"Your
old road is rapidly aging… for the times- they are a-changing."
Bob Dylan
During
the post WWII years, 1946 to 1964, history saw the single
largest generation ever born, the Boomer generation. Let's
face it, if you know Bob Dylan you're probably a Boomer. Great
in numbers, Boomers influence nearly every aspect of our society.
Boomers set the trends, make policies, and guide consumer
demand for products and services. Either because of economic
necessity or need for personal fulfillment, lifelong learning
has become of special interest to the Boomer generation.
The
first of the Boomers- those born between 1946 and 1954- are
already receiving social security checks. However, according
to the latest statistical data most Boomers have little interest
in retirement, at least in retirement for leisure. Rather,
they are more interested in seeking new careers or in finding
socially conscientious work. Boomers want to make positive
contributions to the greater society. Thus, now more than
ever before Boomers are demanding opportunities to learn the
skills they need in order to actively participate in today's
job market. In response, institutions of higher education
are meeting Boomer needs by implementing programs for a variety
of subject areas and with flexible scheduling. Those of us
living in the Michiana area have many resources available
in our quest for lifelong learning with a wide variety of
educational institutions right here in Michiana. Many programs
offered at our local universities and colleges are geared
specifically for adult learners. For example:
Ivy
Tech Community College caters to both individuals and to companies
needing to increase the skills of their workforce. The description
on their website says, "Continuing education classes can keep
you abreast of new technology in business and industry, assist
you in gaining advanced skills and keep abreast of current
laws regarding licensing such as real estate and food handlers.
We also offer classes in Workplace Spanish and American Sign
Language. Our information technology classes will prepare
you for the latest certifications or brush you up on skills
for your job." You can find the specifics at: http://www.ivytech.edu/southbend/business_employers/corp_comm/index.html
Indiana
University South Bend's Extended Learning Services offers
a wide variety of continuing education opportunities. IUSB
offers some online courses, several courses leading to a certificate
or other credential, and some courses just for fun. Their
Extended Learning Services offers a Paralegal Studies Program,
Summer Reading Institute, Microsoft Office Certification,
Real Estate Sales Pre-licensing, Montessori Teacher Academy,
and a Health Professions Institute. Some courses can even
be taken for credit, although that requires admittance to
the university. More information can be found on their website,
http://www.iusb.edu/~extendsb/.
The
University of Notre Dame's Center for Continuing Education
offers many opportunities for lifelong learning. The facility
is
