Jeff State program guides career changes after 50

For those who haven’t applied for a new job in decades, re-entering the hiring market can be a daunting experience. 

Handing out resumes at businesses door-to-door has been replaced by online application forms, among other changes, and some workers have outdated skills or aren’t sure where their experiences can land them in a new field.

At Jefferson State Community College, the Back to Work 50+ program offers not only training in job hunting and new skills, but also the reassurance that others have faced the same challenge.

“Once you’re 50 and older and you think, ‘I want to get back in the workforce or I’m trying to get another job,’ you think you’re the only one out there in this boat. And it’s nice to be around other people who are doing the exact same thing,” said Jefferson State success coach Lynn Chambers.

Back to Work 50+ is a four-year-old program at Jefferson State funded by a grant from the AARP Foundation. Director of Career and Job Resources Tamara Payne said more than 300 people have participated at the Shelby campus, near Spain Park High School, and the Jefferson County campus, in the Pinson area.

Those participants come into the program with a variety of needs. Chambers said they have helped men and women who have been laid off, need a new career field, are looking for a pay raise or are entering the workforce after a long absence. Some have had a high school diploma or GED, and Chambers said at least one participant had a Ph.D. but wanted a career change.

There are special challenges that come with being an older job-seeker, Chambers said, including a lack of familiarity with more recent hiring practices.

“A lot of times we find people that have been at a job for 25 years and all of a sudden they find themselves laid off, and they haven’t applied for a job,” Chambers said, adding that online application forms and interviews via phone or video chat can be “rather daunting.”

The Back to Work 50+ program incorporates group and individual coaching sessions, resume and cover letter writing sessions, mock interviews with local employers, assistance in finding and prepping for job opportunities and access to training classes. Chambers said these classes run the gamut from basic and advanced computer skills to Jefferson State’s workforce training programs.

These programs include certifications and training in everything from Microsoft Office and welding to some assistant- and technician-level medical careers. Payne said Back to Work 50+ participants are eligible for scholarships for some of these programs.

There are also benefits to the program, Chambers said, that don’t come in the form of a new resume or new skill.

“A lot of it is building confidence,” she said. “You think, ‘What can I do now?’ It’s nice to know there’s other people in the same boat, that you can do this.”

Back to Work 50+ is free to participants through the AARP Foundation grant. Payne said Jefferson State holds two introductory sessions for those interested at its Jefferson and Shelby campuses each month. They will continue until late September or early October, when the grant expires, Payne said.

After the grant ends, Payne said they are seeking additional funding sources to continue the program, possibly condensed into a weeklong “boot camp” format rather than classes over several weeks.

“When you reinvent yourself, you can do it after 50. It’s scary, but it’s definitely something that can be done,” Payne said.

Jefferson State Community College’s campuses are located at 4600 Valleydale Road in Hoover, and 2601 Carson Road, near Pinson and Center Point. Call 855-850-2525 or visit jeffersonstate.edu for more information about Back to Work 50+ and upcoming session dates.