Adult Continuing Education

Things are not the same as they were in this country just a few generations ago.

Just twenty years ago we were still operating under the system where you could get a good job and stay with that company for life, with potential promotions along the way. Before that time it was actually likely that whatever your father did, you would be able to do as well through his connections with solid companies and reputable management.

Deemed “legacy jobs” by some, this type of work was particularly easy to find in the automotive industry, with it almost being a given that the next generation of workers would be the sons of that generation.

Adult continuing education has never been more necessary than it is today. The companies that have been spared bankruptcy in America are now looking for employees with extensive training and individualized skills pertinent to the very specific jobs for which they may be hiring; a high school diploma just doesn’t cut it anymore.

Due to the sheer amount of career-minded adults in need of more education, colleges are now offering weekend classes, night classes, and summer programs to meet the needs of working individuals seeking to better their career statuses.

One good example of this trend is New York University, which now offers regular adult education courses in computer networking, accounting, and electrical engineering, just to name a few. Because these jobs are almost impossible to obtain without extremely extensive experience in the field or a degree in the field, obtaining a degree seems to be surest way to land a job these days.

Though many people are getting additional education to switch careers or to move up in their current field, there are other factors that have contributed to the surge in adult continuing education lately.

Many people who were once confident in their training and ability to be successful in their chosen career are now worried about keeping up with the ever-changing demands of technology. For instance, even people who graduated with degrees in computer engineering or computer networking, if their degree is from the ’90’s, are in need of an “upgrade” to their knowledge base.

So much has changed in the last decade, including new computer languages and codes, that sometimes – as with Linux – it is to be expected that a new operating system will be regularly popping up.

Much like doctors and lawyers need to keep abreast of the most current information in their areas of expertise, those working in the realm of technology need to remain competitively knowledgeable in order to retain work.

Because of these facts there are many adults who are now embarking upon a new type of education, adult continuing education, in an effort to prevent themselves from becoming outdated, dispensable employees easily replaced by a “newer model.”

Begin searching today for the adult continuing education program or courses that will suit the needs of your continuing career.

There is no way to get around the need to keep up with today’s technological changes if you want to thrive in the current career landscape.