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Going back to school at 40 is hard. But due to layoffs, stagnant wages and the entry of artificial intelligence, many people approaching midlife are heading back to classrooms and trade schools.
Some people are making radical changes in their careers, going from chefs to software engineers. As qualification standards continue to rise, others are pursuing higher degrees to stand out from their peers. Some people who dropped out of college after high school return to the classroom because they can’t get top jobs without a degree.
Returning to school is not easy. Those over 40 often have to balance work, family and education. They take on new debt when coworkers are entering peak earning years. The average cost of public college in the state is about $30,000 per year And much more for private non-profit schools.
For many people, it’s worth it. people are living longer and Not retiring at 65,
Cindy Woody earned her master’s degree at age 41 and completed her doctorate at age 47, “I’m a good investment,says Woody, an assistant professor of educational leadership at the University of Texas at Tyler.
Longevity, she says, lies in her family. Her great-grandmother lived to be almost 100 years old. Woody worked full time while attending school, giving up watching TV and delegating housework to family members, while she attended in-person classes at night and on Saturdays. She used to write papers between 3 am and 6 pm or on Sunday afternoons.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, more than 1 million people over the age of 40 are enrolled in undergraduate or graduate programs. there are many looking to make more money More job security is high in the white-collar world, even at a time when many young people are questioning the value of a college degree.
Skilled trades and apprenticeship programs, which can cost as little as $3,000 per year, an influx of is being seenPartly also because those jobs are considered less vulnerable to automation and artificial intelligence. Leaking pipes require a plumber.
A quarter of the 108 students enrolled in the Pennsylvania job-training program are in their 40s, learning plumbing, carpentry, construction, health care and other skills. Many people have either lost their jobs or want better pay.
“We’ve seen more layoffs and closings this year,” says Erica Mulbarger, executive director of Advance Central PA, a nonprofit local workforce development board.
One student, 48-year-old Victoria Minor, enrolled in a four-year butcher apprenticeship program, learning to process meat products according to USDA standards. Miner, who raises cattle, realized she needed training to be taken seriously in a male-dominated industry.
His certification led to a job offer as a USDA inspector, which is less physically demanding than a butcher and could enhance his career. “At this stage of life, it’s better for me to use my brain rather than courage,” says Miner.
Degrees and certifications provide credibility. Kevin Korenthal dropped out of college after high school but worked his way up to leadership roles in the nonprofit world. However, top executive positions remained elusive.
“It’s really hard to get roles without a degree, no matter how capable you are,” Korenthal says. He returned to school in his early 40s for an associate degree in digital media, followed by certification for association executives. She did both while working full-time and raising two children.
Next, she found an online program specifically designed for late learners at Indiana University and earned a bachelor’s degree in nonprofit leadership. Now Korenthal, 53, is executive director of the National Association of Park Foundations.
Cost is often a barrier, but middle-aged students find ways to manage.
Melissa Harkin, a successful freelance translator, already had master’s and law degrees from her native Brazil. Melissa Harkin, a successful freelance translator, already had master’s and law degrees from her native Brazil. He decided that to get a job in an American company he would need a diploma from a university in America or Europe.
After discovering that an American master’s program in linguistics and translation costs more than $50,000, she found a similar program at the University of Birmingham in England for $22,000. While taking classes remotely, she also took an eight-week course at Harvard for a higher education teaching certificate for about $3,000.
At one point, Harkin, 45, realized he hadn’t left his apartment in two months. She missed her son’s swimming and jujitsu lessons.
“At 40, with a family, if you put in the time to do it and do it right, it means missing out on other things,” says Harkin, who works at Innodata, which designs training and evaluation materials for large-language model artificial-intelligence projects. She cites the two education programs as her best investments in the last three years.
Others want a new career because the profession they loved in their 20s and 30s didn’t provide the benefits, pay, and stability they needed.
LaToya Hall, a chef at an upscale catering company, was on her feet all day, working unexpected hours and carrying heavy food trays to weddings and bar mitzvahs. During a camping trip, he decided to go back to school. By the time she reached home, Hall had applied to an 18-month software engineering and web-development associate degree program at the New England Institute of Technology.
“I knew I needed a change and I felt ready,” says Hall, a 40-year-old single mother of two. She sold her car to save money and took three buses to get to classes, leaving at 5:30 a.m. for a 7:45 a.m. class.
Hall got an internship while in school, which turned into a full-time job with AAA as a digital-content creator. She received grants and scholarships, but also received about $40,000 in loans to pursue her culinary school and associate degree.
“I plan to return at some point to pursue my graduate degree,” she says.
Write to Claire Ansberry clare.ansberry@wsj.com
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