A North Carolina Contininug Education Program is challenged by budget cuts.

Today's post comes from The Independent Tribune. Smaller budget expected for Rowan-Cabarrus Community College in 2007-08. Rowan-Cabarrus Community College’s operating budget is getting tighter this fiscal year, but its leaders also expect to get less money from the state in 2007-08 because of a 3.7 percent decline in enrollment. After record-enrollment increases from 2003 to 2005, RCCC’s enrollment has leveled off given the improvement of the local economy and availability of more jobs, said President Richard Brownell. And since state-operating funding is tied to enrollment, RCCC stands to receive $400,000 less during the 2007-08 fiscal year. RCCC’s 2006-07 state operating budget stands at $25.5 million. Click here to read the remainder of this article.

Adult Learners Tend to Rely on Cash and Employer Assistance.

A recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education states, "Adult Learners Tend to Rely on Cash and Employer Assistance to Pay for College, Survey Finds."

"Most students in adult, continuing-education, and professional programs at American colleges and universities rely on personal savings and employer-provided tuition assistance to pay for their education, according to a new report based on a survey of 25,000 current and prospective students."

"Of those surveyed, 50 percent said they used or planned to use cash and nearly half (48 percent) said they used or planned to use tuition assistance to pay for at least part of their college courses, while about a quarter identified federal student loans (28 percent) and scholarships (22 percent) as financial resources. Responses in those categories overlap because most of the respondents used at least two financial sources."

OCHEA annual conference in Newark, Ohio next month.

Gatlin Education Services will be attending the Ohio Continuing Higher Education Association's annual meeting being held in Newark, Ohio on March 15 -16th. OCHEA is a not-for-profit organization of accredited, non-profit, degree-granting institutions of higher education in Ohio dedicated to human resource development through continuing education.

Mississippi online high school experiences rapid growth.

This post comes from the Clarion Ledger. Enrollment in Mississippi’s Virtual Public School that lets high school students learn via online classes has seen rapid growth. "Projections are the 2,500 to 3,000 students taking online classes now will climb to 10,000 students in a couple of years." This is according to Mississippi Superintendent of Education Hank Bounds. Click here to read this entire article.

New online Pay Per Click Marketing course now available.

We are pleased to announce the immediate availability of another great online career training program. This nationally recognized Pay Per Click Marketing (PPCM) online course and training program has been developed because of the high demand for Pay Per Click marketing specialists. Pay Per Click Marketing (PPC) is a sub-set of Search Engine Marketing, and refers to a specific type of advertising where you pay a search engine every time a potential customer clicks on your ad. These ads appear on search engine results pages and sometimes on the pages of sites within a search engine’s network of partners.A job in the paid search industry can be unbelievably lucrative.

As noted recently by Jennifer Laycock of Search Engine Guide, "There are quite literally more jobs than there are skilled marketers and salaries can skyrocket to almost embarrassing levels." This extreme demand means Pay Per Click Marketers can pick and choose their jobs and/or clients. Experts in select specialties such as Pay Per Click Advertising are currently enjoying even higher demand than usual, as advertisers out-bid each other to have their site shown for popular keyword searches on Google, Yahoo! and MSN. This online certificate program is offered in partnership with major colleges and universities.

Search engine optimization (SEO) online training program now available.

We have two more new online career training programs to announce this week. The first course is our search engine optimization (seo) online training program. Search engine optimizers (SEOs) increase their company’s Web site traffic by improving its search-engine page rankings. This is an especially important task in today's Internet-driven world, where many customers first learn of an organization and its products or services through the Web. Indeed, this SEO program was created in direct response to the skyrocketing demand for paid search engine industry professionals. Because of a shortage of experts in this area, many top SEOs receive multiple job offers. This 3-part program will teach you how to tailor your website to achieve better search engine ranking, incorporate dynamic technology such as Flash, and make the most of your website’s content. Go here to learn more or to find a school offering this program.

New Search Engine Marketing certificate program now available.

We are pleased to announce the immediate availability of another new online career training course. Our Search Engine Marketing training and certificate program has been developed in direct response to the skyrocketing growth of the search engine industry. Search Engine Marketers improve their company’s search engine page rankings.

Because of a shortage of qualified personnel in this relatively new field, many Search Engine Marketers receive multiple job offers. This comprehensive program will show students how to create, monitor and maintain successful search engine rankings, take advantage of pay-per-click advertising, and much more. This Search Engine Marketing program combines both the Search Engine Optimizing and the Pay Per Click Marketing programs into one extended program. Go here to learn more or to find a school offering this program.

New Fine Arts Training online certificate program now available.

Gatlin: online career training courses is pleased to announce the immediate availability of another new online certificate program. Our Fine Arts Training certificate program will help you build a foundation in drawing and painting, deepening your knowledge of the fine arts. You’ll begin by looking at art through the ages in its historical contexts, and learning how to analyze it, critique it, and assess what techniques the artists utilized. The class then moves on to introductory drawing, figure drawing, and oil painting. Along the way, you will learn about critical concepts such as line, mass, perspective, and composition, all under the guidance of our expert instructors. This program is instructor-led, project-based, and completed at your own pace. Expert faculty provides critique and feedback on projects within 1-2 business days, helping you build a creative portfolio for prospective employers. Go here to learn more or find a college offering this program.

Video game art online certificate program is now available.

Gatlin is pleased to announce the newest edition to our online career training courses catalog. Our new Video Game Art online certificate program is designed to help gain the skills and knowledge to get you started as a digital artist in today's fast-paced game development industry! This Video Game Art program builds technical and artistic skills in 3D modeling, texturing, lighting, and animation using Autodesk Maya and Photoshop. Challenging, practical projects put you through your paces, helping you develop a high-quality portfolio of game art. Experience mentoring and feedback from an industry-leading faculty of game art professionals. This program is instructor-led, project-based, and completed at your own pace. Expert Faculty provides critique and feedback on projects within 1-2 business days, helping you build a creative portfolio for prospective employers. Go here to learn more or to find a school offering this program.

Troubles Grow for a University Built on Profits.

Today's article comes from the New York Times. The University of Phoenix became the nation’s largest private university by delivering high profits to investors and a solid, albeit low-overhead, education to midcareer workers seeking college degrees. But its reputation is fraying as prominent educators, students and some of its own former administrators say the relentless pressure for higher profits, at a university that gets more federal student financial aid than any other, has eroded academic quality. To read the rest of this interesting article click here.

Wedding planner online training and certificate program now available.

We are pleased to announce the immediate availability of Wedding Planner our newest online career training program. Wedding planners are in demand as more and more sophisticated brides discover they cannot be the bride and the wedding planner on the day of their wedding. The Wedding Planning Certificate Program is perfect for the individual who wants to immediately start making money as a wedding planner.

Whether you plan on working part-time, planning only a few weddings a year, or a full-time career, this program will provide all the tools necessary to work as a professional wedding planner or start your wedding planning business. To address the demands of the industry this program is created for real-world application including experiential learning. This includes role-playing, vignettes and other ways to practice for actual business objectives or work settings in the day-to-day of wedding planning. Go here to learn more or to find a school offering this program.

Criminals, CEOs, and First Graders Share Online Education Experiences.

As Online Classes Go Mainstream, Individuals and Business Leaders Learn How to Use Them And How to Avoid Scams!

Mount Jackson, VA (PRWEB) -- With the mainstreaming of online education, individuals and businesses are learning how to take advantage of economical, convenient education. "It's not just individuals who are considering the viability of online education," says Susan Deane, author of "Online Education: Is It for You?", who was recently interviewed on The Inside Business Success Show, "many businesses are using online classes as an economic way to train their workers." To read the rest of this interesting press release click here.

McGraw-Hill Higher Education Extends Reach of Online Testing.

McGraw-Hill Higher Education, a premier provider of print and digital teaching and learning solutions for the post-secondary and higher education markets, and Respondus Inc., a leading provider of assessment tools for learning management systems in higher education, have entered into an alliance that will make hundreds of McGraw-Hill test banks available in Respondus format at thousands of colleges and universities around the world. To read the remainder of this article click here.

Online charter school facing legislative struggles.

This article comes from TheWorldLink.com. The Oregon Connections Academy, a Scio-based virtual charter school, has been up and running for less than two years now, but it's already on pace to become one of the largest schools in the state, with about 1,200 students so far, who live everywhere from Bandon to Burns.But that growth could screech to a halt in just a few years, if lawmakers don't reconsider a bill passed in the final hours of the 2005 legislative session.That bill requires at least 50 percent of the students at an online charter school to live in the district where the school is based. To read the rest of this article click here.

Online Classes: Opening a Door to Primary Education.

This is an interesting article by the Ecommerce Times.......Now that online classes have made significant headway in the college arena, K-12 educators are beginning to give the concept a closer look. Internet-based classes can serve a wide range of uses, from supplemental courses for advanced placement students to full-time online schools for kids with special needs.

Click here to finish reading this article.

Blackboard offers patent pledge.

Learning management system provider Blackboard Inc. has pledged not to sue users of open-source eLearning software. Blackboard holds a patent on LMS technology that critics say is overly broad and will stifle innovation in eLearning software. Academic computing groups say they welcome Blackboard's pledge but fear it doesn't go far enough. Click here to read the rest of this article.

Continuing education departments continue to turn to Gatlin for online programs.

Gatlin Education Service's online career training courses continue to be in high demand across the country. One of the primary reasons we continue to grow is related to the challenges faced by continuing education and extension offices around the country. An article by the Contra Costa Times explores the challenges faced by UC Berkeley Extension. To read this interesting article click here.

Free online course aimed at the architecture, engineering and construction industries.

QuakeWrap has launched its first free online course aimed at the architecture, engineering and construction industries. The course titled, “Using Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRP) to Repair and Strengthen Structures” allows professionals to gain knowledge and earn continuing education credits. Through the AEC Daily's Online Learning Center, QuakeWrap offers a practical way for obtaining ongoing, state-of-the-art, and up-to-date continuing education free-of-charge.

The course can be downloaded 24 hours per day, seven days per week allowing users to participate in the learning experience at the convenience of their home, office, or while on the road. During the hour-long course, participants will receive an overview of characteristics and advantages of using Fiber Reinforced Polymers to repair and strengthen existing concrete, masonry, wood, and steel structures.

AEC Daily is registered with the American Society of Landscape Architects as a provider of Continuing Professional Education programs for landscape architects. This one-credit course qualifies for HSW and for BOMI Institute Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credit for RPA, FMA, and/or SMA graduates. AEC Daily reports Learning Units on members' behalf.