Unemployment to graduation, as the economy takes a downturn and millions of Americans found themselves without a job many are finding a light at the end of the tunnel at their local community college. There are a wide array of student loans, grants and subsidized funding designed to educate people for a changing market.
As millions of Americans lose their jobs Anoka- Ramsey Community College has large billboards placed along the highways within its’ community offering up 50% off tuition for anyone on unemployment. This generous offer was met with a groundswell of individuals looking to enhance their resume through a wide array of programs offered by ARCC. Providing that you stay enrolled you can complete a degree for half-price.
The Anoka County Workforce center has funding available for eligible individuals through the dislocated workers program. Providing you are currently on unemployment or if your unemployment has been exhausted you would still be eligible for the program. The funds are available for those qualified to obtain a two-year degree or a number of certification programs on condition that they are non-profit institutions, such as Anoka Technical College, where you could obtain a certification in welding or heating and air-conditioning.
If someone chooses to get a two-year degree they must commit to completing it in two years. There is $6000 available for each year plus funds available for summer courses. Students are also eligible for guaranteed student loans and any grants they are qualified to receive to help subsidize the living costs while attending school.
Renee Shepherd, a 53-year-old student attending ARCC, is one of thousands of students currently going back to school through the dislocated workers program. Shepherd's job was phased out after 21 years.
Shepherd said it was the most stressful time in her life. She went on to say, “even beyond the financial stress of unemployment, the toll it takes on your self-worth is incredulous. The low point in my job search came when I applied for a position which mirrored my previous position, was granted an interview, and then did not get hired. It was nearly the final straw of rejection for me; I really wanted to just give up. Because of my relevant experience, I believed this was my best opportunity at becoming employed again.”
Shepherd went on to say, “I also attended many classes and networking opportunities at the Anoka County Workforce Center. This is a wonderful resource for the unemployed. They offer so much including the use of computers and internet access, the use of office equipment, workshops and training, plus networking and job clubs. They helped me in so many ways, one being paying for books and tuition at ARCC. The moral support from the employees was probably the part that was the highlight for me. I believe that they genuinely care that each and every person finds employment once again.”
At this point Shepherd decided to take advantage of the two-year program offered by the Anoka County Workforce Center. She is currently attending ARCC, in her third semester, in pursuit of a AAS degree in Business.
Shepherd said that the first semester was difficult. It was a big adjustment from working for so many years and then going to school full time. Because her position was eliminated she had to make a mental adjustment, because at first she, "wanted to be working and making money again."
Her experience has been very positive at Anoka-Ramsey Community College. She said all her teachers were great and they really made it enjoyable. “I have a renewed appreciation for continuing education,” stated Shepherd.
Joanne Kost, a 30 year veteran of the workforce center, said the economy hasn't been this bad since the late 70s. The marketplace has changed dramatically as have the skills one needs to obtain employment in the marketplace today.
Kost went on to say that many of the people that have recently lost their jobs are inadequately equipped when it comes to computer skills. She said that it's not like it used to be 20 years ago when someone could walk into a business and talk to a manager and be immediately placed in a new position.
Jeffrey Janas, the job placement coordinator at ARCC, said there has been a large influx of non-traditional students coming back to school due to the recession. Many of these individuals have maintained their jobs for 10 to 20 years prior to this. Most of these people have never even had an interview since they were hired by someone they knew right out of high school and a large proportion of them will need help drafting their first resume. Janas goes on to explain that resume writing has become an art form based on the online word search performed for particular qualifications. Many resumes are tailor-made in an effort to obtain a particular type of position.
In mid-March ARCC has a workshop designed to help people with their resume skills and conduct mock interviews to help students better prepare for the interview process stated Janas. He went on to say that four of the individuals that practiced their mock interviews multiple times last year were hired within the following week.
Linnea Branstrom, the Interim Coordinator of Access Services and an academic advisor, said that the average age of students has risen to 25 due to the higher level of nontraditional students returning back for continuing education. Branstrom went on to say that many of the nontraditional students that are currently attending ARCC have a considerable amount of stress to deal with compared to the traditional student. A large portion of the nontraditional students have families to feed and mortgage payments to make. Regardless of all the stressors the majority of the students stay focused and are very dedicated said Branstrom.
Scott Wrobel, a creative writing instructor at ARCC said that most of his classes are online these days. Wrobel went on to say, “In my on-campus writing courses, however, though I can't say with certainty that the dynamic has significantly changed over the past couple years, a good blend of traditional and non-traditional students has always been beneficial, especially during the workshop component of the course where students works in small groups to formally critique each other's essays on various subjects, many of which are persuasive in form and deal with controversial social issues. Having multiple perspectives as readers, especially with the sorts of topics the students are expected to research and write about, is critical and creates an energetic classroom. The blend of traditional and non-traditional students in my writing courses has always provided a terrific learning environment full of good energy.”
Renee Shepherd said that after sixteen months, “I was finally fortunate to find employment again. When I received the call from my current employer, it was one of the best days of my life. I immediately informed the people who supported me throughout this ordeal and those I hold close to me.”
When asked if she was going to complete her degree Shepherd responded most definitely yes. The company that she is employed with currently has a history of hiring only people with degrees. The fact that she was working toward a degree was certainly a positive and most probably helped her get this position.
People by the thousands are flocking back to school all across the country through various financial means obtaining skills they will need to become gainfully employed again in an ever-changing work market. This is not the first time that our nation has had to retool or reeducate to remain competitive in the global market and most certainly it will not be the last.
