Economy Causes Education Shuffle

By Sarah Smith

A mother with grown children goes back to school. An apprentice loses her position with the end of her education in sight. A man begins work on his second degree after 20 years as an architect.

These people are just three of the many students caught up in the great shuffle the failing economy is causing in education.

Tracie Boutwell, a homemaker from Augusta, Ga., is a recent empty nester. Both of her daughters are now off at school, and she finally has time to spend on herself. But because of the sagging real estate market, Boutwell is spending that time getting a new job.

“I needed to do something to help with retirement,” she said.

The value of the real estate that the Boutwells had invested their retirement money in has sunk with the market. To provide for her family’s future, she is going back into the work force.

But before she goes back to work, she’s going back to school. Boutwell worked as a nurse for eight years, mostly in pediatric psychiatry. She loved working with children, but the medical field doesn’t appeal to her as it once did. So, she is working towards a master of arts in teaching. Experiences in substitute teaching have given her a good view of her new chosen profession.

After being in the classroom, she “comes home physically tired but emotionally charged,” she said. She started the 18-month program this summer, so she hopes to be in the classroom by this time next fall.

Though she is going back to work after so many years, she has a positive outlook.

“I’m really kind of excited about it,” she said.

Shelley Cain is on the other end of the spectrum. The suffering economy has put an end to her education at an architecture firm.

“There’s just no jobs,” she said.

Fewer people need architects in the current economy. No one has extra money to spend, and banks are wary to lend out money, she said. Because of this lack of work, the architecture firm where Cain was apprenticed in Pensacola, Fla., had to let her go.

Cain started her apprenticeship at Ron Williamson and Associates eight years ago. She previously worked in the marketing and sales part of real estate, but picked up a love for architecture from being around the designers.

With two more years of training, Cain would have been able to take the test that qualifies apprentices to become licensed architects. For now she’ll have to wait a little longer; her education is on hold while she tries to find a job.

“Right now I’m looking for anything,” she said. “I have a lot of skills I can offer.” These skills range from running a business to waiting tables, but her search has been fruitless so far.

Jim Murphy has already achieved what Cain can still only dream about: he has been an architect for 20 years. But the current lack of work is forcing him to go back to school for a second degree. He is studying electrical engineering in an attempt to expand the amount of work he can do.

“I get work occasionally,” he said. But there is very little work to be found in his field. This gives him more time for school, but it’s also discouraging to him, Murphy said. He hopes to be able to work in designing for the commercial industry once he receives his degree. It will be four years before he reaches this goal.

“I hope by the time I finish school there’s a rebound in the economy,” he said. At that time he hopes to be designing buildings for the commercial industry with his new degree.

For now, there is little monetary help for people like Murphy who are going back to get a second degree.

All students, no matter what their educational past, can fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), said James Mooney, Associate Director of the Office of Student Financial Aid at the University of Georgia. But those who have already received their baccalaureate degree can only hope for federal loans, not scholarships such as the Pell Grant that only first-time university students can receive, he added.

The government “wants to invest in first degrees,” Mooney said. Some work places participate in programs such as the Work Force Investment Act, which can pay for schooling. But this program usually only covers retraining or two-year tech schools. There’s not much in the way of scholarships for people such as Murphy and Boutwell. They must rely on the pay-off their current education will have in the future.

Boutwell, Cain, Murphy and many others must continue to hold on to the hope that the economy will recover, and life will return to what it was before. But for now they take action in whatever way they can, whether it means going back to school or simply searching for a job while their dreams wait.

Edited by Autumn Eckenbrecht

Unemployment affects Athens’s residents and students

By ANTIONETTE ROLLINS

Unemployment in Athens, Ga. is something that affects locals and students alike. Many people are forced to adjust their career goals to cope with the current economic situation.
Dr. Douglas Bachtel, housing and consumer economics professor at the University of Georgia, said that the effect of the current economy has been especially severe in Athens.

“The recession has had a more significant impact in Athens because of the city’s relatively high unemployment rate,” Bachtel said.

Estimates for the Bureau of Labor and Statistics show that Athens Clarke-County has had a steady increase in the unemployment rate since 1999, while national rates have slightly fluctuated through the years. As of July 2009, the unemployment rate in Athens was approximately 7.7 percent.

Athens locals aren’t the only ones affected by unemployment.

“Unemployment also takes its toll on University of Georgia students who are working their way through school,” Bachtel said. “Firms will let students go.” Without reliable income, students have a hard time funding their education.
Other students whose parents are suffering from unemployment have a more difficult time paying school tuition.

Many students are worried about finding employment after graduation. This number includes Jasmaine Williams, a senior majoring in biology and Spanish from Stockbridge, Ga.

“I would work for a couple of years if the economy was better,” Williams said. Instead, she plans to attend graduate school after she receives her bachelor’s degree in May. Despite these plans, she is still anxious about the future.

“It’s scary to think about going through a five year program and not getting a job with a Ph.D.,” she said.

Attending graduate school is an option that many Athens’ students choose instead of pursuing a career with present unemployment rates.

“I’m not really concerned about unemployment because I’m not worried about a career at this point in time,” said Samantha Gabai, a senior from Sandy Springs, Ga. Like Williams, she plans to attend graduate school next fall.

Even with constant reminders about the rising rate of unemployment, there are still opportunities.

“Be persistent,” said Lori Chafin, the unit supervisor for the Georgia Department of Labor Athens Career Center. “Don’t give into those around you saying ‘the economy is bad, you’re never going to find a job, because that’s simply not true.”

For those actively seeking employment, the Athens Career Center can be of great assistance. Chafin advised job seekers to use the Center’s available resources.

“There are so many resources here like internet, fax machines and resume critique workshops,” Chafin said. “The main focus is helping job seekers to increase their marketing skills, to be creative in their approach to job seeking and tap into all of the resources that are available to secure employment.”

Athens area job seekers who would like help finding employment can visit the Georgia Department of Labor at www.dol.state.ga.us.

Edited by Robert Carnes