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Community colleges havens for mid-career adults

By Martha E. Mangelsdorf, Globe Correspondent, 1/11/04

Globe Staff Photo/Pat Greenhouse Johnny White, who completed a certificate at Bunker Hill Community College, works as a surgical technician at New England Baptist Hospital.

It had been a number of years since Johnny White, 45, first earned his college degree. So when he returned to a college classroom in the fall of 2002 for additional training, he was a little worried about studying with 18- and 19-year-olds.

White was relieved to see there were others about his age in the program he chose at Bunker Hill Community College in Boston. That, he said, ''made me feel more comfortable.''

White, who graduated from Bunker Hill's one-year surgical technology certificate program in 2003, isn't unusual in returning to a community college as a midcareer adult.

In fact, Michael Gross, director of college communications at Cape Cod Community College in West Barnstable, makes the argument that community colleges are ''probably the biggest resource'' available for people changing careers because they offer an affordable part-time option and are geographically accessible.

''The returning adult is certainly a huge, huge part of whom we serve,'' said Gross, who described the atmosphere at a community college as a ''mixed environment of adults and first-time college students.''

Certainly, the student population at Massachusetts' 15 community colleges isn't limited to recent high school graduates. According to Janice Motta, executive director of the Massachusetts Community Colleges, the average age of a Massachusetts community college student in 2003 was about 26; what's more, she said 15 percent to 20 percent of all community college students in Massachusetts have already earned degrees.

Midcareer adults who attend community colleges, Motta explained, ''may have been in a field where there are no longer jobs available,'' or they may be choosing a new field.

Affordability is also a consideration for some students. In fall 2003, the cost of credit courses at the state's community colleges ranged from $99 to $133 per credit hour for Massachusetts residents, with a typical class consisting of about three credits, according to the Massachusetts Community Colleges Executive Office.

Career-changers can range widely in age. Howie Galitsky started attending Bristol Community College, which has campuses in Fall River and New Bedford, when he was 52. Galitsky, now 63, said he first graduated from a four-year college in 1962 with a bachelor's degree in business, and he then went to work at his family's dry cleaning business. In 1992, after selling the business, Galitsky decided to return to school to study human services.

''I always had a dream, all of my life, to be a social worker,'' said Galitsky, who earned an associate degree in human services from Bristol Community College in 1996. The New Bedford resident now works for Bristol Elder Services as a community resource specialist. Since graduation, he has also become a licensed social worker.

At a community college, ''you're seeing all kinds of people coming through to improve their skills,'' said Dick Cronin, director of marketing for Massasoit Community College, which has campuses in Brockton and Canton. The ''vast majority'' of Massasoit's students are in the work force while attending school, Cronin added.

Community colleges offer a range of programs for credit, some leading to associate degrees, others to certificates. Massasoit, for example, offers associate degrees in areas such as liberal arts - and also in career-specific fields ranging from nursing to heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) technology. Cronin said the school offers longer certificate programs that are approved by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education, such as those for dental assistant and medical assistant, as well as shorter in-house certificate programs in subjects such as desktop publishing and fashion merchandising. He noted that there are students who, rather than seeking to complete a program, are just taking a particular course to hone a certain skill.

Currently, medical fields are particularly popular at the community colleges.

''Right now, the health fields are very, very hot,'' said Motta.

''The nursing field is probably far and above the most hot-ticket item at the moment,'' observed Deborah Houston, director of North Central Career Services for Mount Wachusett Community College in Leominster.

Donna Tambascio, director of communications at Bunker Hill, noted that health programs in the cardiac sonography, medical radiography, nursing, medical assistant, patient care assistant, and surgical technology fields are all experiencing increased applications and enrollments, along with good job placement rates.

For those who aren't exactly certain of their next career move, community colleges also offer a valuable resource: career counseling. According to Motta, students who are taking even one course at a Massachusetts community college can use that college's career assessment services and career counselors.

Some returning students, like Johhny White, are clear about what they want. He had worked for many years as an X-ray technician, first in the Navy and later in a civilian medical center. But he tired of taking X-rays and switched to surgical instrument repair. In 2002, he said, his job in that field was eliminated. White said the company he worked for offered him a position in New Jersey, but the Newton resident didn't want to uproot and move. He decided instead to return to school to become a surgical technician, a job that involves working as part of the operating room team, doing tasks such as setting up instruments needed for an operation.

''I've always been fascinated with the operating room,'' he said.

He attended the Bunker Hill program full time. After graduating in 2003, White said he started work in September as a surgical technician at New England Baptist Hospital.

Returning to school after a period of years may not be easy. Galitsky described returning to the classroom as ''very scary.'' Although he started by taking only one course, he at first thought school might not work for him. However, Galitsky surprised himself: His grade point average at Bristol Community College, he said, was better than his average as an undergraduate 30-some years before.

''I really got into that school stuff,'' he said. ''I had a good time.''

Martha E. Mangelsdorf is a freelance business writer and editor. A former senior editor of Inc. magazine, she writes the monthly Transitions column in BostonWorks.

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