Last year think tank Civic Ventures partnered with the Metlife Foundation in a grant-making program for community colleges  aimed at fostering innovation in education for mid-life career changers. Civic Ventures began the project by asking community colleges all over the country if they were interested in a small seed grants to test innovative ways to engage boomers in encore careers–and 10 percent of the colleges volunteered.

Ten community colleges were selected, and now Civic Ventures has issued a report on the lessons learned to date. I found especially interesting the detailed profiles contained in Pathways to Encore Careers [pdf file] on the programs the schools have developed, which are focused mainly on careers in education and health care. The report is useful reading for anyone interested in the intersection of career transition and education.

Considering the tough economic climate, community colleges can be an invaluable resource for career re-training.