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Generation Y | Baby Boomers in the Classroom | Working Adults

Generation Y
Generation Y encompasses those born in the United States and Canada from the early 1980s to the late 1990s. They are currently as young as 5 and as old as 20, with the largest slice still a decade away from adolescence. And at 60 million strong – more than three times the size of Generation X – they're the biggest thing to hit the American scene since the 72 million baby boomers. And, as diverse as they are, it's no surprise that their demographic group go by a host of taglines: Generation Y, Echo Boomers, or Millennium Generation.

Indeed, these Echo Boomer rival their parents' generation in size in almost every way, including its diversity. This generation is more culturally-rich: One in three is not Caucasian. One in four lives in a single-parent household. Three in four have working mothers. While boomers are still mastering Microsoft Windows 98, their kids are tapping away at computers in nursery school.

The Internet has the power to reach the young. It is Gen Y's medium of choice, just as network TV was for the boomers. Yet, where television tends to drive homogeneity, the Internet drives diversity.

Generation Y & Education
Gen Y'ers are the most education-minded generation in history. Influenced by boomer parents who value education and a workplace that demands it, most Gen Y'ers recognize that the key to success lies in their advanced learning:

90% of high school seniors expect to attend college;
70% of them expect to work in professional jobs;
70% of teens believe college is necessary to meet their career goals
40% of college freshman expect to get their master's degrees

For this generation "education is cool." The expectation and anticipation of lifelong education is a simple fact of life – one that's an intentional "next step" after high school.

Read More:
Managing Generation Y
Generation Y
Getting Inside Gen Y

Baby Boomers in the Classroom

Adult Student Studies and Statistics
"Baby boomers," defined as having been born during the period between 1946 and 1964, comprise more than 76.1 million Americans. Today's boomers are between the ages of 36 and 54.

During the period of 1990 through 2000, the number of adults under 35 years of age decreased by more than 8.3 million and the number of adults over age 50 has increased by 12.2 million. By the year 2020, more than a third of Americans will be age 50 or older. By 2050, the over 65 population will outnumber children 14 or younger.

Boomers are by far the most educated generation. They feel that higher levels of education impact lifestyle choices. They are more likely to own computers than generations on either side of their age group.

According to medical projections, the baby boomer generation can expect to remain physically active well into their 70s and beyond.

Someone retiring at age 65, with all probability, will live to be 80 or older.

College Attendance Statistics
The American Census Bureau estimates that more than 75 million of the 300 million Americans are baby boomers. According to recent reports, almost 80,000 of them are currently taking classes. "[Baby] boomers are the 'workaholic generation' and define themselves by their work and their contribution to society…"

More and more colleges across the country indicate findings that confirm baby boomers' interest in reliving their college experiences.

According to a recent ‘Current Population Survey’ conducted by the Census Bureau, the greatest percentage rise in college attendance was by women 30 and over, 2.3 million. African Americans were second proportionally in the nation, 527,000. White males over 30 were the least likely to return to college. Approximately 23 percent of all male college and graduate students were age 30 or older.

Boomers' motivation for returning to college fell into two main categories: employment and personal.

Working Adults

A good portion of today's student population consists of working adults. Most are financially self-sufficient, and some have spouses and/or dependents of their own. Their economic backgrounds and full daily schedules make getting a higher education difficult -- but not impossible.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), over the 12-month period ending in spring 2005, 44 percent of adults reported having participated in formal adult educational activities, excluding full-time only enrollments in college/university or vocational/technical credential programs. More adults reported having participated in work-related courses or training (27 percent) than any other type of activity (ESL classes, 1 percent; basic skills/GED preparation classes, 1 percent, part-time college or university degree or certificate programs, 4 percent; part-time vocational or technical diploma, degree, or certificate programs, 1 percent; apprenticeship programs, 1 percent; and personal-interest courses, 21 percent).

Among adults who reported having taken formal work-related courses or training within the previous 12 months, the largest proportion of them chose to do so to maintain or improve skills or knowledge that they already had (95 percent). Other reasons included learning new skills or methods that they did not already know (83 percent); helping to get a raise or promotion (19 percent); getting a new job with a different employer (10 percent); getting or keeping a state, industry, or company certificate or license (42 percent); or because they were required to participate (63 percent).

Addressing the Needs of Adult Learners
Lifelong learning has become commonplace among today’s workforce. As the economy evolves to become more knowledge-based, an increasing number of Americans are turning to college in order to expand their skills, earning potential and career paths. A third of these students are 25 years of age or older, a group that possesses a distinct set of goals, views, and needs.

The workforce of today is distinctly different from the previous generation. New and rapidly changing technology, greater job instability, and elevated industry expectations that workers be more flexible require adults to continue learning throughout their careers. Forty percent of all adults participate in some type of work-related formal education, half of which is provided by business or industry. Colleges, universities, and career/technical schools educate just one-fifth of them, leaving a great opportunity and responsibility for public postsecondary institutions to provide continuing learning to more adult students.

These working students have contributed to the evolution of the country’s campuses. Today almost three-quarters of undergraduates are in some way nontraditional, with more than one-third of all students being 25 years or older. Adult students enroll in college for a variety of reasons and at different points in their careers.