Month: February 2021

Continuing Education – Should You Go Into Debt for Career Sake in 2011?

There are many reasons to continue your educational studies, to go back to school, or to sign up for night school. Many ongoing education classes are required for people who have licenses, as the regulations mandate that you must stay up on all the new information. Many people go to ongoing education because they believe in a lifetime of learning.

Still others continue their education because they realize it will help them advance their career. Many employers only advance people to higher levels of the organization if they have degrees in certain topics or subjects. And then there is a new issue right now, one that is very important and that is what if you might get laid off in the future?

What if you can’t find another job in your industry, then you’d have to go back to school and learn another trade, and therefore maybe you should be going to night school right now in case you get laid off in the future so you will have an additional degree to either move sideways to a different division in your company, or find a new job right away. That makes sense right?

Sure it does, but it also costs money, and last time I checked the tuition rates have continued to rise far outpacing inflation. Therefore, one has to ask if they should go into debt to continue their education. Recently, there was a personal financial guru who said that you should never incur student loans in excess of your first five-years out of school. Now then if we consider that rule of thumb, then anyone going to ongoing education has to look at the costs, and the benefits.

If they are trying to move up in their company, or have a chance to move sideways in case their job is eliminated, then they have to decide if they wish to spend the money now or take the risk that they will be laid-off. If the economy returns, and they have this additional degree they need to be reasonably sure that this will help them advance to the next level of their company and to a higher pay scale.

Needless to say, it makes sense to do some strategic thinking, and pencil out the exact cost of such ongoing education. That is before you take on more debt for the sake of advancing your career in 2011. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.…

Social Work Continuing Education Opens Doors

Social work can be loosely defined, but is mostly centered around the bettering of society. From there, one of the world’s most noble professions can take on any number of forms. It is up to the individual to decide which one is right for him or her. Social work continuing education is important for proper training and education for this career path.

Whether it’s through counseling, rehabilitation, advocacy or any number of related roles within the spectrum of the field, students who pursue a career in the discipline often have an idea of the direction they hope to take in their professional life. Choosing the right path heading in that direction may be the difficult part. It is also largely dependent on the course of study the student chooses to pursue going forward.

As an interdisciplinary field, students who pursue such a career study a vast array of subjects, theories and fields to create a well-rounded program that will prepare them for the challenges they will face as a professional. From there, it is up to them to pursue a more focused track that will aid them in their quest to identify what, specifically, they hope to do.

A student who earns a bachelor’s degree is considered to be “generally” qualified in the discipline and is typically able to secure entry-level employment. In order to advance into a more specialized, and oftentimes more desirable, career, an individual can become a “specialist” in a specific area or earn a doctorate degree through social work continuing education. Both paths set the student up to be highly successful, effective and qualified in their professional careers.

A master’s degree through social work continuing education opens many doors in the field and aids in the process of becoming professionally certified by a state or regional board. It also facilitates entry into a specific career path that allows the individual to utilize his or her skill set as it relates to potential jobs.

A doctorate degree allows the individual to become a teacher or mentor in the field or a highly-qualified researcher. These types of jobs are often those that serve to define the course of study and its spectrum for future generations.

Social work continuing education does not stop even with a doctorate degree, which is typically the highest level of education attainable. As a field that is constantly evolving with the times and through society’s own evolution, the need to consistently remain on the cutting edge educationally is paramount to maintaining the highest possible levels of professional qualifications.

Going back to school can be a daunting proposition, but when one considers what is necessary to become highly successful and effective in this endeavor, taking such a step is often the best possible move.…

Continuing Education Degree – What to Be Careful Of

Here are a few things to be careful of before you decide on which online degree program to enroll in:

Class Formats That You Hate – All schools use various different methods to present the learning material to the students. Whether it is videos online, books, conversations and discussions online with the teacher and/or other students. Make sure its a learning format that you are OK with. If you don’t like to work in groups then make sure the classes you are taking don’t all require you to work with other people online. Make sure the learning format is one that you are comfortable with.

Cost – Tuition rates vary between schools significantly. Some state schools in low cost of living areas charge close to $100 per credit, while other private schools who offer degrees through continuing education charge upwards of $450 per credit or more. Make sure you find out what options the school has available for financial aid as well. See if they offer federal financial aid or private loans for financial aid. Those factors will make a difference in your overall costs.

School Reputation – If the school is an “online degrees only” school. You might find that the school reputation can make it difficult for you to find a job later or to pursue graduate or post graduate education. Since you are going to pay the tuition costs and do all the work required to get the degree, make sure it is from a school that is reputable and has solid credibility.…

Fashion Design: Cinch or Struggle?

Much like the entertainment industry, the fashion industry is often glorified as being a dreamland, a place where only the most talented designers exist. The seasonal collections, draped over stoic models walking across illuminated runways, come out in such regular intervals that the labour behind their creations are somewhat forgotten. It is easy for anyone who is not a designer to overlook the actual level of creative input that is necessary to produce that amount of constant output.

Despite the ridiculous depictions you see on TV, designers do not spend 24 hours a day draped in black from head to toe and screaming ridiculous demands in a foreign language. Designers are, above all else, artists. And like any artist, especially those who have gained substantial praise, a fashion designer is under a lot of pressure to perfect his or her craft.

For all of those who thought that being a fashion designer would be a piece of cake, think again. A career in fashion is more akin to the life led by Sisyphus. It is not only incessantly difficult, demanding, and stressful, but it is also quite isolating. At the risk of sounding too existential, designers need to escape time and place in order to tap into their creative fuses.

But (and there is a but) the ability to create something from start to finish is undoubtedly a reward in itself. In order to really become masters of their own craft, designers need to perfect every single aspect of the clothes-creating process, from the initial pencil sketch to sewing on the tag. To give you an idea of what is expected from a designer, here is a list of courses in a continuing education Fashion Design Certificate program:

– Pattern Design and Drafting – Intermediate

– Dress Design – Advanced

– Fitting Analysis Workshop

– Designing Workshop

– Fashion Drawing

– Colour Study for Fashion

– Costume Influencing

– Fabric Awareness

– How to Start a Small Business

– Silk Screen Printing

It is obvious now just how large their scope of knowledge is. Also, fashion design involves the development of so many manual skills that most colleges or universities will offer classes on-site rather than through distance education.

From an outside perspective, fashion design seems like one of those extreme end businesses: either you make it big or you do not make it all. This is obviously untrue, but either way, whether fashion functions on fame or craft, designers are in for a life of creative struggle. But, in the words of Albert Camus, “The struggle itself [… ] is enough to fill a man’s heart.”…

Grant Programs for You – Take Advantage of Obama’s Free Money!

Do you know that the Federal Government has TONS of Education Grant Money available? They have so much money allocated that they can’t get rid of all of it. Get Some…. These grants will allow you to study online or at the college of your choice.

The Federal Government has Grant Programs to assist working and single mothers. These grants can allow the working mother a general school grant to go back to school and continue or complete their education. The Federal Government, under the Obama Administration, has created many new programs that will easily allow WAHM’s (Work at Home Moms) to return to school on either a part time or full time basis. These tuition grants offer school funding that will allow flexibility to their busy schedule.

During these difficult economic times, it has never been as important to get more education. These grant funding opportunities now make that possible. Once we get out of the Economic Doldrums, companies will be hiring in all segments and you need to be ready. What could be better than the Federal Government paying for your college education.

Some of the various Grants that are available are Pell Grants, Continuing Education Grants, Advanced Education Grants. All these grants are available to you if you find the correct source. The Grants are even better when you consider that your need will qualify you for the top grant funding categories. There are sources that give you sample grant proposals which will serve as a template to make your application. As with anything that seems “too good to be true”, it is that way with companies that offer grant assistance to you. It is imperative that you find the best companies to assist you in paying for college.

Grants that pay you nearly a total tuition are the best. How do you find these? Later in this article, we will show you the very best and reliable sources that are available to you.

The steps necessary to find your grant funding are not difficult, if you have a template to follow and a company that will provide a step by step process. Using this step by step process your chance of great success will be excellent.

There are grants that will even allow home study. For many people it is mandatory that they keep working at their job while continuing their education. Of all the available grant programs, the Internet Home Study Programs are the most popular. It is important to most mothers that they be able to raise their children while continuing their education. These online education grants will allow this.

If you are “Stuck” in your current job, or are interested in advancing your level of education, a federal education grant may be the ticket.

If you would like more information about Federal Continuing Education Grants, you can easily do an online search and a myriad of possibilities will appear. Be careful about what you see, as there are many companies that are not reputable.…

Expertise From Enrolled Agent Education Helps Workers With Side Jobs Defer Tax Impact

The knowledge of IRS enrolled agents permits them to work as tax advisers in addition to preparing tax returns. This is particularly valuable to taxpayers who earn extra income to supplement wages from their jobs. These individuals benefit from minimizing the tax impact of their sideline income.

Side jobs are increasingly common for people who want to put aside some money for the future. This situation is especially common as households are spending more of their current income to reduce debt. Fortunately, enrolled agent education reveals some details about how to defer the tax consequences of income from side jobs. This entails utilizing retirement plans that set aside the self-employment income for the future.

However, knowing some tax rules from enrolled agent study is critical to properly advising people with both wages from jobs and earnings from self-employment. A common area of concern for these workers is how their self-employment retirement plans are affected by similar plans at work.

An enrolled agent can explain how contribution limits are separately calculated for different types of retirement plans. For example, an employee of a small business with a SIMPLE IRA plan can create a distinctive SEP IRA plan for self-employment earnings. However, contribution limits are combined for employees with other types of multiple plans. Therefore, anyone with self-employment income must exercise caution in establishing a retirement plan for earnings from side jobs while having a 401(k) with an employer. In addition, people with a SIMPLE at work and a SIMPLE for self-employment are confronted with a single contribution limit for both plans combined.

An important area of EA continuing education is reinforcing the facts about different retirement plans for the self-employed. One reason for this is that the annual contribution limits are subject to cost-of-living adjustment by the IRS each year.

An employee is allowed to contribute $16,500 to a 401(k) for 2011. The total annual contributions to a SIMPLE IRA plan by an employee are limited to $11,500. A $2,500 catch-up contribution is permitted for an individual over age 50. This is also the maximum for the SIMPLE of a self-employed person. However, a matching contribution is provided from the business that is capped at 3 percent of income.

Many individuals with self-employment income establish a SEP IRA for their sideline earnings. Contributions to a SEP are not affected by contributions made as an employee to the 401(k) or SIMPLE at work. However, enrolled agent classes convey that any contributions by an employer to a 401(k) reduce the allowed SEP contribution from self-employment income. The combined contributions cannot exceed 25 percent of net self-employment income – not including the SEP contribution itself – up to the annual maximum for 2011 of $49,000.

IRS Circular 230 Disclosure

Pursuant to the requirements of the Internal Revenue Service Circular 230, we inform you that, to the extent any advice relating to a Federal tax issue is contained in this communication, including in any attachments, it was not written or intended to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (a) avoiding any tax related penalties that may be imposed on you or any other person under the Internal Revenue Code, or (b) promoting, marketing or recommending to another person any transaction or matter addressed in this communication.…

Continuing Education For Teachers

Learning is a lifelong process. Nothing is more apt than that proverb which applies to teachers and educators across the world all over. Teachers undergo courses in continuing education as an annual ritual. The purpose is to ensure that obsolescence doesn’t creep into their knowledge and that it is current. Additionally, continuing education courses are targeted at equipping teachers with methodologies that assist students in learning in multiple and innovative ways. For teachers, the upside is in sharing best practices and managing behavior of students and classrooms effectively.

To ensure that teachers are at the forefront of the latest educational developments with respect to methodologies and technologies, continuing education is provided. Continuing education for teachers can be compared to a bridge that connects the best practices of individuals and groups within the field. The purpose of continuing education is to keep teachers up to date and hone their teaching mechanisms in order to derive effective outcomes from students.

In the past, continuing education for teachers was nominal. It usually contained self serving slides or presentations and similar other tools that educators just needed to click and complete. There was no follow-up, collaboration or discussion to test their effectiveness. However, this has changed in recent times with tools for continuing education becoming more robust and effective. Consequently, the tools of today not only provide self learning but also assess and measure effectiveness through several touch points such as additional learning materials, working with peers and experts, completing assignments and participate in discussions on related subjects within specified time frames. Examples of this online technology that is blended with offline learning is Michigan’s LearnPort and PBS Teacher’s Line.

The focus is not just on eLearning in isolation but also through interaction actively with groups both through online and offline forums using the latest internet technologies across the county and world. Web 2.0 tools are also being used more often in current times such as Twitter, Wikis, Podcasts, Skype, Moodle, Ning, Flat Classroom and Google Docs. These social networking tools are quite useful in professional development of teachers and educators. They facilitate removal of barriers such as territorial boundaries and time zones.

Additional forums of continuing education for teachers include seminars, webinars, workshops and conferences along side courses provided in college campuses and school districts in-house. Non-profits and governmental associations also provide continuing teaching programs in relevant areas and subjects for teachers. Examples are courses conducted by Connecticut Education Association, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and American Association of Physics Teachers. Such organizations deploy continuing education either state-wise or subject-wise as appropriate. Private companies are also known to join the fray offering continuing education courses for teachers.

Continuing teaching courses may be focused on specific teaching subjects such as Mathematics and Physics could be meant for enhancing their educational methodologies. The latter also covers latest technologies that can be brought into the class rooms. Virtual class rooms are an example. Additionally, they could also equip teachers with heightened capabilities in classroom management and related tasks.…