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- July 8, 2008
Baby Boomers Going Back to School
As many high school graduates prepare for their transition into college life, so too do their parents. In response to the current state of the job market, baby boomers are once again filling the halls of colleges and universities nationwide, making them the new kids on campus.
With the desire to address the burgeoning demands of students in midlife, colleges and universities have begun developing and maintaining programs for boomers in order to help them launch into the next phase of their working lives. It is not just going to back to school, it’s using school to move forward. Education researchers refer to it as “higher education.”
According to the University Continuing Education Association, non-traditional students, those outside of the typical college age or structure, comprise nearly 60 percent of all students at 4-year public institutions and 50 percent at private colleges. In California alone, the number of college students between the ages of 50 and 64 rose 61 percent between 1986 and 2006.
With technology at the helm of the ever-changing job market, workers feel the urgency to return to school to succeed in their field. Esteemed universities, such as Academy of Art University, are catering to boomers interested in reinventing themselves in the second half of life with a dynamic education and confidence in their newly gained abilities.
Academy of Art University has already received an influx of baby boomer students in their comprehensive continuing education program in 13 art and design fields. Whether returning to college for career development, career retraining or personal enrichment, the continuing education program is designed to help boomers gain and maintain critical skills necessary for their new life endeavors.
Retirement doesn’t mean taking up golf or moving to the coast anymore. This dynamic generation is motivated to make a difference in the world and leave a lasting creative legacy. Now, with the power of education, they can.
