Baby boomers will take the lead in the coming post-retirement career boom
The leading edge of the baby boom generation, those born between 1946 and 1964, has reached the traditional retirement age, but many in this influential group are not ready to embrace previous generations' retirement pursuits.
Rather than packing their bags for retirement lifestyles in a warmer climate, boomers are leaving their longstanding professions only to embark on new, exciting career paths.
According to George Boggs, chief executive officer of the American Association of Community Colleges, there will be expanding opportunities for older adults to work full- or part-time or to volunteer.
The life experiences baby boomers have will be a great benefit for them to share in new roles. He said community colleges have always encouraged people of all ages to enroll in classes, but that the older adult market will become increasingly important to higher education.
"Future retirees will likely want to remain active, and that will probably mean that they will have to learn new skills that can be applied to 'encore' careers, volunteer activities, or hobbies. The most effective way to learn these new skills will be provided by community colleges," Boggs explained.
According to the American Council on Education's report "Framing New Terrain: Older Adults and Higher Education," pursuing a post-retirement career is a phenomenon that will only increase as more baby boomers reach their 60s and enter the third age of their lives. The desire to remain active and engaged is one factor contributing to this trend, but economics also plays a part. With all of us living longer, an income is often needed to maintain a high quality of life through the post-retirement years.
This time offers older adults the freedom to try something different or to turn a passion or hobby into a career. This can be as simple as finding a new job doing something you love, to appealing to your entrepreneurial interests and starting your own company, to focusing on volunteer service.
Preparing for an "encore" career is a lot like preparing for a first career, and going to college is a key step to ensuring success. This is why baby boomers are enrolling in college courses every day.
Comprehensive community colleges like Waubonsee are well situated to serve the needs of this generation as they look to their future. At Waubonsee we help older adults discover what they want to do with their post-retirement years, and then give them the tools to reach their goals. This might mean retraining in the classroom, earning a new degree or certificate, participating in our Lifelong Learning Institute, using the services of Waubonsee's Illinois Small Business Development Center to get a new business off the ground, or volunteering in our Adult Literacy Program.
The baby boom generation has decades of experience, and tapping into this deep pool of knowledge is essential for our country. There is growing recognition that the boomer generation will continue to be a huge force for years to come.
The rumblings of this cultural and economic shift have been heard for years; soon the rumbling will become a boom. All of which is fitting for everything that this generation has accomplished and will accomplish in the future.