Columbia employers support continuing education
The job market is tight, and so more adults are going back to school, education officials say. For many Columbia residents, hitting the books is made possible through the flexible hours, tuition reimbursement and internal education programs provided by their employers.
Kimberly Moore, a 41-year-old Shelter Insurance employee, recently completed her undergraduate business degree at Columbia College. To do this, Moore used the flex-time hours and undergraduate tuition reimbursement the company provides.
When Moore started at Shelter in 1999, she had sophomore status college credit but wanted to complete her degree. In 2007, with hopes of professional advancement, Moore enrolled at Columbia College. Shelter let her modify a typical workday schedule, allowing her to arrive at 7 a.m. and leave at 3:30 p.m. so she could attend classes.
Shelter will reimburse 100 percent of industry-related classes, up to six hours per semester. Moore took advantage of this reimbursement, enrolling as a full-time student (six hours per eight-week session) and working as a full-time employee.
“These benefits are a huge support to employees wanting to go back to school and complete their education,” Moore said. “It would have been much more difficult otherwise.”
Moore, who now works in the claims department, was in the accounting department previously and saw how many education reimbursement checks the company was sending out. “So many of our employees do take advantage of these phenomenal opportunities,” she said.
Jim Schepers, Shelter’s manager of compensation and personnel administration, said the company requires three years of employment and a “C” grade or better in all classes for which employees seek reimbursement. The company does not pay for books or fees.
The most important thing is that employees “grow with the company, and education is the key to that,” Schepers said.
In addition to backing employees who are seeking undergraduate and graduate degrees, Shelter encourages workers to get industry training certifications and reimburses them for the costs of required class work.
Another Shelter employee, Meghan Fitzpatrick, 24, is working on her master’s degree in business administration from Columbia College. While she is not eligible for tuition reimbursement because advanced degrees are not included, Fitzpatrick regularly uses the company’s flextime program to create extra study time and accommodate an evening class schedule. Without these flexible hours, getting to 5:15 p.m. classes would be nearly impossible, Fitzpatrick added.
“I finished my undergraduate (coursework) in 2007, and with the current economy, I know I need to do everything I can to make myself more marketable,” Fitzpatrick said. “These flexible hours help immensely and make school and work a possibility. Finishing my workday at 3:30 p.m. means I have time to look over my notes and study. On test days, I may even be able to schedule things so I can leave a bit earlier.”
University Hospital reimburses employees for 75 percent of tuition costs, up to six hours per semester taken at the University of Missouri. Like Shelter Insurance, University Hospital employees are eligible for non-traditional schedules that allow flexibility and convenience during class enrollment.
As a clinical supervisor in the Burn Intensive Care Unit at University Hospital, Mary Creger, 36, works long hours. Most of the hours are in the evening and on the weekends, which allows her to take classes during the day. She’s using tuition reimbursement plus a special scholarship granted through the Burn Intensive Care Unit to complete her online dual master’s degree in Nursing Education and Clinical Nursing through the MU School of Nursing.
“These programs through the hospital allow me to balance work, school and family,” Creger said. “I have been a nurse for 10 years and wanted to build on my education. I plan to graduate in May 2010 and combine my interests of teaching and patient care.”
Other employers such as the Columbia Public Schools do not provide tuition reimbursement but do encourage continuing education through the use of a directly correlated pay scale. Employee salaries are tied directly to education and performance, explained Mary Laffey, assistant superintendent for human resources.
Teachers can move up the eight-tiered pay scale by obtaining advanced degrees and participating in in-house career development programs and workshops. Sixteen hours of in-house development hours equals one graduate level credit hour. Additionally, the Columbia Public Schools offers a teaching fellowship with stipend for teachers earning their master’s degree.
Dolores Shearon, marketing director for MU Extension, said employees like those at Shelter, University Hospital and the Columbia Public Schools seem to be taking greater advantage of continuing education programs in the economic downturn.
MU Extension administers the university’s continuing education programs. Shearon said MU enrolls approximately 100,000 continuing education students per year and offers online courses, MU In The Evening, non-credit professional education courses and traditional classroom courses.
“With the current economic conditions, it is important for job seekers to set themselves apart,” Shearon said. “Showing you have stayed up to date helps you shine to prospective employers and advance in your current position. It demonstrates a commitment to lifelong learning.”
The trend is expected to continue when the economy recovers. The U.S. Department of Education estimates that during the next 10 years, adult learning will represent the fastest-growing segment of higher education.