The LEED Certification is the new gold standard for construction and architecture in the new century. This is good news for those considering or currently attending architecture colleges. It means that the designers on new construction are aiming for a higher set of energy and efficiency requirements that are optional, but are also built to impact long-term costs to the communities that will use the facilities.
Why it’s a good idea
Beginning in the mid-2000’s in many urban cores, the LEED standards began impacting communities and their new construction projects in positive ways. It’s positive because the LEED list of certifications is based on saving energy, using renewable resources and materials, and engineering creative solutions. Now in 2009, technical schools, colleges and universities and architecture schools are incorporating the LEED standards into the curriculum.
What the technology is called
The technology that is leading the way for CAD Drafters, Architects and Construction Manager graduates alike is something called BIM (Building Information Modeling). BIM training software has been formulated as a sort of shorthand for the complex merging of computer-aided-design and construction databases.
BIM helps architects, engineers, and construction planners design more efficient, cost-saving and greener facilities for roughly the same cost as normal buildings. By stressing cooperation across multiple occupations early in design, BIM also provides a new way to learn engineering, civic planning and architecture skills at technical colleges across the country.
How you can take advantage
One interesting aspect of the focus on LEED certifications is that now construction companies and civic engineering boards are on the hunt for certified LEEDS Compliance Specialists. This job certification is becoming somewhat of an elite class of consulting for drafting, engineering and civic planning businesses around the country. So if you begin your drafting, engineering or architectural training now, you can specialize in LEEDS certification standards as a way to enhance your marketability.
USCollegeSearch.com can help you find a school near you that covers the new LEEDS standards in their curriculum. Get started on a useful specialization for your college degree today!
Ask anyone in the nation about the current job market and what kind of opportunities lay within it, and you’ll likely be pointed in thousand different directions about what sectors to explore. True, while many industries have been seeing upturn within the last 3 months, and with layoffs receding for the fourth month in a row – a lot of companies are finally opening their doors to the myriad of job seekers who’ve been pelting resumes and cover letters at them since last November.
However, the nation’s overall job market is still quite a challenging environment – even for a qualified job seeker. So we had to ask here at USCS – what kind of blue-chip industries should one consider when deciding what to go to school for?
The answer might surprise you, but truck driving and transportation is one of the most fundamental industries that our nation has been built upon.
Although CDL requirements different on a state-by-state basis, getting trained and employed as a truck driver may be one of the quickest and simplest answers to landing a great paying job in a tough economy. For instance, in most California truck driving schools you can get enrolled and graduate with CDL training in a little as 2 months. Texas truck driving schools even allow 18 years old to take the exam, provided they do not cross out of Texas state lines. Either way, this a great career to begin training in as the salary expectations are well above the national averages – and the work is often both exciting and new.
There’s an old saying in the trucking industry - If you bought it, a truck brought it – and these few words hold great importance for those considering going to school to start a new & rewarding career – you’re always very likely to have a job.
The costs of college are on the rise – increasing at a rate faster than inflation. Yet education is still very important, especially in this day and age – seems that everyone is preaching the worth of college and how it can affect your future. But the rising cost of college tuition can make it harder for some people to afford the education they’re looking for.Not all colleges cost the same but some state-sponsored schools have tuition rates that are close to $18,000 a year. With 4 years at that state school, students can see their tuition bills reach over $80,000.The New York Times has a handy-dandy tuition calculator and I have crunched the numbers for tuition costs at university in my home state and career college. Here are my findings:
• Cost of earning your Bachelor’s degree as a full-time, in-state student at a state public university with housing fees for 4 years with a 4% tuition increase each year totals over $56,000.
• Cost of earning your Associate degree as a full-time, in-state student at career college for 2 years without housing fees totals a little over $13,000.Those values will differ depending on where you’re from and type of college you want to attend.
But, one has to think that in this economy, you want to get the most for your dollar. And in some cases, that career colleges can offer you a degree for less money and similar outcomes. So when choosing where to go to school, why not look at a career college in your area? You might be surprised!
Did you take an SAT or ACT prep course in high school? Do you think it helped? A new report says probably not … at least not as much as you’d like to think.
Tamara Keith from American Public Media reports that preparing for the SAT is a good idea, but you’d probably get the same benefit from a $30 at-home study guide as a multi-thousand dollar test-prep course.
David Hawkins from The National Association of College Admissions Counseling says “There needs to be a buyer-beware notice for students and families who are thinking about commercial test preparation.” The group pulled together a report that says the average score increase as a result of prep courses is only 30 points. Out of 2,400.
Hmm … while that might be enough to make or break an Ivy League acceptance for a few people, it’s probably not worth it to the rest of us.
Whether you took an SAT prep course or not, what if your score didn’t turn out quite as high as you’d like? Don’t worry! Standardized tests aren’t for everyone – we know that.
Not all schools require an ACT/SAT score for admission. Schools that don’t often offer a more targeted education, building practical skills rather than general knowledge. Career colleges and technical schools around the country realize that your priorities are different – that test scores don’t matter to you as much as starting a stable career.
While it’s not surprising that being tech savvy is a great asset for any job seeker, it does come as a bit of a surprise to find that the demand for technology workers has officially surpassed the demand for trade workers and vocational careers.
The latest report from Dice reveals that tech skills are becoming increasingly in demand, as evidenced by this new report of various job postings around the nation. The numbers reveal the quantity of times various skills were desired from the employer. The sample is supposedly representative of job postings in America, and shows us that various technological skill sets are now what most companies are looking for most often:
Operating Systems
1. Windows — 8,445
2. Unix — 6,997
Colleges who specialize in technological training, such as Potomac College and the surrounding cluster of tech schools of Virginia are likely to see increased enrollment over the next few years as an effect of this industry shift. With many first time college students getting enrolled in this fields, there is also a significant amount of professionals returning to school to obtain more up-to-date credentials for their résumé.
Still, the largest single factor used in deciding out what one should do with their working life comes from passion – and this is still, by and large – the most determinant factor students employ when enrolling for their college programs.
It’s like Confucius says – “Find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.
The Obama administration is proposing an overhaul in the way a majority of students finance their college education. This proposal may greatly affect the student loan industry causing them to fight against the proposed plan.
Currently, federal subsidies, known as the Federal Family Education Loan program, are provided to private loan companies. President Obama wants to eliminate these subsidies proposing that all loans given to students will be under the control of the federal government. The administration argues that the revamp would save $94 billion. That savings could be redirected to needy borrowers and give more potential students the opportunity to go to college.
There is opposition to the proposal by some. Lenders are worried about the business they could lose. “The Obama plan would mean that many lenders would lose 100 percent of their business,” said Mark Kantrowitz, an industry analyst and publisher of FinAid.org. “It would be a dramatic shift for the way this industry works.”
Others worry about the inefficiency of the education department. “I don’t see the wisdom in creating a new half-trillion national bank for student loans,” he said. “I know how the bureaucracy at the education department works, and you probably are going to get long lines of dissatisfied customers. Those lines could be very long because there are 12 million students.”
Supporters believe the proposal is the most cost effective, dependable way to provide students with the necessary funding for college. They think that the current system needs to be fixed to provide every student with the opportunity to go to colleges.
It’s no longer unusual for students to take some or all of their college classes online. Technological advancements have helped create convenient new ways to get a college education without ever stepping into a classroom.
Now, Shai Reshef, an entrepreneur from Israel, has decided to take the online education experience to the next level: by making it free.
Reshef has created a new online education institution called the University of the People, scheduled to open in April 2009. His goal is to take advantage of the Internet’s wide availability and ease of use. Reshef believes that students all over the world, at all financial levels should have accessible, affordable education options.
That old adage about a free lunch may be coming to mind right now. But the University of the People truly is tuition-free. Students only pay nominal fees to enroll in the university and to register for examinations, and UoP’s instructors and administrators volunteer their time and expertise. All the required learning materials and tests are accessible online, making a college education available wherever there is an Internet connection to be found.
The university’s enrollment fee will cost between $15 and $50, and exam registration fees would be between $10 and $100. Reshef structured the pricing this way to reach out to poorer students. Therefore, students from poorer countries pay lower fees, while students from wealthier countries pay more.
The UoP is in its most beginning stage of operation, but two programs will be offered when the university opens this April. Students can choose to pursue:
A bachelor degree in Business Administration
A bachelor degree in Computer Science
Check out the University of the People at http://www.uopeople.com/. The gates of higher education might be opening up for everyone - no matter their income bracket - very soon!
Not interested in healthcare? You can still get the training you need to begin working in a growing field. Find out more about preparing for some of the careers on the Bureau of Labor Statistic’s list of occupations with the largest employment growth. Here’s the complete list of the top 10:
Thinking of entering a new line of work? Look into healthcare. It’s today’s fastest growing field. And, thanks to America’s aging population, it promises to continue creating employment opportunities for years to come.According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare is projected to continue adding jobs through 2016. In fact, the following healthcare careers make up 4 of the top 10 occupations with the largest employment growth:
Because these jobs require various levels of training, you can begin working in the field quickly and then take advantage of opportunities for advancement. You can widen your skill set through on the job experience, advanced training opportunities and by earning healthcare degrees and certifications.
For some people, going green is about doing more than instituting a recycling plan; it’s about a new way of life. If you’re interested in devoting more of your energy to protecting our natural resources, you’re in luck.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that environmental science and protection technicians, including health technicians is among the fastest growing of all occupations.
Environmental science and protection technicians perform laboratory and field tests to monitor the environment. They investigate the sources of pollution, including those that can affect health. Under the direction of an environmental scientist or specialist, they use the data they collect to help take steps toward correcting any issues.
As the regulations and monitoring surrounding the environment continue to increase, the need for these workers is expected to grow at a faster than average rate. More than 80 percent of this growth is expected to be in professional, scientific, and technical services.
You can help meet this need after completing an industry-relevant training program. Most environmental science and protection technicians hold an Associate’s degree - which you could probably earn in less time than you think.
The mean annual wage for environmental science and protection technicians is $42,190. That means you could enjoy all the benefits of working in one of today’s fastest growing occupations - all while experiencing the personal satisfaction of knowing you’re helping to preserve the earth for future generations.
