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Lots of workers – 29 percent according to a recent survey by Spherion Staffing – are worried that they don’t have the skills to get ahead.

There’s ample evidence, though, that many workers, including those who’ve already racked up college and post-graduate degrees, are taking courses to keep their skills marketable. “Across the board, from entry level jobs on up, there’s increasing demand for skills,” explains Anthony Carnevale, director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. “Even a Ph.D.,” he notes, may need a course to “keep ahead of new processes.”

Additionally, Carnevale says, employers will spend an estimated $177 billion for formal training programs. And one cannot estimate how much individuals spend because there’s a vast landscape of training options.

When LinkedIn Corp. recently announced its second quarter results, for example, a big earnings spike came from the company’s recent acquisition of Lynda.com, which offers 3,700 courses, accompanied by 150,000 online video tutorials. Individuals can purchase courses, as can businesses and other groups.

Among the most popular offerings, according to the Lynda.com site, are business tutorials, like “Excel 2013 Essential Training” and “Project Management Fundamentals.”

Similarly, providers like Coursera, edX and Udacity are offering a burgeoning number of online courses, says Carnevale.

Coursera, for instance, is offering many new classes this fall that were developed by colleges and universities in partnership with businesses, this fall – particularly tech and financial firms.

Sometimes, job course requisites are clear. “There are industry-based certifications, earned by successful completion of a specific course or courses, that are prerequisites for various positions,” says Carnevale.

Outside of industry certification, it’s hard to know whether a course will connect to a specific career goal. “If you can, ask other people who took the course,” advises Carnevale.

Thursday Morning Roundtable (TMR) will celebrate 50 years of service to the Central New York community at a breakfast on Wednesday, October 14, 2015 at Drumlins, 800 Nottingham Road, Syracuse. Charles Blow, an op-ed columnist for The New York Times and a CNN commentator, will be the guest speaker. Registration for the event is open until October 5.

Since 1965, University College (UC) of Syracuse University has administered Thursday Morning Roundtable – a respected and well-recognized assembly focused on enlightening community members and actively engaging citizens in order to promote positive change in Syracuse and Central New York.

Founded by the late Levi Smith, a former dean at UC, the groundbreaking forum was one of the first of its kind in the country. The University provides a neutral ground for bringing reason and balance to discussions like public welfare, social action, and urban planning. Monies raised at the event will support the Levi Smith Scholarship Fund. The endowment provides the means for part-time students to continue their education. Recipients are chosen based on their financial need, academic record, and interest in public or social service, reflecting TMR’s purpose and mission.

“Thursday Morning Roundtable embodies one of the core missions of University College – to act as a bridge across the various sectors in our community – educators, business partners, and local government,” said University College dean Bea González. “In the past 50 years, we have facilitated over 1600 programs that have impacted the way we live and work in Onondaga County. Our participants build relationships that lead to more effective problem solving,” she said.

“TMR is an unusual place where people from all walks of civic life come together,” said longtime TMR member Marilyn Pinsky. “If you’re a young person in the community and want to get to know people, this is a great way to do it. I’m amazed looking back over the 40 years I’ve been a TMR member at how many people in the community I wouldn’t know if not for TMR, she said. “There’s not a session I go to that I don’t learn something new. You can’t ask for more than that.”

For more information about Thursday Morning Roundtable or the 50^th Anniversary event, call 315-443-4846 or e-mail cps@syr.edu.

According to an article in the August 18, 2015 Education Advisory Board Daily Briefing  nearly 3 million jobs added during the economic recovery following the Great Recession are “good jobs” that pay at least $53,000 a year—and nearly all of those are going to college graduates, according to a new report from Georgetown University‘s Center on Education and the Workforce.

Released August 17, the study found that 44% of the 6.6 million jobs created from 2010 to 2014 were good jobs—and 97% of them went to college graduates.

For the report, researchers used census data to group jobs into 485 occupations—rather than industries—calculated the median annual earnings, and divided them into three tiers. The top earners were the “good jobs.”

Many of the new jobs created were in managerial, STEM , and health-care professions.

And while many college-educated individuals were unemployed or underemployed during the recession, those levels were much higher for people with just a high school degree or less, says Anthony Carnevale, lead author of the report.

“We don’t have enough jobs yet and that means that the college graduates are first in line and they’re bumping out the people who aren’t college graduates,” Carnevale says. “If you’ve got a high school degree and you had a good middle-skill job you were very much at risk.” 

Syracuse University recently introduced two part-time degree and certificate programs that provide the skills employers seek when hiring new employees. The Creative Leadership and Knowledge Management programs can be completed entirely online or through a combination of online and on-campus classes. The certificate programs are comprised of five classes that can later be folded into the degree program. New York State residents may be eligible for scholarships worth 50 percent off tuition.

More than 150 additional degree programs are available at SU, many of which can be earned on a part-time basis.

For more information about part-time study opportunities at Syracuse, University, call 315-443-3261, e-mail parttime@uc.syr.edu or visit professionalstudies.syracuse.edu.

According to an article in the June 2, 2015, Education Advisory Board Daily Briefing , when students are asked why they decided to go to college, the overwhelming response is mostly about money. It was reported that in a recent survey, students age 16-40 were asked about their reasons for going to college. The three most common responses were:

1. Improved economic opportunities (91 percent)
2. Make more money (90 percent)
3. Get a good job (89 percent)

The article also states that adult students over 30 were more likely to say that their decision to attend college was driven by a desire to set a good example and build a better life.

Affordability and availability of financial aid are also important when deciding which college to attend.

Syracuse University wants to help you improve your economic outlook while sharing your concern about the cost of continuing your education. SU recently introduced a new scholarship worth 50 percent off the cost of tuition for New York State residents who matriculate into the part-time Bachelor of Professional Studies (BPS) degree or certificate programs through University College.

Or, if you want to enroll in a class or pursue a different degree, the University College Incentive Grant provides funding for 50 percent of the cost of one course for up to three (3) semesters. New and qualified returning students are eligible for the grant.

For more information about funding opportunities for part-time students at Syracuse University, contact a financial aid officer: Call 315-443-3261, e-mail parttime@uc.syr.edu, or visit professionalstudies.syracuse.edu.

University College (UC) of Syracuse University won gold at the 2014 University Continuing Education Association Marketing and Publications Awards Competition. The awards recognize the best marketing practices and promotional pieces in the field of professional, continuing and online education. UC’s Winterlude Microsite was the winning submission in the category of Miscellaneous Interactive Media. The object of the microsite was to have a single point of reference that provided consistent communication to students and housed pertinent information related to course offerings, registration and enrollment information.

“The Marketing Department consists of a team of committed individuals who work together to provide creative messaging that reaches a variety of audiences—both external and internal,” says Dean Bea González. “It is a testament to their collective ingenuity to see their work recognized on a national level.”

Nichole Henry, student recruiting manager at University College, accepted the award at the conference held in Atlanta  Nov. 5-7.