1. Michelle A. Valin, Program Coordinator
Workforce & Continuing Education
Center for Health Careers at
Macomb Community College
Good Morning, I’m Michelle Valin from Macomb Community College’s Workforce & Continuing Education, the Center for Health Careers. I want to share with you today a little about our college’s initiatives for supporting the return of older students to the classroom for retraining.
As most of you know, Southeast Michigan’s workforce has been hit extremely hard by the recession. In response, one example of how our college is supporting our communities’ unemployed has been the transformation of our continuing education department’s mission. Previously, we offered a balance of job skill training, professional development and enrichment courses for a variety of learners. Today, our department has merged with the workforce development department and almost exclusively offers job skill training and professional development.
Michelle A. Valin, Program Coordinator

2. American Association of Community Colleges
Resources & support for colleges starting Plus 50 initiatives
Tips for Employers on retaining or hiring older workers
Outreach to older students considering returning to learn
As Judy mentioned, community colleges do fill the need of retraining the encore learner for jobs that are in demand by local employers. Nationally, the American Association of Community Colleges Plus 50 initiative offers:
Colleges creative solutions on how to adapt the learning environment for older learners including the use of technology and student support services
The initiative also offers employers educational resources on understanding the value of older workers and tips on how to retain and hire them
And last the initiative reaches out to older students who are considering returning to the classroom with the message that they can be successful in college and what their community college can do to support that success.

3. EngAging the 50+ Student at Macomb Community College
Research!
economic & enrichment needs of our older residents in the county
Program Development!
strategies for programming to appeal to the baby boomer population
Partnerships!
So, how do we engage the 50+ student at Macomb Community College?
We conducted an institutional research study to understand the unique economic and enrichment needs of our older constituents. Specifically, we did a survey of current students at the college age 45+ who enrolled in either credit or noncredit courses.
Using these results, we then developed strategies for noncredit programming that would appeal to the baby boomer population. These students told us they wanted training in health care. The college currently offers 8 associate’s degree health programs and 8 noncredit certificate health programs. One of the newest programs to come out of the survey is our certified nursing assistant.
Of course we are always looking for ways to market the college as a recognized place where the older student is welcomed and encouraged to thrive and one way we do this is by partnering with other aging organizations, like we have with AARP, and by applying for new funding opportunities, like the Civic Ventures grant we received.
With the help of partners from the aging services community the college becomes recognized as a place where older learners are welcomed and encouraged to thrive

4. PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT Job Skills & Professional Development
1. Meet emerging workforce shortages by offering short-term training in entry-level health care careers
2. Become the primary educational resource for professionals in the field of aging in Macomb County
Program Goals
The mission of a college’s Workforce and Continuing Education department is to respond quickly to business and industries need for new job skill training and professional development. At Macomb, we are also working on meeting the needs of our aging population.
According to the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, by the year 2030, this segment will make up one out of four residents in our county. By creating entry level training programs in health care that will serve this population, we will greatly enhance our legitimacy should we need to ask this constituency for millage support in the future.
We also offer course work for professional development, either in the classroom or at the business site, for the workforce serving seniors.

5. Training Direct Care Workers
Eldercare Specialist
Certified Nursing Assistant
Phlebotomist
Personal Trainer
Of our 8 noncredit certificate programs, we offer 4 in direct care services.
Eldercare Specialist provide support to seniors in assisted living or home care settings
Certified Nursing Assistants provide assistance to seniors in hospitals, nursing homes, and home care agencies
Phlebotomists draw patient’s blood in clinics, hospitals, nursing homes and sometimes home care settings.
Personal Trainers, while most often associated with body builders in the gym, are also employed to continue a wellness plan devised by physical therapists. There is also a growing niche of trainers specializing in the aging boomer population who started the fitness craze of the 70’s!

6. Training Health Care Office Workers
Certified Professional Coding Preparation
Patient Access and Accounting
Health Unit Coordinator
Pharmacy Technician
We know there are also students who want jobs in health care but would prefer not working directly with patients. For them we offer:
Certified professional coders and Patient Access and Accountants, who work in hospitals, clinics, insurance companies nonprofit organizations and some in home-based businesses
Health Unit Coordinators are the very busy administrative assistants on medical floors and
Pharmacy Technicians are in great demand at local pharmacies and in hospitals.

7. Professional Development
Designed for: Working professionals in aging related services. Examples include:
Social Worker Seminars
ICD 10 Prep (International Classification of Diseases)
Eldercare Mediation
Our offerings for professional development are varied but here are a few examples of continuing education offerings in health care that we are currently offering.
Social worker seminars include topics relating to aging issues
The new 10th edition of the ICD or international classification of diseases is coming soon and we offer a prep course for coders
Our partnership with the professionals at the Alternative Dispute Resolution Center allows us to provide mediation training for professionals assisting families caring for older adults

8. Partnerships = Exposure
Civic Ventures Grant -- Program Goals
Recruit!
Encore students for training in direct care careers
AARP co-sponsored information forum
Adapt!
College resources to fit older student needs
Faculty development
Counseling
As a program coordinator, I can tell you that building enrollment in new programs is hard work! By collaborating with other like-minded organizations we enjoy greater exposure of our programs and thus reach the right target market – in this case, the encore student.
As a Civic Ventures grant recipient, we’ve put together a plan to recruit and place older students into encore careers, specifically in the area of direct care work. The programs grant activities include:
Partnering with AARP to produce an information forum for 50+ students. This included a key note speech by Lee Hammond; President of AARP Board of Directors, a panel discussion by experts in the direct care field; and workshops relating to getting back into school.
Next we are working on adapting our college resources to better fit our students needs, such as inspiring faculty to design web-enhanced curriculum; assigning a special services counselor for the older student; and recruiting employers in direct care to hold mock interviews at our career services center
Last, we are committed to informing employers, like through today’s webinar, about the business case for hiring older adults.
Employers about the business case for hiring older adults
AARP co-sponsored webinar
Inform!

9. Outcomes = Workers Getting Jobs
Increased enrollment of 50+ students
Faculty offering flexible web-based course delivery
Increased recruitment by employers in the aging industry
Students getting jobs in health care
Better care for tomorrow’s elders
How do we measure success?
By watching enrollment go up by students age % of students enrolled in Fall 2010 semester’s Eldercare Specialist classes were aged 50+
By observing our faculty’s technological skills grow and development to offer flexible, web-based course delivery
By increasing the number of employers in the aging industry who recruit students on our campus
By self-reported surveys from students telling us they are getting jobs in the industry and are loving it
And hopefully, by better care for tomorrow’s elders.
While we can’t track that at the college, we can be sure that by engaging mature workers with their lifelong experiences and their desire to make a difference in their encore career, that there will be better times ahead for them and for the public they serve.

10. Job Skills
Lifelong Learning
Encore
Careers
Workforce
Training