Whatcom Community College launches new program for baby boomers in next phase of life

KIE RELYEA - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

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BELLINGHAM - Whatcom Community College is among a small but growing number of community colleges creating classes that serve the needs of baby boomers - the 78 million people born between 1946 and 1964 who are redefining retirement.

Launched this fall, the Encore program focuses on the next steps boomers will take as they leave the workforce for the next phase of life, said Greg Marshall, director of Community Education.

That doesn't mean boomers - who have long been juggernauts of social and cultural change because of their huge numbers - will be happy basking in their golden years.

Marshall points to surveys that show these would-be retirees are likely to consider a new job that's more to their liking, starting a business or volunteering.

"They're going to transition to a new whatever," Marshall said.

Whatcom isn't the only community college to focus on that "whatever."

Civic Ventures, a think tank that focuses on boomers and work, recently issued a study of how 10 community colleges across the country are preparing boomers for new careers in education, health care and social services.

Civic Ventures, a program of MetLife Foundation, had given the 10 seed money to launch their boomer programs. On the West Coast, the institutions that received funding were Portland Community College in Oregon and Coastline Community College in California.

In Whatcom County, the most popular classes in the Encore program this fall were "Medicare 101" and "Caregiving Options for Your Parents."

Marshall suspected that's because boomers are looking for guidelines for new responsibilities.

"A lot of boomers are taking care of their parents because our life spans have gotten longer," he said. "That's one of the areas they want help with as a group."

Other sessions geared toward hiring boomers or working in a multigenerational workforce fared poorly because of the bad economy, he said.

Current Encore offerings are no-credit workshops. But Marshall said he's working on coursework that will provide accreditation or help to those looking to go back to school for different careers.

Meanwhile, Marshall has launched a survey asking boomers what they'd like to learn through the Encore program.

"There are no guidelines written for this because it's new territory," Marshall said. "We're doing a lot to figure out how to serve this group."