“Even if you’re not in a smart hub,” Ms. Setzfand said, “every company has a need for technology employees.” One example,
she said, is Quicken Loans in Detroit, which has a great appetite for coders and others with tech skills.
“If you’re that person in Gary, Ind., creating your own meet-up groups, you’ll get credit and respect.”
But digital skill gaps are creating lots of work opportunities, Ms. Setzfand said.
It is also worth noting that Rust Belt cities like Rochester
and Cleveland are rapidly reinventing themselves as health care hubs, creating new kinds of work.
But for people who, like Ms. Callens, are in their 40s and 50s, making a change, especially in the Rust Belt, can be daunting.
“My college degree was also in hospitality,” said Ms. Callens, 52.
“I didn’t want to do that ever again,” said Mr. Coss, a trained quality engineer.
“It was a great opportunity to make a career switch,” said Mr. Blume, who lives in Champaign, Ill., with his wife and son.
But after quitting her job and spending time in Mexico, Ms. Callens had a career epiphany.
Ms. Callens, who also took classes with younger students, had the same experience.
“And nursing is hospitality with sharp objects.”
Ms. Callens happily graduated last December and will soon be a neurological nurse.
