Career Training Options for Older Women

Older women often face unique challenges when it comes to finding career training. They may need to stay in a particular location due to family or personal obligations, or they may be seeking formal training for the first time in their adult lives. Financial considerations and learning styles are also important, as traditional educational options are expensive and many older women prefer to learn at a more relaxed, careful pace. Yet their experiences can be a strong base for developing their leadership and increased contribution.
Today there are more options that ever for older women who want career training. Technology plays a large part in this phenomenon, as does our changing society that no longer views older women as unemployable or difficult to train. The world is a very different place now, and you are in a great position to take advantage of all it has to offer.

Teleclass Seminars

There is a wide range of training courses available as teleclass seminars. These courses typically involve students and an instructor linking up via web link or video link. They are interactive in nature, allowing the instructor and students to engage in discussions, question and answer sessions, and general back and forth conversation. Class size is usually limited.
I use this teleclass format for my Empowering Passionate Leadership Seminar. It works great for everyone involved  easy, convenient, and very low cost compared to traditional classroom settings. You can find this type of training on the Internet as well as at many community colleges, universities, and vocational centers.

Workshops and Short Courses

For face-to-face training, many older women turn to workshops and short courses offered by various local organizations. Traditional sources of these training courses include community colleges, community centers, and other workforce training facilities. You can also look for workshops and short courses from other organizations, such as the Small Business Administration, your local Chamber of Commerce, or even Rotary, Kiwanis or other service organizations.

Online Classes

Once thought to be suitable only for younger students, online classes have rapidly become the training of choice for many women aged 40 to 60. These classes are generally easy to access, easy to follow, and cost effective. They usually follow a set structure of lessons, exercises, quizzes and tests at a pace that may be set by an instructor or self-paced by the student.
A huge benefit of online classes is that you can take classes literally from anywhere in the world. This allows you to access training from leading institutions and providers, all from the comfort of your home. Textbooks may or may not be required for online classes; it just depends on the nature of the class and the structure of the course.

Internships and Job Shadowing

You may think internships are for young college students, but that is no longer always the case. Many employers offer internships and job shadowing opportunities to older women and men as an alternative way to receive career training.
Older people often learn better through hands on activity and repetition, so working directly with someone in the desired career field can make learning easier and faster. It also affords the opportunity to meet others in that career field and establish a network of contacts for future reference.
If you find a career field that interests you, make contact with a local company and ask if you can spend some time with someone who works in your area of interest. Even if the company does not have a formal internship program, they may be willing to let you spend some time there on an informal basis.