This article is from Carolina Coast Online.

“As computers evolved from occupying a huge air-conditioned room to being so small they fit into the palm of your hand, how you use them has too.

“For example, communication with friends and family now zips through e-mail and gets posted on social networking sites, movies are rented online to arrive two days later in your mailbox, and grocery, gift and bargain shopping all happens on auction and discount Web sites — also to be delivered directly to your home, saving you time and gas money.

“But one of the largest growing fields for online usage is education. More than 3.9 million college students took at least one online course in the fall of 2007 — the most recent year with data available — according to an annual study done for the Sloan Consortium.”

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This article is from Center for American Progress. 

“President Barack Obama has proposed an ambitious agenda to reform and improve U.S. education at all levels, including by harnessing the power of technology to deliver education in new and innovative ways. He is backing up these proposals with plans for a significant increase in the federal investment in education geared to reclaiming the world’s number one ranking in college completion by 2020, producing the skilled and educated workers our economy needs to boost productivity and wages, and ensuring that the opportunity to learn and gain new skills is widely available, including to dislocated workers struggling to find well-paying jobs. Few long-term policy initiatives are as important as this for our nation’s broad-based economic growth and prosperity in the 21st century.

“Key members of Congress get it. This past week the House Committee on Education and Labor responded to the president’s call for new investments in college access and completion and in the nation’s community colleges by passing the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009, which authorizes and funds the major parts of this initiative. The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee is working to develop a counterpart bill as part of the 2010 budget reconciliation process, and we applaud the members of theses committees for pushing ahead with President Obama’s key educational objectives in this arena.”

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This article is from Hartford Courant.

“While the troubled economy may be bad news for GM dealers or people selling their houses, it’s creating a greater demand for online college courses. Enrollment is growing steadily, especially among older, working students.

“The courses offer them a way to gain additional skills that could provide insurance if they get laid off or give them better credentials in the job market.

“‘Students are fearful of losing their jobs and want stronger skills,’ said Shirley Adams, provost of Charter Oak State College in New Britain, where enrollment in online courses has soared in the past few years. ‘They may have been working in a field for many years, but a lot of times, employers are looking for that degree.’

“Charter Oak offers 200 online courses, and about 70 percent of its students take at least one online course, up from 40 percent five years ago, Adams said.”

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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 MSN Careers.”In today’s uncertain job market, even the jobs once marked as ‘recession-proof’ are not as safe as we thought. So where should you focus your job search?

“Several trends — existing and emerging — continue to drive job growth and creation throughout the United States. Developments in technology, health care, environmentalism and globalization, as well as current trends in the economy are clearing the path for several cutting-edge careers to surface.”

“If you’re in the market for a new job, here are seven emerging careers that are making a mark and poised for growth in the coming years. Please note that salary and job growth information is not collected for all positions because of the size and awareness of each job.”

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This article is from the Chronicle of Higher Education.

“There was near-universal praise last week as President Obama announced a plan to spend an unprecedented $12-billion over 10 years to improve programs, courses, and facilities at community colleges. The money, the president said, will position two-year institutions to produce five million more graduates over the next decade and to play a leading role in rebuilding the economy.

“But after the dazzle of the dollars dims — along with the novelty of the presidential spotlight on what even Mr. Obama called the ’stepchild of the higher-education system’ — many questions will remain: How will the grants be awarded? Can the administration ensure that community colleges will, as the president proposes, help workers learn the ’skills they need to fill the jobs of the future,’ instead of preparing them for professions of the past? And is a brand-new grant program the most effective way of achieving Mr. Obama’s ambitious goals?

“After all, Mr. Obama’s proposal is just that, a proposal, and how the measure, which was included in a broader higher-education bill introduced the day after the president’s announcement, takes shape as it moves through the legislative process will very likely determine its efficacy.”

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This article is from MSN Encarta. 

“Sure, it’s possible to get a job without an education. The downside comes when you find yourself stuck on a lower level of the career ladder, watching others move up around you who might be less experienced at the work.

“The good news? If you already have some experience, a little education can mean a big leap in your career future. Earning a degree or certificate online means you can set your own pace with your education, often working on your degree without having to quit a full-time job.

“Students of online education programs are motivated and ready to take their career futures into their own hands. Take a look at the top picks for career upgrades, with degree and 2008 salary information by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.”

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This article is from the Boston Globe.

“THIS WEEK, President Obama unveiled a multibillion-dollar proposal to boost enrollment in the nation’s community colleges. His plan seeks to graduate 5 million more Americans from two-year colleges by 2020, and follows a more sweeping goal he announced during his first address to Congress in February: for America to once again have the highest number of college graduates in the world by 2020.

“While some will question whether these prospective students are ready for college, many of us in higher education are asking ourselves: Are we ready?

“In the months following the president’s congressional speech, there has been spirited debate in the education community about whether or not the president’s goal is attainable. A member of a federal commission on higher education called it “sheer fantasy.’’ Others have said the deadline should be pushed from 2020 to 2025.”

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This article is from the New York Times.

“President Obama plans to head to hard-hit Michigan on Tuesday afternoon to announce a $12 billion infusion for the nation’s community college system, part of his efforts to ease the considerable pain of the still-sagging economy.

“In a conference call with reporters Monday, education officials said $2.5 billion of the new funds would go toward new community college facilities, with the rest going to an assortment of grants designed to boost graduation rates and encourage the teaching of skills that will better prepare students for jobs in a changing economy that is increasingly demanding a more highly educated workforce.

“Mr. Obama will make his announcement in Warren, Michigan, a hub of the auto industry that has been hit hard by the economic slow down and the administration-sponsored overhauls of General Motors and Chryslers, which have brought heavy layoffs from plant and dealership closings.”

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This article is from The New York Times. 

“Summer is typically a time for breezy novels and thrillers. But this jittery season, books dishing out career advice and inspiration are making a strong showing, as people young and old, employed and not, seek an edge in the tightest job market in decades.

“While overall book sales were down 4.1 percent for the year through April, according to the Association of American Publishers, retailers report that sales of career-burnishing books have been on the rise.

“The recession has brought fresh demand for classics like ‘What Color Is Your Parachute,’ a comprehensive guide to job-hunting by Richard N. Bolles that has sold 10 million copies since it was first published in 1970, and ‘Knock ’em Dead: The Ultimate Job Search Guide,’ by Martin Yate. Both titles are updated annually.”

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