July 2012

Archive for July, 2012

Find the best childcare for your kids

Tuesday, July 31st, 2012

Find the best childcare for your kids

Whether you plan on taking massage therapy classes or gunsmithing courses, there may be times during your technical school career when you need someone to watch your children. If your friends and family members can’t lend a hand, you may want to consider placing your kids in childcare.

However, finding the right childcare program isn’t a process you should rush through, as the type of setting you place your kids in can have a major impact of their personal and mental development.

Childcare influences intelligence and behavior

Finding the right childcare for kids is especially important if your little ones are under 5 years of age. According to The Children’s Cabinet, more than 90% of children’s brain development takes place between the time they’re born and the age of 5. But brain development is far from the only thing childcare influences. The right setting has the potential to help children become better prepared for school.

What to look for in a childcare program

The National Association of Child Care Resources and Referral Agencies’ Child Care Aware website provides a few tips you may want to follow when you decide to start your search.

As you are entrusting childcare programs with looking after your children, you want to make sure the people offering these services are reliable and have your kids’ best interests at heart. Child Care Aware suggests you investigate a program director’s qualifications, as well as those of other staff members. Similarly, how often are kids supervised, and what types of discipline are used?

What are your thoughts on placing your kids in childcare programs while you attend technical schools? Do you have any concerns about the impact these types of settings have on children? Let us know in the comment space below.

Tags: Lifestyle & Family
Posted in Lifestyle & Family | No Comments »

Three distractions that may interfere with online coursework

Monday, July 30th, 2012

Three distractions that may interfere with online coursework

Convenience and lower costs are just two reasons to consider online technical schools over their on-campus counterparts. However, before you start to take classes, you’re going to want to think about your computer habits and whether or not they make you an ideal online student.

Email overload

Are you the type of person who can’t go 10 minutes without checking their inbox? If you are, you may not be the most productive online student. There may be times when you need to leave your inbox open so you can grab materials from your instructor or just review an assignment. Either way, if you keep taking breaks from your work to see if you’ve received any new emails from friends, family or retailers, you probably won’t get far in your studies.

Too social

Is Facebook the first place you go when you turn on your computer? What about Twitter or YouTube? Sure, these websites are a lot of fun, but are they going to disrupt the work you have to complete? If you tend to get a little too social on the internet, you may want to consider finding technical schools where you will not be required to sit in front of a computer to complete your studies.

Fun can be distracting

People usually play computer games like Solitaire, Bejeweled or FarmVille when they are bored or trying to pass the time. Unfortunately, there are just times when these games pull you in and don’t let go. If you want to take classes over the internet, but feel like you’ll spend more time playing games, you may want to reconsider your education options.

Can you think of any other distractions that might come between online students and the completion of their studies? Let us know in the comment space below.

Tags: Internet & New Media, Online degrees, online learning, online training
Posted in Computers, Internet & New Media, Online degrees | No Comments »

Tips for finding financial aid

Sunday, July 29th, 2012

Tips for finding financial aid

If you’re thinking of signing up for a welding training program or are looking at getting into small engine repair, it’s easy to focus on the new skills you’ll be learning and what they’ll do for your career. However, before you can start disassembling outboard motors or using an arc welder, you’ll need to figure out how you’re going to pay for your training.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions

Before you do anything, talk to the admissions advisers at the technical schools you’re thinking of applying to. These professionals are there to answer any queries you may have about what kind of financial aid is available. Make sure to ask whether your prospective school accepts federal funding. If they do, you’ll need to complete the Federal Application for Free Student Aid (FAFSA).

If your school doesn’t accept federal funding, don’t give up. Ask your adviser about scholarships and grants. Most students don’t realize how much money they’re eligible for and end up missing out. If you don’t ask, you’ll never know, so make sure you’ve got all the facts before you sign anything.

Get your finances in order

Once you’ve applied for financial aid, you need to know how this is going to affect you and your family. Figure out exactly what you’ve got coming in, and how much your loan repayments are going to cost. Don’t leave anything to chance, even if your job prospects are looking great after you finish your training program.

If you did a tour of duty in the military, don’t forget to look into resources like the Montgomery GI Bill and Chapter 31. Alternatively, if your better half was in the armed forces, you may still be eligible for financial assistance under the military spouse tuition program.

What experiences have you had when looking for financial aid? Let us know in the comment space below.

Tags: College Planning
Posted in College Planning, Resource Articles, Technical Schools | No Comments »

Don’t let age stand between you and your dream job

Saturday, July 28th, 2012

Don’t let age stand between you and your dream job

If you’re thinking about enrolling in technical schools, but also happen to be older than the average student, you may have a few concerns over the job hunt that will follow your training. Sure, you’ll have learned a new trade, but you’ll also be even older. You’re no longer a kid, but if you’re qualified for a job, there’s no reason why age should play a role in whether or not you land it.

Age discrimination is against the law

If you’re concerned a few gray hairs will prevent employers from hiring you, it’s time to stop worrying. That’s what the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) was created for.

The ADEA exists so that people of all ages have a fair shot at landing the same job. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the act prevents age discrimination against job candidates who are 40 or older. So if anyone ever tells you that you’re too old for a position, they’re breaking the law.

Play it safe on your resume

Of course, just because laws are in place doesn’t mean people always follow them. If you want to play it safe and let your skills and experience define potential employers’ perception of you, don’t list your age on your resume.

While these documents typically don’t include people’s birthday, some jobseekers do put what year they completed certain programs. As one date may lead to judgments about a candidate’s age, CBS MoneyWatch suggests that individuals leave their high school on their resume, but not the year they graduated.

So if your age has prevented you from looking into technical training schools, let go of those concerns and embrace the chance you have to pick up a new skill set.

Do you have any other concerns about looking for work later in life? If so, let us know in the comment space below.

Tags: Career Resources, medical technical schools
Posted in Career Resources, Technical Schools | No Comments »

Technical schools becoming popular alternative to traditional education

Friday, July 27th, 2012

Technical schools becoming popular alternative to traditional education

So, you’re thinking of signing up for a welding training program or attending electrician schools. You may have heard about how technical schools are gaining traction across the country. Well, what you might not know is just how popular these institutions are becoming, especially in parts of the South.

Another way

According to the Memphis Daily News, technical training schools in the area are experiencing a dramatic increase in enrollment as thousands of students realize that these colleges can help them find work. In fact, the number of specialized technical schools operating in Tennessee has more than doubled in the past 10 years, from 13 to 30 – and that doesn’t even include state schools, community colleges and nonprofit training centers.

“We just believe that if we provide excellent education, students will just tell friends and family and then we will continue to grow,” Adrena Jackson, director of National College of Business and Technology’s (NCBT) Bartlett campus, told the news source. The number of graduates at the NCBT almost doubled to 408 between 2008 and 2011.

With figures like these, it’s hard to ignore how important technical schools are becoming in getting America back to work. If these graduates can do it, so can you.

Supporting the next generation of skilled workers

Technical schools are gaining steam thanks to both private companies and nonprofit advocacy groups that recognize the value in hands-on education. According to the Augusta Chronicle, Aiken Technical College in Graniteville, South Carolina, recently received a $100,000 grant from retail giant Wal-Mart and Achieving the Dream, a nonprofit group.

“The fastest on-ramp to a better life is a college credential,” said Michelle Gilliard of the Walmart Foundation, as quoted by the news source. “For many students, the barriers to completion are daunting, and engaged faculty and staff members can make the difference between students dropping-out or persisting through.”

Let us know how technical schools will help you achieve your dreams in the comment space below.