This article is from Kiplinger.com.

By Marty Nemko, Contributing Columnist, Kiplinger.com 

“Standard practice is to apologize for daring to make predictions. But my previous annual predictions haven’t been too bad, so I’m eager to proceed again with (measured) confidence.

If you’re looking for a new job or career, I point to specific areas for likely job growth. If you’re employed, knowing these trends will be valuable in your strategic planning for 2009 and beyond.” Click here to read full article.

NEEDHAM, Mass., Jan. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Sloan Consortium reports significant growth in online learning among the nation’s elementary and secondary school students. It is estimated that more than 1 million students are now taking classes online - a 47% increase from the Sloan Consortium’s original K-12 study done two years earlier. “K-12 Online Learning: A 2008 Follow-up of the Survey of U.S. School District Administrators” finds the vast majority of American school districts are providing some form of online learning and even more plan to do so within the next three years. The complete survey is available at www.sloanconsortium.org.

“Survey results indicate that online learning is meeting a wide range of student needs from remedial to accelerated instruction,” said Anthony G. Picciano, professor, School of Education, Hunter College and Graduate Center of the City University of New York. “In particular, it provides the ability to offer coursework that is otherwise unavailable at a child’s school, which we find to be especially significant in rural districts.”

Four out of five school districts use more than one provider of online classes, including postsecondary institutions, virtual schools within a district’s home state, independent vendors, and education service agencies. Among the barriers and issues perceived as most significant for school districts are concerns about course quality and costs related to course development. These concerns are similar to those seen in the original study.

“We are seeing online learning grow in relevance and acceptance throughout education,” said Frank Mayadas, program director, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and president, Sloan Consortium. “Two out of three school districts expected further growth in their enrollments for online course while 61% expect growth in their enrollments for blended courses.”

The Sloan Consortium’s K-12 online study - conceived and developed by Anthony G. Picciano, Hunter College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, and Jeff Seaman, Babson College; and funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation - consists of responses from 867 public school district chief administrators representing every region and all 50 states in the country.

The Sloan Consortium is the nation’s largest association of institutions and organizations committed to quality online education and administered through Babson College and Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering. Visit www.sloanconsortium.org.

Babson College in Wellesley, Mass., is recognized internationally as a leader in entrepreneurial management education.

Hunter College is the largest college in the City University of New York (CUNY) system and the first choice among all CUNY applicants. Founded in 1870, the College offers more than 170 undergraduate and graduate programs. Hunter is noted for its professional schools in education, health sciences, nursing and social work, as well as its excellence in the liberal arts. The Graduate Center is the doctoral granting arm of the City University of New York. Founded in 1961, the Center offers 32 doctoral programs in the humanities, social sciences and sciences.

Website: http://www.sloanconsortium.org//

This article is from Inside Higher Ed.

“College leaders confident that the federal government’s economic stimulus package would pour billions of dollars into higher education should probably take a deep breath. A version of the legislation introduced in the Senate Friday would be somewhat less generous to colleges and students than the financial package unveiled by the House the week before, and while President Obama emphasized science and student aid in laying out his own plan Saturday, Republicans are balking at many of the spending proposals that would most benefit higher education.”

 Click here to read the full article.

This article is from Inside Higher Ed. 

“Online learning enrollments continue growing at double-digit rates each year. But for one sector of students — a sector seen as a particularly good demographic for distance learning — demand for it could be curbed by a new federal law, the new Post-9/11 GI Bill.”

Click here to read the full article.

This article is from Yahoo! hotjobs.

“As the global economy continues to falter, job prospects for 2009 are expected to slow. But if you’re lucky enough to be in one of these top fields, your job future is still quite bright. Take a look at this list below and either thank your lucky stars that your job is already on it, or consider seeking the education and experience for the career that most interests you.”

Click here to read the full article.

This article is from Fortune Magazine.

“Dear Annie: I was just hired to run a very troubled division of a major bank. They picked me for the job because I’ve done turnarounds before - although not in circumstances as dire as these - and I know I can handle the technical aspects of getting the business back on track. It’s the “people” issues I’m worried about. Everybody under me is overworked, depressed, and pessimistic; and some of them seem to be lining up behind a guy who has worked here a long time and was one of the contenders for my job. Any suggestions on how to get off to a strong start with the team here? -Texas Turnaround Guy

Dear TTG: You could do a lot worse than to take a leaf from Barack Obama’s book, says Julie Kampf, founder and CEO of both an executive recruiting company, JBK Associates (www.jbkassociates.net), and a leadership coaching firm, Career Central (www.careercentralusa.com). After all, Obama’s stepping into the most high-pressure, high-profile management job on earth.” Click here to read the full article.

This article is from Yahoo! Education.

“The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that at last count, 13.7 million Americans were telecommuting. Only one in four had a formal agreement in place with their employers. The vast majority simply arrange with a supervisor to spend a day or two a week out of the office.

In Pursuit of a Telecommute

Highly educated workers were the most likely to telecommute, according to the BLS study. If telecommuting is your goal, career training can be a good first step. Online degree programs are also a great way to see if you’ve got motivation and discipline it takes to work independently.

The BLS advises telecommuting hopefuls to seek out employers with established telework programs. Certain jobs and industries are more prone to this arrangement, and some of them pay really well. Here are seven stay-home jobs with standout salaries.” Click here to read the full story.

This article is from msnbc.com. 

“CLEVELAND, OH - As Barack Obama takes office this month, the weight of many Americans will be on his shoulders over the next four years. Many expect to see the changes instantly in their lives. They expect employment to increase dramatically, their tax liabilities to be reduced, the stock market to skyrocket, and perhaps even have a check waiting for them in their mailbox.

Unfortunately, reality cannot be escaped. America has much work to do before it can begin to reverse its current course caused by decades of fiscal irresponsibility. Private companies have already begun to streamline their operations to survive what could be an economic depression. The results of this have been showing up recently in the business improvement sector.

Searches for the term “Six Sigma Certification” in Google have been up over 25% according to Google Trends. Similar results have been seen for the terms “Lean Six Sigma,” “Six Sigma Training,” and “Six Sigma Black Belt.”"

Click here to read the full article.

This story comes from CNN.

“Teachers are often portrayed as being clueless about technology, but ever more of them are putting that stereotype to the test.

Web 2.0 technologies in particular have found a receptive audience among educators. Many use blogs to share ideas on teaching and technology, some of which might surprise students.

One idea in the teacher blogosphere: In the age of podcasts, kill off the classroom lecture, or at least rely on it less.” Click here to read the full story.

This post is from Suburban Journals.

“Scottie Niccum stood in a small cinder block enclosure and pulled down a welding mask to begin work. A blue flame shot from the end of his welding torch as he worked on a heavy piece of metal.

For Niccum, this is one of the most important aspects of high school. The senior at South Tech plans to seek employment with Ameren when he graduates. What he learns in school could be the gateway to a steady career.

While entering the workforce straight out of high school might be an option for him and many other students at local technical high schools, many choose to continue their education. The combination of the two destinations - employment and higher education - has put these high schools in demand.” Click here to read the rest of this article.