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