"Eenie meenie Minnie Moe, the candidate without the certification will have to go.
" That's not exactly how corporate recruiters decide on which candidate we will extend an offer to however in most cases, the candidate that possesses a certification or higher degree will have an edge over similarly qualified candidates when it comes time to extend an offer.
Degrees and certifications show a commitment to a career and it validates your abilities in the job market.
Understandably obtaining a degree or certification is easier said than done.
There is a significant investment required of time and finances.
Thankfully with the advent of online learning the time investment for obtaining many degrees and certifications has become more bearable.
I recommend face-to-face classroom learning but it is good to know that, in many cases, online learning is an option.
As far as finances go, The Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (doleta) is a wealth of information on where you can go to get a degree or certification and how to find out if you might be eligible for financial assistance.
We are bombarded with the disgusting news that the government is bailing out industry giants with our hard earned tax dollars but very little information is provided to let the back-bone of America know that there is billions of dollars set aside to train and retrain America's workforce.
The average worker bailout is known as, The High Growth Job Training Initiative.
This initiative represents the first step in a series of actions that the Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has taken to engage business, education and the workforce investment system to work together to develop solutions to the workforce challenges facing high growth industries.
Fields like health care, information technology, and advanced manufacturing have jobs and solid career paths left open due to a lack of people qualified to fill them.
The High Growth Job Training Initiative targets education and skills development resources toward helping workers gain the skills they need to build successful careers in these and other growing industries.
A skilled, educated workforce is essential for Michigan's recovery and future financial security, with that in mind, Michigan has implemented their own state training program titled the No Worker Left Behind (NWLB) free-tuition program.
Since the program's inception August, 2007, 61,434 unemployed workers have made their transition into new industries.
The NWLB is designed to retrain unemployed workers for in-demand sectors like health care, biosciences, information technology or "green collar" industries.
Retraining typically takes anywhere from 5 to 24 months to prepare a worker for their new field of expertise.
To learn more about this state-specific program visit: Michigan dot gov/nwlb.
Another excellent Michigan site that provides financial aid information is located at: Michigan dot gov/mistudantaid, once you are at this site go the 'About Us' tab on the left side of the screen.
Keep in mind that almost every learning institution has a Financial Aid Department that helps students find and secure loans, grants and other resources to make sure the student is able to pay for their education.
You can do some research on your own by going to the following web sites: fastweb, nelliemae, icanaffordcollege, studantaid.
ed.
gov, fafsa.
ed.
gov For the hearty & patriotic you can join the armed forces and receive excellent bonuses and be part of their loan repayment programs.
As an example, a full-time Army Nurse can receive as much as $30,000 in bonus income for 4 years of service.
To learn more about jobs within the military go to: MilitaryConnection dot com.
Earn your degree or certificate and soon you'll be singing, "Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to work I go!"