Research conducted by The Workforce Alliance, Skills2Compete and the California EDGE Campaign suggests 2.7 million jobs will become available for middle-skill workers in California over the next seven years. The study defined middle-skill workers as having some job-specific education past high school not to exceed a bachelor’s degree.

In 2007, professions requiring such training accounted for 49 percent of total jobs in the state, but only 39 percent of workers and California were qualified to fill such positions.

The recession offers the state to “invest in training time” for middle-skilled workers by “evaluat[ing] labor and skill needs and train and prepare for the jobs that are expected to grow,” said Agnes Balassa of the Workforce Alliance.

Many industries that require large numbers of middle-skill employees - including the environment/energy, construction, manufacturing and transportation sectors - are anticipated to thrive after the economy recovers.

Workers wishing to take advantage of middle-skill job openings may consider online associates programs or training to gain professional development that will help them compete for careers in growing markets.

The company’s professional education division has made a commitment to support Imagine America’s IAF LDRSIHP award for the next five years.

The award, which was created in 2004, allows qualified current and former members of the military pursue degree programs or professional training through grants and counseling.

Veterans, reservists, active-duty or honorably discharged soldiers may apply for the program and use the award for tuition at any member of the Career College Association.

Tim Hill, president of Blackboard’s professional education division, said the partnership aims to benefit “the kid of students” that vocational and professional training programs serve, including “working adults, parents and military veterans…whose success will have a major impact on the health and future of our nation’s economy and workforce.”

The award is one of many initiatives the Imagine America Foundation has taken to help graduating high school seniors, adult learners and veterans pursue vocational programs that can help them begin their careers.

Current and former members of the military may consider enrolling in online degree programs, which can be completed at an individual’s convenience, to help ease the transition into the civilian job market.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that environmental engineering positions - which typically require bachelors degrees in engineering - are projected to grow by 25 percent over the next seven years.

Recent graduates with this training may find jobs working on projects such as Southwest’s green plane development. The airline has recently unveiled an environmentally friendly model of one of its Boeing 737-700 jets, which researchers will use to test sustainable features.

Environmental engineers may find other opportunities in the transportation industry, such as work with eco-friendly motorcycles. For example, Zero Motorcycles has just obtained Certification of Conformity from the Environmental Protection Agency for its completely electrical Zero S and DS models.

Because these automobiles qualify their owners for state and federal tax credits, increased development and production of similar models may create greater opportunities for those who are trained in environmental engineering.

Companies striving to make their products and services more sustainable may consider recent graduates with degrees in mathematics or natural science for environmental engineering positions, the Bureau of Labor Statistics notes.

Online universities may offer engineering degree programs for those wishing to take advantage of this growing career field.

So, how do you enjoy your work more, and hence be more valuable to your employer?  Below is a description of the special qualities that people of your type preferences bring to the job. Since every individual is unique, not all of these may be true for you – but the majority should.

As you review the lists, think about opportunities where you can use these qualities to further the organization’s goals.  Remember, employers appreciate employees who add value, show initiative, and make their lives easier. With that in mind, I would also recommend that you go the next step, seek out your boss and ask him or her, what you can do to be even more valuable.

Start by Discovering Your Personality Type

If you don’t yet know your “Type”, take our quick (less than 5 minutes – honest!) and accurate on-line personality assessment at www.personalitytype.com.

There are four aspects or “dimensions” of Personality Type, and two opposite sets of characteristics associated with each. Every person has a natural, inborn preference for one set of characteristics over the other. People are either Extraverts or Introverts (which describes the different ways people get energized), Sensors or Intuitives (the different ways people take in information, Thinkers or Feelers (the different ways people make decisions), and Judgers or Perceivers (the different ways people like to organize their world).

Everyone is primarily one way or the other on each of these four dimensions, but no one is exclusively one way or the other. It’s important to recognize that it’s not better or worse to have any of these preferences, every individual is unique, and we all have varying abilities to use our “non-preferences” when we need to. So, your “Type” is a combination of your preferences for each of these dimensions, which makes people “ISTJs”, “ENFPs”, or one of fourteen other types. (By the way, the letter “N” is used for “Intuition”, since “I” is already taken to describe “Introverts”).

So, What Makes You So Valuable?

Here are some of the natural strengths for people of different type preferences:

Extraverts – looking outside themselves and seeing what needs to be done, getting people involved, public speaking, organizing and hosting events.

Introverts –  looking inside themselves and considering things carefully, focusing on one topic at a time, researching, and making thoughtful, deliberate decisions.

Sensors –  paying attention to the important facts and details, bringing a  realistic perspective, seeking practical solutions, being in  the moment, and providing a historical perspective – “ the institutional memory.”

Intuitives –  generating ideas, seeking new approaches, thinking about the big picture, connecting the dots, thinking outside-the-box, and considering future implications.

Thinkers –  applying objective analysis, seeking fair solutions, and making the kinds of hard decisions that while unpopular, are necessary.

Feelers –  being sympathetic and empathetic, supporting and nurturing others, getting people involved, being concerned about morale, and doing things they believe to be right.

Judgers –  making decisions, being organized, planning, setting and meeting goals and deadlines.

Perceivers – keeping open to new possibilities, considering options, responding spontaneously, being curious and asking the right questions, and continuing to improve ideas.

These strengths, which are directly connected to your Type preferences are the best you have to offer. The more opportunities you can find to use them, the more successful you will be and the more valuable you’ll be to your employer.

The Art Institutes - a nationwide system providing higher education in design media arts, fashion and culinary arts - has announced the launch of Ai InSite, which offers insider information on topics such as emerging fashions, popular design concepts, progressions in media arts and new cuisines. The website also offers advice on careers in these industries.

Working adults in these fields may apply this advice in an online college degree program, which may help them obtain a career-advancing education without halting professional development.

Visitors can sign up for emails and RSS feeds to receive updates on trends, job prospects and industry news. Postings on the site can be shared through Facebook, MySpace, Digg, email and similar social media services.

John Mazzoni, President of the Art Institutes, said the site aims “to provide those searching advice and insights on creative arts topics” from “industry professionals.”

Coupling such resources with an online education may help professionals in the art, design or hospitality industries stay abreast of emerging trends and accelerate their careers.

For more information about Art Institute online college degree programs or other arts and design online degrees visit Education Connection.

Oh, you may say, “My friends are the best, they‘re great, none better, can’t live without my friends.” “Heck I’d stack my friends up against any set of friends.”

Ok, you love your friends … I get it, but let’s go to the dictionary and look up the word friend:

1. a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard.
2. a person who gives assistance; patron; supporter.

You’re probably thinking, “Yes, those are my friends, we have an emotional attachment, we feel affection for one another, we give each other assistance and we support each other!”

Hmm, you support each other. Is that really true? Let’s examine that part of the friendship and see if your friends really support you. This is going to require that you also think about what kind of friend that YOU are; so soul searching required here and most of all, honesty.

Friendship – It’s for the Birds

There is a saying that goes like this …”Birds of a feather flock together.” True for birds; true for humans. Let’s bring this down to the simplest associations. People generally like to form friendships with people that are “like” them. So, if you are smoker, you will have an affinity for other people who smoke. They will support your smoking and not be judgmental of you. If one day a smoker friend announces that they intend on quitting, how would you feel about that? You don’t want to quit but know that you should. Your friend might look down on you if she succeeds and you remain a smoker. She may not want to hang out with you any longer. You, on the other hand, want to smoke with her, you don’t want her to go to the nonsmoking section, to the “I’m going to be healthier than you section,” to the “I’m going to live longer than you world.” So, do you support her?

“YES, I love her and support her,” you say. But deep down inside, you hope that she fails and gets back to your level. Are you really a friend?

Let’s look at another scenario. Your best friend calls and announces that he hit the lottery for $10,000,000. Up until that point, you made the same amount of money, drove similar cars, lived in similar homes, etc. But now he’s a multi-millionaire - how do you feel? Are you really happy for him or do you wish that it didn’t happen?

Everybody is always trying to lose weight; it’s a life long struggle for many. You and your friend are going to try to get in shape and lose weight. You start out equally, but she sticks with it and loses all the weight she wanted and gets ripped working out five days a week. She looks great! How do you feel? Are you jealous; do you encourage her to eat more and exercising less? Are you hoping that she falls off the wagon and rejoins you in your world? Are you afraid that she will be deemed more attractive to the opposite sex; that she will abandon you?

The Hard Truth

The fact of the matter is that most humans desire that their friends are exactly the person that they need them to be everyday. If I’m overweight, I want my friends to be overweight. If I’m a smoker, I don’t want my friends to quit smoking. If I’m a drinker, I want drinking friends. And if I’m unemployed, I don’t want my friends to have a good job. I certainly don’t want my friends to make more money then me. In no way does that make me happy.

So, what does this have to do with going back to school to earn a degree or to obtain a higher level degree? Just tell a friend that you are going back to school and these are thoughts that are really going through their mind:

• Oh no, she’s going to be smarter than me.
• This school thing will interfere in our friendship; in the time we can spend together.
• Darn, she’s going to make new friends.
• She’ll get a better job then me.
• She’ll make more money then me, have nicer clothes, drive a better car.
• Oh no, she’ll move away and have a great life …
• I HAVE TO PUT THE KABOSH ON THIS …THIS DOESN’T MAKE ME HAPPY, NOT ONE BIT!!!!!

So, would you have any of these thoughts in any of these scenarios? Be honest now! Well, congratulations – you’re human. The point here is, other than your mother, your friends need you to stay like them. And if you want to improve your life through education, you probably shouldn’t expect any support from your “friends”. They can’t help you; it’s their job to make sure that you stay exactly where they’re at.

Sorry if this hurts; but if you want to improve your life in anyway, you probably have to be prepared to go it alone. Eventually, you will make new friends that are on the same path as you.

Distance education involves learning that takes place when the teacher and the student are in two different settings, learning and teaching at two different times, perhaps even in two different countries and certainly with different aspirations in mind. In the more traditional approach to higher education, students travel to a campus to learn in the presence of an instructor and other students. Though this practice prevails, distance education has become a viable alternative for those unable or unwilling to travel to campus or who cannot afford to do so, yet still want to learn in a familiar setting (Keegan, 2002; Rudestam, 2004; Darabi et al, 2006). Distance learning is one of the fastest growing educational endeavors of the last decade. Its low price, high quality and lack of necessity for absence from the workplace or home makes it very attractive for those who want to raise their education level, yet, cannot access traditional education. In light of the changing demographics of nursing students, the national shortage of both nurses and nursing faculty, and the call for increased curricular content in informatics in the nursing curriculum, distance learning provides a viable alternative to conventional classrooms for programs in nursing.

Currently, neither the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) nor the National League for Nursing (NLN) maintain statistics on the number of nursing programs that offer all or part of their program content using a distance education format. However, Holly, et al (2008) reported a search using the Peterson’s (n.d.) search engine that search yielded 63 colleges/universities that offered registered nurse training in an asynchronous distance format.

With these considerations in mind, the purpose of this paper is to present distance education as a model that can meet real-world demands. While not a panacea, distance education can serve to place nurse educators in a position to develop curricula that addresses healthcare information technology (IT) uses that will prepare the nurse to meet the Institute of Medicine’s core competencies, the National League for Nursing’s call for an increase in informatics content in curricula and The Joint Commission’s national patient safety goals. As well, distance education modalities can begin to address the recommendations of the Spelling Commission to provide affordable, accessible education.

The Changing Demographic of the Nursing Student

Older adult students of nursing have begun to outnumber the traditional college age students. These older students tend to be busy, working adults with families and other responsibilities, and as such, the traditional classroom is not convenient for them to continue their studies or pursue a new profession (Carr, 1999) . As Stark (as cited in Work, 2008) has stated: “A nursing program is difficult, especially for students who are still learning English or who need to work at a job or tend to a family while completing the program.” (para 6). These difficulties may be contributing to the nursing shortage.

Current trends suggest that students who are enrolled in nursing programs are more likely to be older, live off campus, and be a member of a racially/ethnically diverse group. As adults, these students are looking for a learning environment that is respectful and responsive to their learning styles and needs. Effective distance education for these adult learners needs to focus on recipients as active, self-directed, and whose knowledge, background, interests and educational gaps vary widely. (Jairath & Mills, 2006). These nontraditional students are required to meet the challenges of a rigorous nursing program while simultaneously managing the many facets of family and work responsibilities (Wells, 2003). Data on nursing students’ reasons for leaving school were obtained through an exit-interview in a study conducted by Glossop (2002). Academic difficulties and wrong career choice were among the most commonly reported leaving reasons; however, family and financial difficulties emerged as equally important categories.

In addition to the need to provide more accessible education at more convenient times to these new students, there has been a call from the National League for Nursing (NLN) to transform nursing education to include more curricular content in informatics (NLN, 2008). This call for transformation is based on the NLN’s assertion that technology is the basis for an evidence-based nursing curriculum.

Distance Education and the Nurse Shortage

Nursing is experiencing a critical shortage of both nurses to care for patients and nurse faculty to teach them to do so. Current projections are for a nurse shortage in the US of 12% by 2010, increasing to 20% by 2015 and 29% by 2020 (Department of Health and Human Services, 2002). Considering the attendance-graduate gap reported by the Spelling Commission (2006), less than anticipated graduation rates in schools of nursing may be influencing this under-representation and shortage. Stark (as cited in Work, 2008) reported at the annual meeting of the Southern Regional Education Board’s Council on Collegiate Education for Nursing that her nursing program graduation rates were about 67 percent, with the majority of schools in the region reporting lower rates some as low as three (3) percent. She stated: “A nursing program is difficult, especially for students who are still learning English or who need to work at a job or tend to a family while completing the program. “

It follows then that the shortage of nurses requires that nursing schools supply more graduates. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2000) reported that distance education could counter the nation’s nursing shortage by providing nursing education to people who would not have access to the traditional campus because of work, family, or economic issues. The Association further stated that the use of distance education may enhance the nursing profession’s ability to educate bedside nurses, prepare future nurse educators, and advance nursing science in an era when the number of professional nurses, qualified nursing faculty, and nurse researchers is well below the national need. Simonson, Smaldion, Albright, and Zvacek (2000) reported that nursing students are increasingly demanding to be allowed to learn at a distance, because of convenience and personal issues. Distance-learning options specifically address the needs of underserved students, including many who are either rural or site bound or those who have family or other responsibilities that preclude attendance at a specific geographic site during predetermined class time hours. In addition, increased requirements for career advancement, such as a bachelor’s or a master’s degree, or the need for updates for continuing education or certification, can also be accommodated by distance education (Carr & Farley, 2003).

Distance Education and the Faculty Shortage

As well as a shortage in clinically based nurses, nursing is also experiencing a shortage of prepared nursing faculty at all levels. There is a projected 2010 vacancy rate of 390,000 registered nurses with baccalaureate or master’s nursing degrees, which equates to a need for many well-prepared nursing faculty to teach entering nursing students. Compounding the overall nursing shortage is the increasing deficit of full-time master’s and doctorally prepared nursing faculty (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2003).

For instance, a national survey indicates that 33,000 qualified applications to nursing programs were turned down, and 76.1 percent of the surveyed schools indicated that shortage of faculty was the main factor limiting admissions (AACN, 2003); however lack of adequate classroom space was also cited as a factor. Programs have also been developed to expedite the entry of nurses with clinical training at the master’s level into faculty roles by providing them with education in additional aspects of the faculty role. Part-time academic training, assisted by distance learning programs while maintaining a clinical role, can be used to address this issue (AACN, 2003).The importance of distance learning for preparation as a faculty member means that the student does not have to abandon an existing career to pursue a lengthy education, often in a different location from one’s residence. These programs allow the individual to go to school, continue to work and reduce disruption to personal and family life.

The Case for Distance Education

Given that distance education is capable of providing increased flexibility, access and cost-effectiveness in nursing education, there is potential for this type of learning to meet the mandate of the Spelling Commission (2006), which reported that there is a persistent gap between the college attendance and graduation rates of the nation’s growing population of racial and ethnic minorities. While about one-third of whites have obtained bachelor’s degrees by age 25–29, just 18 percent of blacks and ten percent of Latinos in the same age cohort have earned degrees by that time (Spelling Commission, 2006). This situation is compounded in the nursing profession by the fact that only two percent of all nurses are Latino, the fastest growing ethnic group in the nation. In California, for example, the state with the highest percentage of Latino nurses, Latinas, who account for 28 percent of working-age adults represent only 5 percent of that state’s RNs (Coffman, Rosenoff & Grumbach, 2008).The commission also noted that increases in college costs, which have outpaced inflation for the past two decades, have made affordability an ever-growing worry for students and families. Too many students either are discouraged from attending college by rising costs, or take on large debt to do so. To improve affordability and address the attendance-graduation gap, the Commission recommended the increased use of technology in higher education.

As well, distance education allows nurse educators to meet the National League for Nursing’s call for an increase in informatics content. Many nurse educators and nursing students currently use technologies such as videoconferencing, handheld devices, and online learning strategies to augment traditional approaches to teaching and learning. However, there is a need for nurses who are comfortable in using rapidly emerging new technologies; a nurse with a foundation in technology who is better prepared to interact with clinical information systems and clinical decision support systems. Distance education can support this goal and has the potential to provide the new nurse with critical thinking skill and the writing and problem solving skills needed in today’s complex clinical workplaces.

Although the number of faculty using technology in the classroom has grown in recent years, many faculty members continue to have limited background in the high-end technologies and instructional design expertise typically needed to develop more technologically sophisticated course projects that support critical thinking and clinical judgment skills. Unfortunately, the trickle down from this faculty lack of knowledge and expertise is the affect on n ursing students’ attitudes toward technology, which can influence successful adoption of information competencies, willingness to learn computer systems, and ultimately, the use of technology to improve patient care in the clinical area (Detmer, 2005). Researchers have reported that an individual’s attitude is an integral part in the successful use of computer systems and technology, and computer-based instruction (Gunawardena & Duphorne, 2000; Joo, Bong & Choi, 2000; Dillon, Blankenship & Crews, 2005). Tanner et al (2004) found that nurses’ literacy in information technology plays a critical role in the implementation of evidence-based practice in different healthcare settings, and distance education modalities can support this implementation.

Conclusion

Distance education is capable of providing increased flexibility, access and cost- effectiveness in nursing education all at the same time. As a result, e- learning is increasingly viewed as an economical way of expanding educational activities, widening opportunities for students in all sectors of the nation, and making effective use of these new technologies while providing students with an education that meets real-world demands. There is potential for this type of learning to meet the mandate of the Spelling Commission (2006) who reported that there is a persistent gap between the college attendance and graduation rates of the nation’s growing population of racial and ethnic minorities.

As bad as something might be, we grow comfortable with it. We know we don’t like it, but it’s dependable. We know exactly what to expect and as bad as it is, it generally beats the uncertainty associated with change.

In the bad relationship scenario, we stay because we’re not sure if the next relationship is going to be any better. Maybe we can’t attract another relationship. We might even be trading from boring to abusive.

In the job, you know what the day to day is like, you know all of the characters, you know what a jerk the boss is; but, it could be worse somewhere else.

So, we stay because knowingness and security are comfortable and that is what keeps us in place. That is what keeps us from moving toward change and that’s why comfort is a silent killer. It robs you of the future and squashes your dreams.

If you reflect back on your life, you can recall many times that you were forced into change. You were fired or laid-off, which led you to a better job. Or, your spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend dumped you, which led you to find a more fulfilling relationship.

Today, there are millions upon millions of people suffering in unfulfilling relationships and dead end jobs. They are stuck because they are terrified of the unknown, fearful of change. They make excuses for staying put in order to justify their lack of courage. Yes, I said it, “It takes courage to make change, to face the unknown.”

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

It is this silent killer that also keeps most people from going back to school to earn a degree that could change their life. The excuses that we make to stay in our comfort zone are many and varied, some sound like this: “I would like to get a degree, but there is so much going on in my life; who has the time?”  “I’m too old to go back to school.” “I’m not sure if I’m smart enough to handle college level academics at my age.”  Again, you get the point. And so life goes on and the years pass and you stay where you’re at - comfortable, but miserable.

Many years ago, my college bound son asked me to give him advice about life. He wanted a ten word, says it all motto to live by.  And it came to me to say this, “Son, whenever you feel comfortable in a situation run from it like it’s a house on fire.”  Of course, he didn’t get it because, like most, he thought comfort was the goal. And so I left him with that “motto” knowing that many decades would pass before he would get it.

Life is yours for the taking. It rewards those who run from comfort and put themselves in uncomfortable and challenging situations. It is there and only there that we grow.

Are you comfortable? Run like hell!

President Obama has expressed his commitment to education, saying that it is “the single best bet” that we can make for our individual success, as well as for the success of our country.  He has also pointed out that college graduates make 80 percent more than those who just have a high school diploma. This commitment is part of the reason that the administration unveiled a new Web site earlier this year to help those who are unemployed research their educational opportunities.

Opportunity.gov

The new web site – www.opportunity.gov - brings together resources from the Department of Labor and the Department of Education. It is an extremely well-organized site that provides information on financial aid options and career choices.

The section on financial assistance includes many links to pages, such as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and a site that explains the new Income Based Repayment Plan for people who have student loans.

Another section of the site lists Department of Labor tools.  These resources are invaluable for people who are exploring their career options.  The Skills Profiler allows you to find jobs that match your current skill-set and the Re-Employment Portal provides information on transferable skills.  Also, the Occupational Outlook Handbook is great for researching different careers because it gives you information about how much you might expect to earn in and what education is necessary for a particular profession.

Lastly, the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section answers some pertinent questions about financial aid and unemployment.  Here you will find information on the Pell Grant and other federal sources of financial aid.

Check out the site - you may find that you have more education opportunities than you originally thought!