Continuing education can spell the difference between prosperity and servitude in the twenty-first century.
For decades educators have said that to maintain their way of life, Americans would need to continue learning. Just to stay employed, Americans would need to know about new technologies and learn new skills to perform technology-based work. And, they would need to learn what to do to remain standing as the underpinnings of society, culture, and the economy would necessarily shift.
The educators appear to have been correct. The economic upheavals of recent years have brought the issue to a tipping point. The need for educating or reeducating adult workers is crucial for their personal survival and to sustain American society in the global economy.
In the late twentieth century a solid foundation for the world marketplace was laid with computer science and networking technology. Applications appeared in most aspects of business, government, and personal and home life. It was an exciting boom time, supported by necessary changes in the nature of human relationships and communication.
During that time, an adequate number of well-paying jobs were available for workers who had not attained postsecondary education or credentials. However, recent changes in industrial America and the U.S. job market have forced economy-sustaining businesses to close their doors or to lay off workers.
The economic upheaval turned the workforce model upside down, as well. Many job seekers must now comply with knowledge and skill requirements they're not prepared to meet. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, most of the current jobs in the U.S. require a postsecondary credential. And, about half of the millions of expected new jobs will require some sort of postsecondary certification or degree. Except perhaps for service-type work, many American workers will be unprepared to perform available American jobs.
The economic reality is that people without a college degree are the most dramatically affected by a recession. Even though some degreeless workers emerge from the initial shockwave of a recession in better financial shape than their degreed counterparts, over time the balance shifts. Historically, unemployment rates are highest for workers who have not earned a college degree or postsecondary certificate.
Choosing and pursuing one of the many online learning opportunities available can separate a person from degreeless and uncertified job applicants. Education credentials can help an applicant's resume reach the to-be-interviewed stack or keep it from being deleted online.