Alabama College Helps Older Workers Find Employment

Northwest-Shoals Community College in Alabama started a free 'Ready to Work' program to provide career retraining ranging from soft skills such as what to wear to work, to other work skills such as math and critical thinking.

After 30 years of employment at a financial institution, Melody Austin, in her early 50s, lost her job. Austin wanted to go back to work and participated in all the activities typical of job seekers. She did resume coaching, visited employment agencies, searched the state's job boards, newspaper ads and followed-up on networking contacts from friends.

"I used all the resources I could think of," Austin said. After eight months of job hunting, Austin found work at CB&S Bank at Cherokee as a customer service representative.

Assistant Dean Brent McGill stated that approximately 140 people had graduated from the job training program that lasts around six weeks and requires three nights per week attendance. More than half of the program's participants have been middle-aged. The first class graduated in March of this year.

Baby boomers will continue to be a growing segment of the US workforce. The Bureau of Labor Statistics say that those aged 55 or older are expected to make up more than 90 percent of the projected increase of 12.8 million people in the work force by 2016.
Source - Montgomery Advertiser