April Hutchings once worked at Continental Airlines, but when staffing cuts were made, she found herself needing a new career. When she started taking classes at Sinclair Community College, she realized she was not the only displaced worker on campus.
“We call ourselves the support group,” said Hutchings.
The group met in a CIS class and quickly formed a strong bond.
“We all give each other that cheer type of thing – you can do it,” said Hutchings.
Other members of the “support group” include John Townsend, Dave Ruth, Norman Tolley, Carrie Cobb and Mahala Taulbee. They had worked at places such as Delphi, General Motors and Navistar.
They usually have lunch together on Mondays and Wednesdays, as well as helping out each other with classes.
“We study together,” said Thompson.
The group not only deals with adjusting to the day-to-day life of a college student, but also the pressures that come with being a non-traditional student.
“We basically get together to feel comfortable,” said Hutchings. “We are older than some of the students in these classes. We have more things in common (with each other.)”
Losing the job from which you planned to retire can be a scary prospect. Going back to school after getting laid off may be even scarier.
“It’s scary coming back to school. Some of us have been out of school for 20 years,” said Hutchings.
“You always ask the question,” said Tolley, “why are we back here?”
Helping these displaced workers adjust back to college life has been a priority for Sinclair according to Matt Massie. Massie is the manager of Career Services, which serves as the first stop for many of these workers.
“The last thing we want is for these students to put in the time, effort and expense of retraining, only to go into a field where they won’t be employed,” Massie said.
Those parameters limit the displaced workers choices for majors.
“We are looking at what jobs are not getting laid off,” said Hutchings. “Even if we’re not interested in the field.”
The main reason the group gets together seems to have less to do with class and more to do with the common ground they share.
“It was nice to know there are other people just like me,” said Cobb. “It’s a little ease on the mind to say ‘there is someone I can talk to and be comfortable with.’”