This article is from the Press Enterprise. 

“Community colleges are poised to take a greater role in providing job training as more federal money becomes available to return the unemployed to the workplace.

“The Riverside Community College District got $660,000 in stimulus cash to employ youths during the summer and expects millions more to expand programs. Mt. San Jacinto College expects nearly $1 million to expand programs, including those for alternative fuel mechanics and water technicians.

“And a grant of about $870,000 that was awarded to the San Bernardino Community College District on Friday for green job training is partially funded by stimulus dollars.”

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This article is from The New York Times. 

“When Wendy Scarbrough lost her job after 10 years as a television news producer for NBC, she decided it would be smart to pursue a new career and to improve her skills.

“At a job fair, she learned about a course that she was sure would make her more marketable to employers. Within weeks, she was enrolled in that course, in project management, at Northern Virginia Community College, alongside 15 other laid-off workers.

“It felt a little odd enrolling at a community college, Ms. Scarbrough said, because she already had a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University. Still, she said, not only were the instructors knowledgeable, but also the course involved visits from prospective employers, and she was able to polish her skills in budgeting, personnel management and other areas.

“‘I learned a lot,’ she said. ‘It also helped me psychologically after looking for a job for a year and feeling discouraged. It gave me a new direction and has certainly been helpful for networking.’”

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This article is from Bankrate.com.

“With nearly one out of every 10 workers currently unemployed, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, workers across the country are updating their skills. Luckily you don’t have to go into debt to retool your career. From company-funded retraining programs to adult-targeted financial aid awards to federally funded work force development centers, several free education options are available to help get the unemployed back on their feet. Check out these ways to reinvent your career without going broke.

Talk to the boss:

Before making a grand exit, Rolf Wegenke, president of the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, advises the recently laid off to investigate if their severance package includes cash or provisions for retraining or professional development.

‘Companies have cut back on funding educational programs (for terminated employees), but some still do,’ he says. ‘It all depends on which company you’re working for and the kind of position you’re in.’”

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This article is from WWLTV.com.

“Grant money is now available to train people who want careers in the health care industry.

“While U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis was in Reserve on Monday, she announced that $220 million will be awarded to agencies and schools to fund education projects in health care and other high growth industries.

“The grants are especially intended to help people without jobs.”

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This article is from The Christian Science Monitor.

“While she was a student at the University of Arizona, Patty Fernandez never had a chance to intern. But two decades later, she’s doing just that.

“Laid off from her copy-editing job last summer at Standard & Poor’s and seeing her freelance work dwindle, Ms. Fernandez applied for an unpaid internship at the website start-up company wowOwow.com, an online community for women. ‘I was really attracted by the possibilities and being able to do something that I didn’t necessarily have experience [in],’ she says of the Internet-publishing venture.

“Perhaps it’s a sign of the times. The internship role, once reserved for college students and entry-level candidates, is attracting mid-career professionals eager to retool their skills. With 7 million jobs lost since the beginning of the recession, internships are becoming a sought-after way to reenter the job market.

“‘There are a lot of adults who are out of work, a lot of adults who want to transition into second careers – and an internship is the best way to get a foot in the door and … learn about a new industry,’ says Lauren Berger, founder of InternQueen.com, a website devoted to college internships.”

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This article is from Memphis Business Journal.

“The federal government will offer $500 million in funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for competitive grants to prepare workers throughout the country for green jobs in the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries.

“Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announced the grants at a press conference this morning from the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis.

“‘Emerging green jobs are creating opportunities for workers to enter careers that offer good wages and pathways to long-term job growth and prosperity,’ said Solis. ‘Workers receiving training through projects funded by these competitions will be at the forefront as our nation transforms the way we generate electricity, manufacture products and do business across a wide range of industries.’”

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This article is from South Bend Tribune.

“If you are looking to be retrained for a new and more stable career path, nursing is the way to go, according to Eric Jones, the region’s director of Manpower Inc.

“A recent national survey by Manpower, an employment services company, indicates that engineering, nursing, skilled/manual trades and teaching are the top four most difficult positions for employers to fill this year.

“And locally, Manpower is seeing similar results.

“‘We’re absolutely seeing similar trends in South Bend as we are nationally,’ Jones said.

“He said nursing in particular is seeing a boom as major hospitals are pulling out all the stops to recruit nurses.”

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This article is from Delaware Online.

“After Linda Yenshaw lost her job as an administrative assistant in her company’s downsizing, it took her about a year to find another position. The job she found wasn’t as challenging as the post she had for 17 years but it paid the bills — until the company closed, leaving the 46-year-old unemployed for the second time.

“‘I took some time to re-evaluate my life and I said [the corporate world] was just not for me any more,’ the Wilmington resident said. ‘I thought if I worked in a spa doing skin care, it would be as beneficial for me as it was for the clients.’

“Yenshaw enrolled in the skin-care specialist program at Dawn Training Centre, a Wilmington technical school.

“As the recession swells the ranks of the unemployed, many of those workers are in turn boosting enrollments at trade and technical schools. Like Yenshaw, they are attracted by programs that are shorter than traditional college and targeted to a particular vocation.”

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This article is from Reuters. 

“Global employers still have trouble finding the right people for open positions, even as candidate resumes pile up amid recession.

“A global talent crunch has eased slightly, but is set to worsen in coming years because of demographic trends, according to an annual survey by global employment services company Manpower Inc.

“Worldwide, 30 percent of employers reported trouble filling positions because of the lack of suitable talent, down slightly from 31 percent who said so a year ago, according to Manpower, which polled 39,000 employers in 33 countries.

“While many more people are looking for work, they often lack the skills, or experience, that employers need.”

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This article is from The Daily Times. 

“Americans are currently facing serious economic challenges. In just one year, the number of unemployed workers across the nation has increased by about 5.3 million people, leaving high school and college graduates to face the toughest job market in decades.

“While unemployment rates continue to rise, the recession has provided several industries with real opportunities for growth. To obtain the skills needed for these expanding fields, recent graduates, unemployed and under-employed workers are turning to the classroom.

“Changes in consumer demand, technology, and many other factors have contributed to the continually changing employment structure in the U.S. economy. The sectors projected to be the fastest growing over the next several decades are education and health services.”

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