Exploring Women's Experiences with Job Loss and Community College Retraining: What Do I Do Now?

Abstract

As the United States economy moves away from manufacturing, members of this workforce are facing an uncertain future. In this study, an interpretive methodological framework is used to explore women's experiences with textile manufacturing job loss, and subsequent retraining at a local community college. Narratives of four displaced workers and one community college administrator are used to illustrate the dimensions of participant experiences with the transition from being a full-time manufacturing employee to becoming a full-time student. Consideration of what their experiences mean for the role of the community college in the changing job economy provides a framework for interpretation.