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OCC wants you to think again.
Think you’re too old to go back to school?
by Carol Jonson
You might be surprised to learn that the average age of students at Oakland Community College is 28. So, if you’ve been out of school for a few – or more than a few – years, you’ll be in good company.
Ruth Grass counsels students at OCC’s Career Center on the Highland Lakes Campus. Grass explains: We have a large adult population at OCC, many are coming to school for the first time, while others are returning to school after many years for retraining or ‘re-careering.’"
OCC’s counseling services are available to anyone in the community, not just to registered students: "OCC has a big commitment to serve the entire community, to help people determine and reach their goals. Today many people make five or six career changes in a working lifetime, and they may need some assistance to assess their skills, sharpen up their resumes or refresh interviewing techniques. That’s what we’re here for - to be that touch point, that link to the community," Grass says.
OCC’s Career Centers on each campus offer career counseling and a range of programs free of charge to community and students. A special computer software program allows individuals to complete a self-assessment of their strengths, talents, interests and personalities, to research potential career matches, and discover information about job responsibilities and salaries. The College’s Adult Resources Department provides a free six-week seminar series called Transitions that is designed to offer support, direction and effective strategies to becoming self-empowered. Open to the public, this series is especially focused on assisting single parents, displaced homemakers and others facing employment challenges. Transitions topics include: learning effective strategies to manage and overcome life challenges; building self-esteem; balancing family, school and other responsibilities; managing time effectively; learning how to be assertive; lifelong planning and goal setting; and exploring careers.
Dr. Timothy Walter, Dean of Academic and Student Services at OCC’s Orchard Ridge Campus, stands firmly behind OCC’s commitment to adult learners. A nationally known author of books and courses that promote student success, Dr.Walter believes it’s "hard to find another college where counseling is so accessible, where students are so carefully tested coming in and placed in the courses that will stimulate their interests and match their level of skills. We want every student’s OCC education to meet the important "Five A’s": it should be approachable, available, affordable, attainable and applicable.
For information about OCC’s Career Centers, Transitions seminars or other services of the Adult Resources Department, contact OCC at 248-341-2346.