Recession inspiring more mothers to go back to school
Issue date: 5/10/09 Section: FYI
(ARA) - Earning a degree has long been a dream of many working mothers. While it might seem the recession would put that dream even further out of reach for most, many working and single mothers are actually drawing inspiration from the economy to pursue their dream of getting a higher education.
"We are seeing an increase in the number of women returning to school," says Adena E. Johnston, campus dean of DeVry University's Philadelphia campus. "Degree completion programs are very popular for those who have not finished their education, but we're also seeing more questions about the bachelor's programs with an entrepreneurship specialty. Women seem to want to learn more about starting their own businesses or having more flexibility and control over their movement in and out of the workforce."
There's no arguing that an advanced degree can help mothers improve their employment situation, judging by Bureau of Labor Statistics. The higher an individual's level of education, the less likely she or he is to be unemployed, according to the bureau. The unemployment rate in 2007 (the latest year for which data is available) for women 25 and older lacking a high school diploma was 8.2 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Women's Bureau. For those with a bachelor's degree or higher, the unemployment rate drops to about 2 percent.
Many working mothers, it seems, now perceive a return to school as not just a dream but a necessity. In an increasingly competitive job market, they recognize they can no longer afford to remain in low-paying jobs, or to be the only competitors in the field without a degree.
"In 1968, my father advised me I didn't need a college education. He said all I needed was to get married and take up homemaking," says Chris Dulaigh-Bates, a 56-year-old medical transcriptionist and mother of two. "I have worked out of my home for the last 17 years, but over the course of the last five years, technology and world trade have eroded away the job security I once enjoyed."
"We are seeing an increase in the number of women returning to school," says Adena E. Johnston, campus dean of DeVry University's Philadelphia campus. "Degree completion programs are very popular for those who have not finished their education, but we're also seeing more questions about the bachelor's programs with an entrepreneurship specialty. Women seem to want to learn more about starting their own businesses or having more flexibility and control over their movement in and out of the workforce."
There's no arguing that an advanced degree can help mothers improve their employment situation, judging by Bureau of Labor Statistics. The higher an individual's level of education, the less likely she or he is to be unemployed, according to the bureau. The unemployment rate in 2007 (the latest year for which data is available) for women 25 and older lacking a high school diploma was 8.2 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Women's Bureau. For those with a bachelor's degree or higher, the unemployment rate drops to about 2 percent.
Many working mothers, it seems, now perceive a return to school as not just a dream but a necessity. In an increasingly competitive job market, they recognize they can no longer afford to remain in low-paying jobs, or to be the only competitors in the field without a degree.
"In 1968, my father advised me I didn't need a college education. He said all I needed was to get married and take up homemaking," says Chris Dulaigh-Bates, a 56-year-old medical transcriptionist and mother of two. "I have worked out of my home for the last 17 years, but over the course of the last five years, technology and world trade have eroded away the job security I once enjoyed."
Be the first to comment on this story