Not Too Late for School

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CAEL ConferenceNovember 7, 2012

Becky Klein-Collins

Working LongerRecent studies on

retirement show:

24% of all workers planned to increase their retirement age in 2010

24% of workers intend on waiting until at least age 70 to retire while 9% predict they will never retire, due to lack of financial security

70% of workers intend on working for pay while retired (mostly for financial reasons)

Source: Ruth Helman, Mathew Greenwald and Associates, and Craig Copeland and Jack VanDerhei. Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI). The 2010 Retirement Confidence Survey: Confidence Stabilizing, But Preparations Continue to Erode. March 2010

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Aging Worker Initiative SitesOrganization StateTecumseh Area Partnership, Inc. IndianaQuad Area Community Action Agency, Inc. LouisianaCoastal Counties Workforce, Inc. MaineBaltimore County Office of Workforce Development

Maryland

Macomb/St. Clair Workforce Development Board, Inc.

Michigan

South Central Workforce Investment Board PennsylvaniaGoodwill Industries of Houston, Inc. TexasVermont Associates for Training & Development, Inc.

Vermont

Seattle-King County Workforce Development Council

Washington

Fox Valley Workforce Development Board Wisconsin

Transition workshops with attention to social/ emotional component

Computer training Short-term training for

high-demand industries

Career navigation Internships Peer support

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Learning Supports that Made a Difference for AWI Participants

KEVIN PITZER Age 57, from Galveston, Indiana Was forced to retire from the

United States Air Force in 2009 at the age of 55

Was not ready for retirement mentally, physically or financially

Felt lost after the loss of his job with too much free time

Began attending Career Transition Hub networking meetings

With the help of his Veterans Administrative benefits he and his wife have both enrolled in college at Ivy Tech Community College

He is enjoying his classes for his computer information technology major

“They say you’re busier when you retire than you

were when you’re working, and it’s true.”

ALTA REYNOLDS

60 years old from Baltimore, Maryland

Held a series of jobs from veterinary assistant to store owner

Store closed during the recession

Divorced and could not find a job

Back in school with the help of the AWI grant studying to be a surgical technician

“The last thing in the world you

think you're going to do at 60 is go back to school

and rebuild your life!"

Need information, opportunity, and support

Willing to invest in their own education and training

Want to have their existing skills and competencies count towards postsecondary degree

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Mature Learners Are No Different?

Matched savings for employee learning and development

San Francisco pilot with 4 employers, targeting 55+ 24% were 55 or older 89% of participants who were 55

years or older were also lower-income and/or minority group members.

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Lifelong Learning Accounts (LiLAs)

On average, participants 55 years or older saved $860 of their own funds

Participants made progress toward their goals.

Age may be a factor in goal achievement.

Participants believed that LiLAs played an important role in meeting goals.

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What Happened

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Prior Learning Assessment

All stu-dents

(n=4,905)

25-34 (n=1,921)

35-44 (n=1,730)

45-54 (n=1,001)

55-64 (n=158)

65 plus (n=15)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

17.615.1

18.520.9

23.225.7

Aver

age

PLA

Cred

its E

arne

d

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PLA and Graduation Rate by Age Group

Age 25-34, Non-PLA Students

Age 25-34, PLA Stu-

dents

Age 35-44, Non-PLA Students

Age 35-44, PLA Stu-

dents

Age 45-54, Non-PLA Students

Age 45-54, PLA Stu-

dents

Age 55-64, Non-PLA Students

Age 55-64, PLA Stu-

dents

65 or older, Non-PLA Students

65 or older, PLA Stu-

dents

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

7%14%

6% 13% 6% 9% 3% 7% 5% 12%15%

38%

17%

45%

16%

52%

11%

54%

11%

50%

Associate's Degree Bachelor's Degree Other No Degree

Not Too Late for School: Winning Strategies to Help the Mature Learner. http://www.cael.org/pdfs/Mature-learners---AP

New Approaches for Supporting the Mature Worker: The Experiences of the U.S. Department of labor’s Aging Worker Initiative Grantees. http://www.cael.org/pdfs/TMT_New_Approaches_AWI_Grantees

The Learning That Maturity Bring: An Analysis of the Value of Prior Learning Assessment for Mature Learners, February 2012http://www.cael.org/pdfs/PLA_Mature_Learner

For additional TMT publications, please visit http://www.cael.org/How-We-Help/Older-Workers

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CAEL Publications

Becky Klein-CollinsCAEL

bklein@cael.org

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