College is one of five nationwide awarded an AARP grant for its BACK TO WORK initiative
Austin Community College was awarded a $300,000 grant from the AARP Foundation to implement the BACK TO WORK 50+: Women’s Economic Stability Initiative, a program designed to help women age 50 and older find local jobs.
“This is an innovative program that will forge career pathways, helping women in need gain valuable jobs skills, find local jobs, and build financial security,” says Dr. Richard Rhodes, ACC president/CEO. “They’ll be equipped with the tools for success.”
The grant, which will be distributed over three years, will allow the college to develop a set of integrated core services for qualified participants, including:
- Employer access
- Community building
- Individual and group coaching
- Computer skills coaching
- Academic coaching for job skills training
- Financial capability building
According to AARP, Americans ages 50 and older represent the largest overall increase in long-term unemployment. Older women bear the greater share of this burden: 60 percent of women 65 and older have incomes insufficient to cover basic expenses.
ACC was named only one of five community colleges nationwide to receive grant funding for the program, a proud subgrantee of the Social Innovation Fund.
“AARP Foundation is very pleased to work together with community colleges to help older women who face disproportionately higher rates of long-term unemployment find the good jobs they need to avoid slipping into poverty,” says Emily Allen, AARP Foundation, vice president of income impact area. “These colleges were selected because of their strong community ties to employers, because of their demonstrated capacity to implement similar projects, and because of their commitment to both help 50+ women and build institutional support for helping older workers find employment.”
ACC will work in partnership with local organizations including Austin Dress for Success to host a series of information sessions at Highland Campus:
- Thursday, August 6, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, August 11, 1 – 3 p.m.
- Tuesday, September 8, 1 – 3 p.m.
- Tuesday, October 13, 1 – 3 p.m.
- Tuesday, November 10,1- 3 p.m.
For more information contact Stacey Güney at 512-223-7351 or [email protected]. To learn more visit aarp.org/backtowork50plus. To register for a session call 855-850-2525.
Tags: AARP, AARP Foundation, Back to Work, grant, women
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By stacey stover June 3, 2015 - 1:14 pm
What a wonderful opportunity! So proud of ACC and its initiatives!
By DPJ June 10, 2015 - 5:53 am
I agree, it is a wonderful opportunity . Please email me with more details. Thank you
By sylvia brant June 4, 2015 - 11:46 pm
hello. I am just wondering on this program.I am tired of working so hard for little money and other people telling me that the job I have should be okay..yet I know I need help in my communication skills.
By Stacey Guney June 9, 2015 - 2:01 am
Hi Sylvia. I hope that you will consider working with this program. The program begins with a phone call to the AARP Foundation at 855-850-2525 to register for one of the information sessions. The information session is required to begin the program. When you register, they will send through the mail a great number of useful resources. We look forward to seeing you at one of the information sessions!
By Juanita June 5, 2015 - 1:53 pm
Sylvia, I urge you to connect with Toastmasters International. There are clubs all over town that meet at different times and days. I joined to do just as you said you need; to improve my communication skills. Joining Toastmasters has been the best decision for me. Yes, public speaking may sound frightful, but the club is designed to embrace you to help you and then propel you to improve upon you ability to communicate well. Now, when I meet with my boss, I find myself speaking with power, with confidence and with purpose. Through Toastmasters, I have learned to speak to others effectively and to speak up for myself. I turn 57 this month and have struggled to be considered as valuable as my 20 something coworkers.
Question: What would you do if you knew you could not fail?
Go. Go get what you need/want.
Take care……….j.
By Melanie June 27, 2015 - 9:21 pm
What a great suggestion, Juanita! I was a member at my workplace when I lived in Fort Worth – wonderful organization!
By Stephanie mccray June 5, 2015 - 5:24 pm
This sounds like a really neat program. I am a disable veteran that have a HVAC certification and would really like to try my hand in the field part time.
By Joelle M.Cruz June 6, 2015 - 1:16 pm
Hello Stacey,
I am so thrilled and super EXCITED to find out that this program is in existence!!!! I too, like other aging women, have been so disillusioned about the future. The availability of something like this helps make me feel a little less anxious about my upcoming graduation and future afterward. I have battled many life blows, deaths, obstacles and have been doing my level best to try and stay afloat financially and emotionally. I am by no means a slacker and have been putting in the hard work involved but don’t feel very confident. I feel my opportunities are quite limited since my computer skills are in dire need of upgrading and becoming job-worthy in the competitive job market. God bless the person/persons responsible for initiating this program to help an often forgotten, over-looked but important demographic–older women in the workforce. Collectively, we all have so much to offer with our full, life experiences…..thank you so much! Will look forward to attending these workshops and start having faith and hope again. I want very much to be of service to my fellow humans and contribute whatever ‘gifts’ I happen possess. My goal is to do my part to help retain humanity within our world…that is what we are all supposed to do. Joelle M. Cruz
By Stacey Guney June 9, 2015 - 1:59 am
Thank you for sharing your story, Joelle. We are so honored to be able to work with the AARP Foundation and this program in serving our community. I hope that you will consider working with this program. The program begins with a phone call to the AARP Foundation at 855-850-2525 to register for one of the information sessions. The information session is required to begin the program. When you register, they will send through the mail a great number of useful resources. We look forward to seeing you at one of the information sessions!
By Janet Martin June 9, 2015 - 6:07 pm
Hi. I am one of this demographic. I am glad that somebody recognizes that there is a huge age discrimination problem for job seekers who are perfectly qualified for certain skilled occupations. As well, there is age discrimination even within academia. I could use all the help you are offering to become a successful UXUI professional. I have been taking classes at ACC for a couple of years, paying it all by myself. If you have grant money allocated for my demographic, how could I apply?
By Annie L. Reebel June 30, 2015 - 3:37 pm
I agree Janet, I am also trying to make a career change from semiconductors to the UI/UX field. I have attended several Girl Develop It workshops since graduating from ACC in May 2013 (AAS in Visual Communications, Web & Interactive), just to try and stay refreshed for the industry – but, I am just not sure how to get my foot in the door. Meeting in downtown bars, and late into the evenings are not for me. I have applied – and get NO responses. I would love to be a part of ACC’s Accelerated Programmer Training program, but do not have the $5k to enroll.
By Janet Martin June 9, 2015 - 6:13 pm
Here’s the thing:
We are living longer.
As such, we need to be making money to support ourselves.
The lifespan of a single female is longer than the lifespan of a married female.
I just learned this in the “Human Growth & Development” class that I took at ACC. Great class!
By deborah switzer June 15, 2015 - 6:06 pm
Im looking to initiate a career on the education as a teacher or in the school administration area.
Im 43 years old and it is a little difficult to start a career change at my age, but not imposible of course.
Please let me know if your program can help me or if you care tell me about one that can help me.
thank you,
By Rosemary June 18, 2015 - 4:53 pm
Would this program pay for nursing school?
By Charlotte Taylor June 19, 2015 - 5:45 pm
WOW!! I am so excited about this program. I am currently employed but I need to move into a higher paying opportunity. A program like this will provide me the tools of confidence and resources to do that. Thank you ACC and AARP for recognizing the need. I will pass this information on to my friends.
By Kim June 23, 2015 - 9:45 pm
I am 52 years old and have been out of the workforce for 15 years. I had reached the level of manager in a technical position by working my way up. I do not have a degree and know that is necessary in today’s job market. I have been working on my degree off and on over the years, but with a special needs child in our home, it has been difficult to maintain steady enrollment. I am at a point where I can now go back and have registered at ACC for the Fall 2015 semester so that I can couple my former experience with a degree. I just found this information. Do you think I would qualify for this program? This is so incredible, I hope more of these programs develop for us older gals. Thank you ACC and AARP!
By Judy July 7, 2015 - 3:01 pm
I have been working towards a degree at ACC for two years now. When I mention it to prospective employers when I eventually get interviewed it doesn’t seem to make any difference and my age is still something they look at with disdain. Would I still be able to be a part of this program even though I have been attending ACC?
By Stacey Guney July 8, 2015 - 7:34 pm
If you are interested in knowing more about this program, please do call the AARP Foundation at 855-850-2525 to register for one of the information sessions.
We look forward to partnering with you in your educational journey and/or job placement.
By Betty Shults July 29, 2015 - 7:24 pm
The above number has not worked for me as I have tried it several times.