After being laid off, many unemployed Missourians are finding they need to have a GED or high school diploma in order to get a job.

"The bottom line is for those older, displaced workers, many of them had jobs that didn't require a high school diploma when they got the job," said Adult Learning Center Director John McClure. "They've been there 10, 15 years and through no fault of their own, they've been laid off and now they're back out here in the job force and seeing they can't do anything without a high school diploma or a GED."

March and April are usually peak months for GED test-takers, but now the demand is even higher due to layoffs. The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, or DESE, is doubling the number of test days from twice a month, to once a week for people looking to take the GED.

The Adult Education Center in Columbia offers free GED preparation classes. The classes are usually six weeks long and are already booked until July.

Geri Helgeland is a teacher at the Adult Education Center and sees the struggle of some going back to class.

"They are frustrated," said Helgeland. "We can understand their frustrating. They were handling things beautifully and then the job disappears and they don't have that piece of paper. They have lots of skills and lots of knowledge but that piece of paper is in their way."

The GED isn't an easy test. The five-part exam takes about 7 1/2 hours to complete covering areas in reading, writing, math, science and social studies.

People looking to take the GED need to fill out an application form as well as pay a $20 fee to the state.