Employment Spot

Back to School – Build your Skills

Still stuck in the same position you had a few years ago?

Perhaps it’s time to consider further education or training. In today’s job market, the competition is fierce. Applicants are more qualified and better educated than their counterparts of only a few years ago. Many times, the only way to compete is to gain additional training or specialization in your field. Building skills can enhance your marketability to employers.

Luckily, the Internet offers a number of starting points for training and educational resources:

• America’s Career InfoNet (ACINet)
  Provides occupational, demographic and labor market information. Its best asset is the Career Resource Library, which provides education, training and financial information. You’ll find a list of federal training programs, college guides, links to graduate and professional school tests, and information on financial aid, educational loans and scholarships.
• CareerOneStop
  Offered by the U.S. Department of Labor, this site has a searchable database of nationwide seminars, workshops, degree- or certificate-granting programs and training materials.
• Vocational Technical Education Resources
  Provides a wealth of information on career planning, vocational technical schools, listservs, newsgroups and Internet guides.
• Petersons.com
  Offers a list of distance learning programs and vocational and technical schools, with additional financial aid information.
• RWM Vocational School Database
  Offers information on private postsecondary vocational schools in all 50 states, and is organized by state and by occupation.
• The Training Registry
  A directory of training courses, products, consulting services and professional speakers.
• Training and Seminar Locators (TASL)
  Request information on public seminars, industry conferences and continuing education programs around the country.

   — Aidan Leonard