence the image of older workers.  A positive relationship will go a long way to disprove myths of older worker viability.

References

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