The Baby Boomer And Continuing Education

Increasingly, older students, even those over 50, are choosing to acquire more education. For some, learning has become a matter of great pleasure in the later half of life, while others see it as the time to return to school to earn a degree to facilitate a new career. Baby boomers are known for valuing education and are more likely to pursue it, formally or informally, in post-career years.

The entire body of adult education studies is being referred to as 'lifelong or continuing education'. There are thousands of learners all over the world, who find that going back to college to earn a degree, or continue their business education is an exciting way to spend their time after a career and years of raising kids.

Today, someone retiring at age 65 is likely to live to be 80 or more. Jobs and technology are changing fast, and employees may explore different careers during a lifetime and the ever-growing job segments require a much higher educational background than the current jobs they hold. As a result, older adults are postponing retirement and are turning to college courses as a way to gain the knowledge necessary to maintain their creditability in their currently held positions, or retrain for the new careers they want.

The job market is changing fast and mature workers are returning to school to acquire the tools to cope with it. Workers today realize that they must re-educate or be left behind. Many older workers are enrolling in vocational courses like management training, and computer applications, technical seminars; sales, telecommunications upgrade, and engineering upgrade courses.

Even professionals like doctors, dentists, and nurses are taking courses to stay informed, while teachers, paramedics, and attorneys, are retraining to maintain certification. Many older workers, wanting to begin a second career feel that they need proper credentials to qualify for the type of job they want to do. Most workers in their middle age feel that ongoing and continuing education enhances their opportunities and provides insurance against becoming obsolete. Retraining and continuing education is seen as a positive way to increase job security and achieve promotions, maintain their market value, and prepare for career changes.

Different baby boomers have different reasons for returning to school for continuing education, professional and vocational training, or part time courses. For some, it is a result of a professional interest, ignited by experience in their field of work, which, they feel, will make certain ambitions, like a career change, attainable. Many older adults are just setting out to fulfill their life long goal of getting a college degree that they may have had to temporarily give up as a result of other commitments.

Most universities these days consider continuing education to be a core educational responsibility. They are willing to make their knowledge, expertise and contacts available to enable interested mature workers to update, and deepen the knowledge they have acquired from professional experience, or to complement it. Individual seminars and continuing education programs, increasingly meet this responsibility and universities are also establishing corresponding courses of study.

Education - The Emergence Of China And India

If students who exit American schools determine the future of our country, it's time to look at some of the global trends in this arena. How does our system of education compare with countries like China and India whose populations are growing at a much faster rate? (Before you finish reading this article-60 babies will be born in the U.S., 244 babies in China and 351 babies in India).

If we compare these education systems by looking at occupational outcomes we might make the following common observations:

"All of my medical doctors are either Indian (from India) or oriental (from China)." Or

"Every time I call the number for technical advice for my computer or other electronic device, I have difficulty understanding the technical adviser because of his, or her, accent which is usually Indian or Chinese. But some of these are American companies!" Or

"Chinese and Indian students seem to outnumber American students enrolled in engineering programs at some of our best universities."

Statement like those above have become commonplace. Isn't it time to ask why?

"Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton asked why..." - Bernard Baruch

Parental expectations and support for education combined with elevating the teaching profession to the status it deserves is a major reason for the emerging success in China and India. Parents as well as government officials value education. In the U.S. parent support is erratic and government officials are doing very little to address the real needs of education. In 2002, Nintendo invested more than $140 million in research and development. The U.S. government spent less than half as much on research and innovation in education during that same period. If the future of our country depends on the education of our youth, government officials must begin to emulate those public and private sector organizations who are successfully and realistically facing the future.

Even Japan, once considered a dominant force in education, is looking to India for guidance. India, as reported by Martin Fackler of the New York Times, has become the Asian country many see as the world's next education superpower. In China 25% and India 28% of the student population are considered honors students. Translation - They have more honors students than we have students! (Apollo Ideas.com) Many of these students will later apply to colleges and universities to prepare for careers as professionals.

China also places a high value on vocational and technical education as the best path to gainful employment. In many provinces of China, the average salary for technical school graduates rivals that of university grads and more students are beginning to follow this path. In the U.S. career-technical (vocational) courses for high school youth are disappearing in favor of more academic courses to bolster test scores.

While the educated and trained middle class in China and India is growing, what is happening in the United States? The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that today's learner will have 10-14 jobs by the age of 38. One out of four employees today have worked for their present employer for less than one year indicating a 25% turnover rate. The average age of a beginning apprentice in the U.S. is 28. What has this 28 year old trainee been doing for 10 years?

We live in a world where the amount of technical information is doubling every two years. By 2010 it is predicted to double every 72 hours. The obvious conclusion is that education and training must be a continuous process. If America's future in this global economy is dependent on our system of education and the students exiting from this system, we may be in trouble.

Government support for education, parent training and stronger vocational training programs is just the beginning. It's time to call on all sectors of our community to support education.