Shirley Serey is the community college student of the future: 59 years old, MBA, corporate manager, breast cancer survivor – and new teacher of special education, helping fourth and fifth graders with disabilities learn to read.
Serey is at the leading edge of tens of millions of baby boomers who are beginning to shift into a new phase of life and work.
The generational shift creates an historic opportunity for community colleges to become “encore colleges,” helping baby boomers manage transitions to their encore careers at the same time they meet the pressing workforce needs of their communities.
Innovative organizations around the country, from YMCAs to hospitals to transportation companies, have found a new pool of employees who are experienced, reliable and cool in a crisis.
These new workers are older – part of the growing population of aging baby boomers who are finding their time and talent increasingly in demand by nonprofit groups and other organizations facing shortages of skilled and talented employees.