a whole new world -...

A WHOLE NEW WORLD

CURRENT TRENDS IN ADULT EMPLOYMENT & EDUCATION

Jill Grohusky MSE, NCC

Career Consultant

Great Lakes Training

&

Development Corporation

Overview • Employment statistics for adults 45-64 from 2008 – 2011

• Changes in employment standards in recent years

• Issues and concerns of the adult worker

• Benefits of attending school

• The adult learner & impacts of education

• Available services for the adult worker/returning student

Unemployment Statistics All Age Groups (Percentages)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Department of Workforce Development 2012

Employment Numbers Ages 45-54

7600

7800

8000

8200

8400

8600

8800

9000

9200

9400

9600

2008 2009 2010 2011

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4


Employment Numbers Ages 55-64

5100

5200

5300

5400

5500

5600

5700

5800

5900

6000

6100

6200

2008 2009 2010 2011

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4


New Hires Ages 45-54

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

2008 2009 2010 2011

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4


New Hires Ages 55-64

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

2008 2009 2010 2011

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4


Job Creation Ages 45-54

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

2008 2009 2010 2011

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4


Job Creation Ages 55-64

0

50

100

150

200

250

2008 2009 2010 2011

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4


Manufacturing Jobs Ages 45-54 (# Working in Manufacturing)

950

1000

1050

1100

1150

1200

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

2008

2009

2010

2011Quarter 1 2011


Manufacturing Jobs Ages 55-64 (# Working in Manufacturing)

1600

1700

1800

1900

2000

2100

2200

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

2008

2009

2010

2011

Quarter 1 2011


Manufacturing Jobs Outlook

• Plant expansion plans are similar from 2011 to 2012.

• 1 out of 3 manufacturers plan to modernize their plants in

2012‐2013.

Pending Question…

• If the jobs are there, why the difficulty in filling

these positions for the older adult worker?

Difficulty In Filling Positions

Northeast Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance (2012)


• 1 out of 2 hard‐to‐find workers are in production‐related

occupations

• Demand in skilled trades fields (CNC/machinists, welders,

etc.) remains high

• Engineers are the next occupational sector manufacturers

are having difficulty finding for their companies

• Most of the occupations going unfilled require post

secondary education

• Advanced technology in manufacturing is requiring a

higher skill set for the workforce


• Most Difficult‐To‐Fill Occupations

• 1 Machinist/CNC Machinist/Tool and Die

• 2 Team Assembler

• 3 Welder

• 4 Engineers/Engineering Technicians

• 5a Machine Operators (tied)

• 5b Sales Representatives (tied)

Changes in Employment Standards • Application Standards

• Cover Letter & Resume

• Now required for applying to most positions

• Even jobs that do not request it, it is an asset to include these

• Read into as having computer skills if able to compile a resume

• On-line job hunting

• Limited options for other forms of job application

• Walk-ins a thing of the past

• Need for basic computer skills and beyond

• Understanding of email and internet usage

• Understanding of on-line presence and potential effects

• Social networking??

Changes in Employment Standards • Education Standards

• One of the major changes in recent employment is the level of

education required

• High School diploma/GED is now a requirement for the majority of

positions

• Includes positions in the past which would have required little to no

education (Server example)

Changes in Employment Standards • Importance of the “Lifelong Learner”

• Past education may be just that = PAST

• Importance of continuing education throughout the work experience

• Current certifications and skills a must-have

• Advances in machinery/technology create an ever-changing working

environment

• Technology = a major component of this need to remain up-to-date in the field

• Computer and technology skills becoming a must in most fields

Pending Question… • What factors are impacting the older worker in attaining

further employment and/or going back to school?

Concerns of the Adult Worker and/or Non-Traditional Student

• Ageism • Require higher starting salary

• “Over-qualified”

• Limited/outdated skills; specifically in technology

• Retirement in the next 7 – 10 years

• Geographically Confined • Family constraints

• Home ownership

• Willingness to move out of community/familiar territory

• “Sandwich Generation”/Family Concerns • Taking care of aging parents along with children

• Many children now returning home after college

• Added pressure to care for aging parents

Concerns of the Adult Worker and/or Non-Traditional Student • Financial Strain

• Main breadwinner

• “Could I go back to school rather than focus on finding FT work?”

• Ability to afford school

• Cost vs. benefit analysis – What will it cost vs. what will I get from it?

• Need for employment benefits

• Healthcare

• Childcare

• Anxiety/Desire to return to school

• Many chose employment over schooling after high school for a

reason

• Were not in need nor desired education beyond high school

• Fear of failure/inability to succeed

• Fear of taking on a new career field at this point in life

Concerns of the Adult Worker and/or Non-Traditional Student

• The Impact of Unemployment/Being Laid-off

• Gender differentiation

• Unemployment effects men differently than women

• More difficult for men regardless of income/being household breadwinner

(Harms, 2011)

• Physical and mental health impact

• Higher levels of depression, anxiety, and overall days being physically ill

in those unemployed than in those holding steady employment

Subjective vs. objective view of being laid-off heightens mental/physical

health issues (Linn et al, 1985)

• “I was let go” vs. “The company downsized”

• Impact of unemployment lingers

• Effects further feelings of self-worth, ability to achieve goals, etc.

• Generational effect on children of long-term unemployment households

Pending Question… • How can attending adult-focused education assist with

resolving some of these concerns?

Education Statistics • Financial Constraints and cost vs. benefit analysis

• Two-fold benefit of higher education

• Lower unemployment level, higher weekly earnings

United States Department of Labor (2012)

Student Development – Transition Theory • Reduction in fear/anxiety of returning to school &

improvement of self-esteem

• Schlossberg’s Transition Theory (Evans et al, 1998)

• Acknowledging the event(s) and their impact on each individual's life

dependent on how it is viewed

• Financial Strain

• Physical/mental impact of losing employment

• Family concerns

• Examining what caused the situation to occur as well as one’s outlook

on the event (positive/negative)

• Supporting the coping process

• Support is key in overcoming an undesirable/difficult event

• Support can be provided at the college level through advisement and

counseling services

Programs for the Adult Learner • Shaping the campus culture to acknowledge and meet the

concerns of the returning adult student

• University of Wisconsin Green Bay

• Adult Learner Degree Programs

• Only UW System college to offer broad applicability of the guaranteed

60 transfer credits from every regionally accredited technical college

• Regardless of degree earned/awarded

• 2-4 year degree options 35+ years

• Liberal Arts Bachelors, Bachelors of Business Administration, Associate of

Arts & Sciences, Emergency Management, Leadership in Public Service &

Entrepreneurship

• All on-line or weekend availability

• Personal Experience

Programs for the Adult Learner • Adult Focused Programs

• Lakeshore Technical College Flexible Learning Options

• “Take classes when and where it’s convenient for you with LTC’s flexible

learning options. Not only can you choose from day, evening and weekend

options, you can also take classes online and choose from blended,

Interactive Television (ITV), correspondence, accelerated, and self-paced

classes.” (LTC, 2012)

• Lakeland College BlendEd

• “At Home: Just like you, many Lakeland College students have families and

family responsibilities that they need to balance with earning a degree. Caring

for your children or other family members, taking care of a sick child or

yourself if you get sick, and being part of your family's social life are all

important to you.” (Lakeland College, 2012)

LTC Enrollment By Age

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59

2009-2010

2010-2011

2011-2012

LTC Enrollment By Age

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

60 61 62 63 64

2009-2010

2010-2011

2011-2012

LTC Total Enrollment Numbers

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012

50+ Age Group

All Age Groups

2596 2254 2800

Further LTC Statistics • 2001 – Average age of enrollment = 27 years old

• 2010 – Average age of enrollment = 36 years old

• 2011 – 75% of students over the age of 23, and 29% over

the age of 45

• With recession, LTC total enrollment increased, with most

new enrollees being non-traditional students/dislocated

workers

• Re-shift in age numbers (factors impacting a decrease in

the enrollment of the older adult learner) may include:

• Graduation

• Retirement

• End of education due to financial reasons

Pending Question… • Knowing what we know about the major changes in job

attainment as well as the importance of a minimum high

school education, what local resources are available to

assist the adult worker/learner in attaining employment

and/or further education?

Employment Resources

• Job Center of Wisconsin website • www.jobcenterofwisconsin.com

• Employer Tools

• Job posting

• Ability to search profiles and find candidates

• Notification of new resumes to match search results

• Job Seeker Tools

• Local and statewide job searching

• Job Fairs

• Information from DWD on unemployment, dislocated worker resources, etc.

• Option to allow employers to find the job seeker

• Connection to WTCS and other schooling resources

• New options: • Uploading a current resume vs. create a new one

• Trucking & other industry employment focus

• https://jobcenterofwisconsin.com/Trucking/Default.aspx

http://www.jobcenterofwisconsin.com/

https://jobcenterofwisconsin.com/Trucking/Default.aspx

https://jobcenterofwisconsin.com/Trucking/Default.aspx

Manitowoc County Job Center Resources

• Employment Services

• Dislocated Worker Sessions

• Overview of Job Center services and training services

• Resource Room

• On-line job searching assistance (JCOW access and assistance)

• Resume/Cover Letter assistance

• Internet use for job hunting and related tasks

• Support for the technology learner

• Job applications/open positions resource

• Workshops

• Resume Writing

• Interviewing for Results

• Computer Basics

• Internet & Email Basics


• WIA (Workforce Investment Act) Funding & Services

• Federal program offered throughout the country and counties of Wisconsin

• One-on-one assistance in:

• Resume and cover letter development

• Mock Interviewing

• Job Placement (when applicable)

• Labor market statistics/potential training fields

• Division of Vocational Rehabilitation

• Veterans Services • Veteran Representatives

• Employment and Training attainment

• National Career Readiness Certificate

• State (ACT developed) program offered for FREE

• Demonstrates basic universal skills required by all employers

• Preference given by some employers to individual who complete this certificate

• WIA Training Services • GED Attainment

• Academic Counseling/Advising • Is schooling feasible for me?

• Schooling options and discussion of in-demand occupational areas

• Referral to counselors at local 2 and 4 year colleges based on interests

• Vocational Assessments • What would be a good fit?

• Career Cruising, WisCareers, LTC resources

• Financial Aid Assistance • Grants, loans, scholarships

• WIA funding potential

• Monthly support while in school and additional job skills assistance following graduation/during school • Resume/cover letter development

• Mock Interviewing

• Job Referrals


Thank you

• Questions?

References • Evans, N., Forney, D., & Guido-DiBrito, F. (1998). Student Development in College. (1st ed.).

Jossey-Bass: CA.

• Hamms, W. (2011). Great Recession could reduce school achievement for children of unemployed. Retrieved March 16, 2012 from http://news.uchicago.edu/article/2011/08/30/great-recession-could-reduce-school-achievement-children-unemployed

• Lakeland College. (2012). Blend Ed. Retrieved March 6, 2012 from http://lakeland.edu/BlendEd/

• Lakeshore Technical College. (2012). Future Students. Retrieved March 5, 2012 from http://www.gotoltc.com/futureStudents/

• Linn, M., Sandifer, R., & Stein, S. (1985). Effects of Unemployment of Mental and Physical Health. American Journal of Public Health. 75(5), 502-506. Retrieved March 6, 2012 from PubMed Central Database

• Northeast Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance. (2012). In Manufacturing Vitality Index Survey. Retrieved March 20, 2012 from http://www.newmfgalliance.org/media/22687/2012%20manufacturing%20index%20survey%20report%20final.pdf

• RE: Adult Learner Statistics (Jablonicky, D. personal communication March 30, 2012).

• RE: Chamber Presentation (Craver, E. personal communication March 29, 2012).

• RE: Unemployment Statistics Information (Sachse, J.A. personal communication March 19, 2012).

• University of Wisconsin Green Bay. (2012) Adult Degree Programs. Retrieved March 6, 2012 from http://www.uwgb.edu/adultdegrees/

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