People without a high school diploma will earn 200,000 less during their lifetimes than graduates, and at least 800,000 less than college graduates, according to statistics published by the Educational Resource Information Center.
Today, people who never finished high school have a variety of options to help them earn their diplomas and turn their lives around.
Careertel, for instance, represents the Liberty High School Diploma Program, which is giving adults without a high school diploma the opportunity to become high school graduates through home-based distance learning.
“We at Careertel can help you get your high school diploma and achieve your goals toward a career,” said Jerome Polvay, president of Careertel. “If you set your goals, before you know it, the impossible will be possible.”
The program, approved by the Vermont State Board of Education, is designed to be a convenient way for busy adults to get their diplomas without taking valuable time away from work and other obligations. Exams are submitted by mail, faculty advisers offer help by phone and course material is provided with each class.
Studies show that a student with a standard high school diploma, as opposed to an equivalency certificate, has a higher chance of securing employment and surviving the rigors of higher education.
Liberty’s curriculum, including such courses as government, science, math and U.S. history, is carefully selected to enable students to get the full high school experience and successfully complete the prerequisites to move on to higher education, vocational training or a job that pays a living wage.
The days when you could find thousands of jobs involving semi-skilled or unskilled work have gone. Automation has replaced human labour and taken always great slices of activity which once involved mundane, routine tasks. Information technology is also beginning to take over in some areas of skilled and professional work, such as quality control and printing, design and administration. Transferable or portable skills – skills which can be adapted and shaped to meet the requirements of several different types of job – are becoming increasingly important.
If your skills have become outdated in a shrinking market, you must be prepared to retrain if you are to succeed in finding new employment. Progress will not stand still simply to accommodate your need for a job, and there is no Divine Right to employment if you are not prepared to put some effort into it.
You may feel you are too old to learn new tricks. The simple truth is that thousands of people are ding exactly this throughout the country, and the opportunities for retaining or catching up with lost education are expanding all the time. Dont be put off by your age or use this as an excuse: you are never too old to learn – it might just take you a little longer.
Deciding to knuckle down to update or expand your skills is largely a matter of adopting the right attitude, but deciding precisely what skills should be updated or expanded has to be researched very thoroughly, and has a crucial part to play in your campaign to find the right job.
If you know your hopes of getting back into your old type of employment are slim, this is the time to begin putting your future into sharper focus and to start planning with a clearer understanding of what you are trying to achieve. To do this you will need to build on your past.
Networking And Volunteering Is Key For Career-Minded. College Students And Graduates
College students and recent graduates seeking to get a foot in the door in the working world can gain valuable experience through volunteering. The key to success is in thinking beyond traditional jobs to find volunteer opportunities and resources that will jump-start a meaningful and fulfilling career.
Volunteering experience can be a significant asset to the resumes of college students and graduates. Many recruiters now look for volunteer service on resumes as a telltale sign of strong moral character, good work ethic and proven leadership skills. Not only does volunteer experience show potential employers that a candidate is a responsible citizen of the world, but it also provides networking opportunities, a critical component of the business world that may be a new concept for those in college or recently graduated.
Kiwanis International, a global volunteer service organization, and Circle K International, a Kiwanis service leadership program for college students, created the Career Contacts program and job board with the link between volunteering and networking in mind. Designed to promote career development by encouraging college students to interact with Kiwanis members, the program offers opportunities for students and recent graduates to introduce themselves to key decision-makers across a wide variety of professional fields. Kiwanis members support the program in many ways; as career mentors, hosts for a “day at the office,” participants in a campus career fair or mock job interview, or just by being listed in the business directory.
“We created this program in hopes of educating today’s youth on the process of job searching and providing them with opportunities vital to success in today’s working world,” said Casey Keller, director of Circle K International. “Career Contacts is an excellent resource for both potential employees and employers to find prospects with similar, service-oriented interests and backgrounds.”
For other ways to build a circle of professional contacts and gain valuable volunteering experience, consider the following tips:
• Join a service organization or start your own local club.
• Actively seek out volunteer opportunities, job fairs and professional networking events related to your field.
• Ask to job shadow a professional contact met through volunteering.
• Utilize volunteering and networking Web sites to meet likeminded individuals.
• Participate in your school’s local chapter of a larger professional organization.
Military Careers: 10 Extraordinary Reasons Why People Join The Military
It is hard to live with guns. This must have been the reason why many parents despise their sons or even daughters decision to join the military. But those who persist in joining this institution insist the feeling is what they call a call of duty. This is when they feel they need to protect and fight for their beloved country.
However, some researchers had found out that people who join the military have mixed emotions, mixed sentiments and various reasons. All together, they compromise what seems to be the most diversified grounds for getting into the battlefield and fight for honor.
Hence, for those who wish to know why more and more people are joining the military, here is a list of 10 amazing yet strange reasons why they wanted to join the forces.
1. Financial reasons
One of the most intriguing reasons why people join the military is due to the bonuses and compensation that they will get.
The reason for this high-paying job is that the military recruitment program is actually experiencing a downfall in their program. In spite of the many contentions of the military people, they cannot dismiss the fact that for the past 10 years or so, they have been trying to recruit as many people as possible to join the military but to no avail.
That is why they have decided to increase the benefits and enlistment bonuses. These enlistment bonuses are juts the primary benefits that they and their family can obtain even just from the start of the enlistment.
Basically, the military people in the United States can obtain to as much as 70,000 as the government support in the studying of qualified service affiliates.
During the retirement, the military personnel can obtain as much as 100 in a month for the repayment of tutorial assistance.
Because of these benefits, the main target of the military recruitment is the college students who might want to take their time off from schooling. The military recruitment also focuses in recruiting high schoolers who are studying in a home school program.
With the remarkable financial benefits given by the military, who could resist such offer?
2. To be away from their parents
Funny as it may seem but many young boys are actually enticed to join the military because they wanted to stay away from their parents. 7 out of 10 high-school- age boys stated that their parents are so strict and demanding that they wanted to steer clear from them.
Hence, when opportunities like joining in the military along with the astonishing financial benefits, they would rather join the forces than to get spank and scolded by their moms.
3. A test of ones courage
Joining the military is like a daring game, where people get to grab the chances of proving their courage and guts. Some say it is a man thing. It is as if when you join the military, you have somewhat proven to your neighborhood that you are brave enough to face Saddam or Bin Laden.
4. Good citizenship
Others say that the reason why they join the military is that they wanted to prove to their beloved country that they are good citizens and that they will defend the nation for as long as they can hold a gun and kill an Iraqi.
Sounds pathetic? Think again.
Some people think that joining a military is like paying tribute to the wonders that the United States was able to provide them. And yet, by the time they get into the war, they claim that the tribute is no longer present.
The problem is that there is no turning back.
5. To fight Al Qaeda and look for Osama Bin Laden
It may sound hilarious but this is actually one of the main reasons why some people join the military. In a recent survey, almost 35% out of the 100 interviewees responded that they wanted to help the American soldiers find Osama Bin Laden and bring down the forces of Al Qaeda.
In fact, this is one of the main reasons why Pat Tillman, a legendary football star, has finally decided to give up his sports career and join the military.
With this reason, it is as if the military is all about the Al Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden.
6. A good career
Another reason for joining the military is that people are enticed to do so because the recruiters say it is definitely a good career joining the military.
Just hope they are not lying.
7. Full time employment
For most people who had been completely jobless for almost 4 years, joining the military is a very attractive decision to make. Many insist that one of their main reasons why they join the service is because of the full time employment that they can achieve.
This would mean a the end of their job hunting, another four years not worrying anymore what to eat and where to buy their babys diapers, and a secured future, maybe not for them but for their family.
8. Family tradition
It is the way it is. Some people join the military because everyone in the family is doing it. Not much choice, huh?
9. To learn new skills
People who have these reasons are the adventurous type. They seek newer skills that they can master, and military seems to be the only way to gain such expertise.
10. Pride
Some people join the military because having those badges on their soldiers makes them proud of themselves. It is as if being a soldier is the most honorable job any one could ever have.
Some of these reasons may sound hilarious, while others sound so pathetic. For those who still want to join the military with reasons that are not included here, just think before you act. As they say, whoever lights a match will definitely get burn.